My solution to the grill

I thought I would post a few pics of my pasti dip job. I thought dipping the whole grill was a bit too much black, and wanted to go with a more factory look. This job was a royal pain in the ass. It took me hours just to tape it off, and the peeling was a nightmare. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and some edges are a little rough, but overall it looks pretty good. You just have to constantly spray the edges you are going to peel, to keep it from ripping.

 

Hey Guys,

Future Taco owner here. I really like what the OP did to this grill, and plasti-dip seems to be a popular solution for lots of stuff here. On an application like this one, where as the OP mentioned, was a PITA, why not tape it off and use something like a matte finish spray paint? Seems like that would be more efficient than the plasti-dip.

What are the advantages to the dip? is it just because it can be taken off? (that shouldn't matter since we all know Taco owners keep them forever right?!)

Once again to the OP, that was a slick job, I think that looks best of all the grill mods I've seen so far, definitely how it should look from the factory!

 

Looks great! I plan to plasti-derp mine at well.
Does it hold up under bird sized bug hits and power washers at a distance?

 

In hind sight, I was thinking that painting it would be easier. I'm no pro, and paint you can't correct. I was able to wipe off overspray and smears, no problem. If it looks like crap, I can peel off and start over.

 

Looks great!

 

nice job. looks professional!

 

To the OP - that looks like a TRD Sport grill but your fender flares are from the OR, did you paint your flares too?

BTW - yeah that looks real nice and as mentioned probably should have come from the factory like that me thinks.

 

Very nice job OP! subtle, but makes a big difference. IMO best looking stock grill Mod out so far...

 

Paint will not adhere to chrome.
The chrome must first be removed in repeated bleach baths.
Talk about a PITA...

 

Looks great! What kind of plastic dip are you guys using? Does it matter?

 

It's a real shame that you spend mid to high 30s and have to have a solution to the grille! Does look better though. And that's a shame too... any home-made mod looks better than the stock grille, lol.

 

His truck is an off-road, the grill is the same for both TRD models. Or else it would have much more different than just painted fender flares.

 

Oh wow, didn't know that either! haha that would be even more of a PITA.
I guess I was assuming the "chrome" on the grill was really just paint (like the "chrome" rear bumper, from what I have read anyway)

 

don't the sport and OR have the same grille?

 

I think the sport and off-road have the same grille, don't they???

I think that is a trd off-road there... No scoop and black fenders.

 

The paint application will turn out better as far as adhering to the chrome if you use a light sand paper first then paint over it but don't use a heavy grit paper, you want it as smooth as possible.. I did it to my 2011 Tacoma and never had any issues with it and I was able to power wash it with no loss of paint.

 

The grill for sport and off road are the same. I only painted the grill, everything else is stock off road.

 

While I still hate chrome, it looks very nice.
Good design and worth your time and energy IMO.

 

I just used regular black plasti dip from Amazon. $9 a can.

 

Does the blacked out part of the grille come apart from the chrome trim around it or did it have to be taped..?