Retro Active: Part I -- Truckin's SUV Magazine

The PT Cruiser is a relatively new vehicle to the aftermarket that has been the subject of much debate since its inception. Is it a truck? Is it a car? Is it an SUV? We like to think that the latter question has a truthful ring to it since these miniature machines carry as much cargo as any S-series Blazer or Toyota 4Runner. Since the first PT Cruisers hit the streets almost two years ago, there have been a number of companies that have rushed to embrace this oddly familiar, retro-styled vehicle with parts meant to further enhance that retro styling. Recently, we visited PTeazer in Westminster, California, to get an inside look at how easy it is to outfit a PT Cruiser with its retro front fascia. Follow along as we convert a bone-stock PT (that we recently purchased at Don-A-Vee in Placentia, California) into a 'Cruiser with a blast-from-the-past appeal. If you perform this modification yourself, be sure to save all of your factory hardware, since you'll use about 98 percent of those hardware pieces to install the PTeazer parts

First, remove the two bolts found on each side of the stock grille.	Then pull the grille forward and remove it.	Locate the two bolts shown in the front of the PT's fascia and remove them.
You will also need to remove the screws that hold the front inner fender liner in place to access the two bumper bolts on each side. These will be removed and retained.	Pull down on the bumper cover to dislodge it from its mounting points.	After placing the car on jackstands to get under the bumper, you'll find there are bolts that secure the bumper cover to the car under the front bumper. These must be removed as well.
Unplug the driving lights from the backside of the bumper cover. Then carefully pull the front fascia forward, making sure the ends don't make contact with the fenders.	Remove the factory driving lights from the stock bumper cover if your vehicle is so equipped.	Also remove the fender liner clips.
Remove the bumper cover's lower trim. All of these parts will be reused.	Remove the bolts that secure the factory impact beam from the PT's chassis.	Remove the impact beam. This part will be replaced with a low-profile version.
The top of the chassis horn will need to be ground down about 4 mm (in most applications) to make clearance for the new, tighter-fit front fascia.	After grinding, spot-paint the horns to keep rust from forming.	While the front end of the PT was taken apart, we had an opportunity to shoot a comparison image of the factory grille and the new PTeazer retro grille. What a huge difference.
Next, bolt up the lower-profile impact beam using the factory impact beam hardware.	You'll end up with two spare bolts	To keep things clean, we zip-tied the factory wiring harness to the new impact beam and rotated the wiring out of view.
Moving along, reinstall the factory driving lights into the new PTeazer front fascia using the original hardware.	After drilling the marked dimples in the lower fascia, reinstall the lower trim that was removed from the original bumper cover.	Using a buddy's help, align and place the new fascia into position, making sure that the ends do not come into contact with the fenders, which can cause paint damage to your new, freshly painted PTeazer parts.
Replace the two front bolts that secure the face of the fascia using the factory hardware.	Check the fit of the front fascia and reattach the bolts that secure the ends of the bumper to the front of the PT. Some adjustment may be necessary to achieve a perfect fit.	Attach the grille bracket to the PTeazer retro grille using the machine screws supplied by PTeazer. Depending on the fit of the grille, this part may be bent to allow a tighter fit with the new fascia.
A tang in the center of the lower front fascia is used to locate the lower portion of the PTeazer grille and keep it in place.	Install the grille by loading it over the lower tang and rotating the grille flush against the front of the PT.	Secure the grille by reattaching the factory bolts that secure the grille to the PT's fender/radiator support assembly.
Replace the factory screws that hold the factory inner fender liners.	Voila! A newly transformed retro-custom PT a la PTeazer.