DIY Tech: 2015+ RTR LED Mustang Grille From AmericanMuscle

In the early days of S550 Mustang advertising, you might remember Vaughn Gittin, Jr’s famous 2015 Mustang RTR back in 2014. The car debuted with some visually pleasing and performance-oriented modifications. One of the many attention-grabbing upgrades however, was the RTR grille with LED accent lighting.

This patiently awaited and sought-after grille assumably dramatically altered the front of the 2015+ Mustang’s face, and enthusiasts fell in love with it at first sight. More than a year later, we’re finally able to get our hands on this awesome grille from our friends at AmericanMuscle with the intent to convey a do-it-yourself installation guide, using one of our reader’s cars, a 2015 Mustang EcoBoost base model.

The Parts

RTR Mustang Grille W/ Accent Vent Lights For All '15-'17 Mustangs

• LED Accent Vent Lighting
• Increases Air Flow to Radiator
• Injection Molded TPO Material
• OEM Fit and Finish
• Simple Installation – No Cutting Required
• Upper and Lower Grilles are Available Separately or as a Combo Kit
• Fits All 2015 to 2017 Mustangs
• PN 389944-A

RTR stands for Ready To Rock; which as you know, is Vaughn Gittin, Jr’s Mustang performance-oriented nameplate, and boy does it suite this grille well.

Enthusiasts have the option to buy the grille in pieces (the upper, lower, and LED accent vent lighting) separately, but we’d recommend going straight for the combo package to get everything you need the first time. The RTR Mustang Grille W/ Accent Vent Lights (PN 389944-A) will fit all ’15-’17 Mustang models (except those equipped with the adaptive cruise control), and does not require any cutting or permanent modification to install.

While this grille looks simply amazing if you ask us, there are some added performance benefits as well. According to AmericanMuscle, the design of the grille enables increased air flow to the radiator (and intercooler on any forced induction Mustangs like the EcoBoost models), allowing for cooler IATs and engine temperature.

Manufactured out of injection molded TPO material and based on the OEM grille CAD for excellent fit and finish, the RTR grille combo brings plenty of strength and technology to the table; such as high-powered SMD LED lighting.

Installation

Installing our new RTR LED grille from AmericanMuscle couldn’t be any simpler. From start to finish, the process took us about two hours to complete, and required very little technical ability. From the average novice to the mechanically inclined and everything in between, AmericanMuscle provides detailed instructions for anyone looking to perform this installation themselves.

As a heads up, you’re going to need a few tools to get the job done. AmericanMuscle recommends a ratchet (we used a half-inch style one), along with a flathead screwdriver, and a 5.5, 7, and 8mm socket. Also, it’s important to note that it’s recommended you disconnect the battery before performing any electrical work on your vehicle.

We started by removing the eight clips that secure the plastic radiator cover to the radiator support.

We then proceeded to removed the plastic clips holding the fender liner to the front bumper on each side. To make things easier, we removed the front wheels, as you’ll need to do this to access a single 8mm bolt on each side of the bumper that secures it to the fender. This can be a bit of a pain, so be careful not to break anything!

We took our time with this to ensure we didn’t break any of the clips, and we used the aforementioned method for both the upper and the lower grilles.

On the upper grille is where we found the indentations where it needed to be drilled to house the new RTR LED accent vent lights.

The kit allowed us to use the provided double-sided tape backing to mount the control box on the back side of the grille.

We proceeded by locating the headlight harness, then unplugging it from the connector and pulling in the supplied light harness.

We then tucked everything back up into the frame rail to avoid the aforementioned disruptive look of exposed wiring.

Conclusion

The owner of this ’15 Mustang EcoBoost was super stoked about his new RTR LED grille upon completing the installation. So much so, that he even commented that the car “looked like it had shark teeth” — adding to the already popular look of the S550 Mustang generation.

Post-installation, the new RTR grille really transformed the look of this Mustang EcoBoost. In fact, to the average car enthusiast (or person for that matter), you probably wouldn’t be able to tell if this Mustang was a V6, GT, or EcoBoost model just by looking at the front of it directly.

If you ask us, the RTR LED grille combo from AmericanMuscle is a fantastic way to transform your Mustang’s front end. Head over to AmericanMuscle’s website and check out the grille combo for yourself here.