Advice for painting a grill

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Advice for painting a grill

October 21, 2009, 03:21:30 PM

Hey guys,

I'm gonna try my hand at painting a grill I got coming in, but I need some advice. It's a chrome grill and I want to paint it flat black. This isn't going to be anything perfect, just thought the black would look better on the front of my XR7. Any advice on the procedures and equipmend to use. Thanks again guys, I usually have my dad to help me with this but since I'm moving. Gonna start doing this stuff myself.

Peace,
Dan W.

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #1 – October 21, 2009, 03:46:10 PM

use an adhesion promoter, prime, then paint.

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #2 – October 21, 2009, 03:46:14 PM

Dan, the key is going to be knocking down the shine/chrome from the grille so that the paint will stick. If this incoming grille is like most of our cars, it's ABS plastic dipped in chrome. There's some expensive stuff that body shops can get, that will strip the chrome from the plastic but obviously that's not going to be cheap even if you can find a shop that can get it. Adhesion promoter could also work although I've not tried it.

What I've done successfully in the past is to sandblast the grille. Before you do, you must inspect the grille for any bubbles in the chrome where it's lifting from the plastic. If you have some bubbles or cracks in the chrome then you will need to completely blast the chrome off the grille...and that takes a LONG time. But it's the only way to correctly do it. Lots of blasting and peeling the chrome off with needlenose pliers.

If you have no bubbles/blistering and the surface is clean and not cracked, then you'll get real lucky. Blast the grille holding it out at arm's length, just enough to make the shininess dull. Do NOT get too close or else you'll bubble up the chrome and then will be forced to peel it all off. Once all the shininess is dulled down then you can primer/paint as you wish.

Automotive paint is the most resistant to bugs, tar, chips, etc. just FYI.

Good luck with the project!

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #3 – October 21, 2009, 04:00:02 PM

I scotch brited the hell out of mine primed and painted. Looks great! Now if only I could make the rest of the car look as good...

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #4 – October 21, 2009, 05:44:35 PM

I used a 3/4" wide exacto knife and sed most of the chrome off of the one I had.

You'd have to ask carpimp1987 how it's held up...but when I shipped it to him, it was still decent looking.

It was a bit of work to se the stuff off, but it was Beau's Lo-Budget Way, and it worked :hick:

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #5 – October 21, 2009, 07:31:53 PM

yeah, what ever you do dont just clean it and paint it with the fusion plastic paint, i did that to a chrome grill and it just chips off...

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #6 – October 21, 2009, 09:09:38 PM

Is your grille metal, or chromed plastic?

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #7 – October 21, 2009, 10:36:53 PM

it should be chromed plastic... well that plastic chrome paint or coating what ever it is.

Advice for painting a grill

Reply #8 – October 22, 2009, 12:11:36 AM

It's chromed plastic. Thanks for all the advice so far guys.