Body shop cant paint grille??

I stopped at a very well known body shop today and asked about painting my crappy chrome grille to match my truck color. The paint man said he could paint it however that it would not stick well at all. He said it would eventually look like crap even if he sanded and took his time with it.

I told him many here have had luck with simple fusion spray paint and he said over time they would all show bad signs of wear. he said my best option was to buy a plain unpainted grill without the fake chrome look and have him paint it to match. I can not imagine a high profile shop saying it is impossible to paint my factory grill.....does this sound like it could be true?

I just do not see how this could be true if the grille was sanded correctly removing the crappy chrome look it should be able to be painted....right? The labor and cost should be about the same so I cant understand why the paint shop would try to prevent me from using their services.....or why they would tell me no just to make me leave.

Any paint and body men want to give me their suggestions please?

 

He's not saying its impossible, he just wants you to have a quality product years down the road that he can stand behind.

 

Thank you for the reply John and he did say he would try it if I wanted him to however he also said I would not be happy with the results. For some reason I really thought a professional shop could do this without any issues.

Is it somehow impossible to remove all of the chrome type finish for a good result? When I sanded my badges down it seemed pretty easy to get down to the plastic finish underneath and I assumed the grille was the same material.

 

He is looking at his reputation down the road. I'm going to guess this is a high quality shop and has plans on being around for a while.

 

I believe the chrome is a plating. It's fairly difficult to remove while still keeping the plastic smooth underneath.

 

True, I did some testing when I removed mine, (went to a color matched)
was a pain, everything I uses messed up the plastic, I then went to sanding, what a mess.
Personally for the cost and all, it's best to get a coor matched.

 

I think what the shop guy was saying was long term and the paint holding up.
I know when I had to get my flare painted the shop stated he "would not" sand the texture off. Due to the paint sticking and long term life of it. Now I know nothing of all that, but the match was perfect.

 

I used to finance a company that made these plastic chrome grills. If you guys knew the complexity of the process to apply the chrome, you wouldn't be painting over it!!!

 

It was an insurance job, the flare was shot, and needed replaced. They come black and this one had a fine texture to it. They replaced the flare, paint, all new clips a got 4 newer mudflaps for around $800.
Way to much in my book, but if I had to pay that much............well they may just come off.

 

I am sure if you check out trdparts4u you can get them cheaper. I did not know about this site, so...........
I have picked up a number of items from them since, and the price was WAY cheaper than the strealers

 

You can get the stock flare, like when you buy the truck new. Not the custom fiberglass ones.
As for spacers don't believe so, may need to hit spydertrax for those, but believe you are gonna have to wait.

 

Also another problem is the paint that toyota uses is a water based paint and this could have some problems with it adhering to the chrome. I had some pocket flares painted and my shop guy said that he would have to put a coat of adhesive primer down to give the paint something to bond with since this water based paint is a nightmare.

 

hum didn't know that, learn something new everyday.
Does this mean that the touch up paint they sell is water based also?

 

I guess so, it's all about being environmentally conscience, which I don't have a problem with but I'm sure this is why toyota had such a problem a few years ago with their paint pealing. I think that they have it down now but I know that for a while they were having a lot of problems getting the water based stuff to stick.

 

Yea, I have a good friend that does repair/refinishing and he has told me the same thing.

 

Well, I'll tell you, if it weren't for the containment vessels and computer controls, the chroming process is about as far from environmental as an alien with a ray gun. Very carefully controlled due to the toxicity of the chemicals used.

 

I saw how the Chevy Bowtie emblems are made...if anyone is interested, I'll explain it. It was sick.

 

I seriously doubt spray painted grilles will look very good in 2-3 years. The fact that my Taco with the stock chrome grille is now pitted tells you that these things get a beating out there. Spray paint is very soft. Factory paint is baked on and a heck of a lot harder. The chrome even more so. Trust me- I've done my fair share of spray painting and it does not hold up that well in regards to staying shiny and pretty looking.

 

A very wise view on the subject.

 

I really believe I will try to find a factory magnetic gray grill or simply buy a bare grill and have it painted. I really believe the shop is correct in the abuse a grill will take.