100 Series Land Cruiser Grille Replacement Guide

Key takeaways. Replacing the grille on a 1998–2005 100 Series Land Cruiser (UZJ100, and the Lexus LX 470) is a bolt-on job most owners finish in about an hour with basic hand tools. Toyota facelifted the 100 Series front end mid-generation, so a 1998–2002 grille and a 2003–2005 grille are not interchangeable — confirm your build date and chassis code before ordering. The 100 Series is also the platform where a 7-inch round headlight conversion has the biggest visual payoff. The best replacements ship bare metal so you finish them to match your truck.

The grille is the face of the 100 Series, and swapping it is the fastest way to transform the front end in an afternoon. Whether your factory grille has hazed and chalked in the sun, cracked from a road hit, or simply been left behind by a built-up overland rig, this guide covers what fits your specific 100 Series, the style and round-light options, how to finish a bare-metal grille, and how to bolt it on yourself.

What fits a 100 Series Land Cruiser grille?

The 100 Series ran from 1998 to 2007 in the US, and Toyota revised the front end partway through — which is where most grille orders go wrong. The 1998–2002 trucks use one front-end design and the 2003–2005 trucks use the facelifted version, so a grille cut for one won't fit the other. The Lexus LX 470 shares the platform across the run.

Before ordering, pull two facts from the driver's door-jamb sticker, not the title: your build date (a truck built late in 2002 may title as a 2003) and your chassis code — US 100 Series trucks are UZJ100, and the Lexus twin is the LX 470. Match those to the grille's stated fitment range. A listing that just says "fits Land Cruiser" with no year range isn't enough information to spend money on.

100 Series grille styles

Most 100 Series grille replacements come down to a few looks. The large hexagon is the dominant aftermarket pattern — bold, geometric, and a natural match for off-road bumpers and overland builds. A slotted design references classic Toyota heritage with horizontal bars and reads quieter, suiting daily drivers and restorations. An OEM-style replacement recreates the factory look in better material for owners who want period correctness over differentiation.

You'll also choose between a one-piece and a two-piece configuration, and whether to run standard headlight openings or 7-inch round openings. The round-light conversion is the single most face-changing modification available for a 100 Series — it trades the factory composite headlamps for seven-inch round housings and completely changes the truck's character. Pairing the grille with matched round headlight housings as one set looks far more coherent than doing the grille alone.

Why the best 100 Series grilles ship bare metal

A higher-end steel grille often arrives as raw steel with no coating. That looks unfinished to a first-time buyer, but it's deliberate. A pre-coated grille in generic black won't match your truck's paint code or a specific powder-coat formula; a bare grille goes to the same shop that finishes the rest of the truck, so you get an exact match. Bare steel also shows the fabrication quality before it's covered, lets a local powder coater apply a more durable finish than any factory paint line, and keeps a sealed rust-patina look on the table — impossible on a pre-coated part.

How to finish a bare 100 Series grille

There are three paths once your bare grille arrives. Powder coating is the default: media-blast, electrostatic application, oven cure, resulting in a hard, UV-stable, chip-resistant finish that outlasts the truck. Satin black is the most versatile; gloss black is sharper; satin bronze or olive suits heritage and overland builds; body-color match looks the most integrated. Most powder coaters quote a grille over the phone in five minutes. Spray paint is the cheapest route — self-etching primer, a few automotive-grade topcoats, and clear — though it won't last as long. Raw patina under clear coat lets controlled surface rust develop, then locks it under a matte or satin clear; it looks like nothing else on the road on the right truck.

How to install a 100 Series Land Cruiser grille

On the 100 Series, the factory grille mounts with clips and fasteners reached from the engine bay, so no drilling or cutting is needed if the grille is built correctly. Open the hood and locate the fasteners along the top edge of the grille, remove them (typically 10mm or Phillips), then release the side retaining clips slowly — they get brittle with age. Lift the factory grille up and away, transfer any hardware to the new grille, then set the new grille in place, align it to the headlights and hood line, and secure it. Most owners are done in about an hour. If you're running a 7-inch round conversion, install the round housings as part of the same job so the front end lines up as one unit.

One note on the Toyota emblem: the center badge is usually a separate part. Some aftermarket grilles include it, most don't, so confirm before ordering. The OEM heritage-style emblem is part #75311-90K00 from any Toyota dealer.

How to choose the right 100 Series grille

Choosing comes down to your build and your year. For a quiet, intentional daily driver, run a slotted or OEM-style grille finished in satin black or body color. For an overland or off-road build, go large hexagon with a 7-inch round headlight conversion in satin black or a textured finish — it's the setup that most changes the truck's face. For a restoration, an OEM-style or large-hexagon grille for your exact chassis, paired with the factory emblem, keeps it period-correct. Whatever you choose, confirm the fitment against your 98–02 or 03–05 front end first.

Where to buy a 100 Series Land Cruiser grille

Most aftermarket grilles ship from overseas factories through resellers who never handle the product — if it doesn't fit, you're filing a ticket and waiting. LandCruiserGrilles.com works differently. It's the in-house parts division of Restoration Sector, a classic Land Cruiser restoration shop in Cottonwood, Arizona, so the people fabricating the grilles are the same people bolting them onto customer trucks every week. Every 100 Series grille is CNC-laser-cut from heavy-gauge steel, hand-welded, and inspected in the shop, with mounting points dimensioned off real trucks. The 100 Series catalog covers 1998–2002 and 2003–2005 in one-piece and two-piece configurations, hexagon and slotted patterns, with standard and 7-inch round headlight openings and matched round housings. Everything ships bare metal, and if anything's wrong with the part, you're talking to the fabricator.

If your front end is rusted well past a bolt-on part — rotted metal, structural corrosion, a truck that needs far more than a grille — that's a restoration, not a swap. For a full bare-metal teardown and repaint of a 100 Series, RestorationSector.com handles it start to finish.

Shop 100 Series grilles at LandCruiserGrilles.com →

100 Series Land Cruiser grille FAQ

Will a 98–02 grille fit a 2003–2005 100 Series? No. Toyota facelifted the 100 Series front end mid-generation, so the 1998–2002 and 2003–2005 trucks use different grilles. Check your build date on the door-jamb sticker and match it to the grille's stated fitment before ordering.

Does the Lexus LX 470 use the same grille as the 100 Series? The LX 470 shares the 100 Series platform, so it fits the corresponding-year grilles and kits. Confirm the listing lists LX 470 in its fitment range for your specific year.

What is a 7-inch round headlight conversion? It replaces the factory composite headlamps with seven-inch round housings, using a grille cut for round openings. It's the single most face-changing modification you can make to a 100 Series, and it's cleanest done with the grille and housings as a matched set.

Why does the grille ship bare metal instead of finished? So you can match it to your truck. A bare grille goes to the same shop finishing the rest of the vehicle for an exact color match, allows a more durable powder coat than factory paint, and leaves a sealed patina finish possible.

How long does it take to install a 100 Series grille? Usually about an hour with basic hand tools. The factory grille comes off from the engine bay via fasteners and clips, and a correctly built replacement bolts into the same points with no drilling or cutting.