Chrome Grill

I've got an idea I want to do with a stock grill but all I can find is the chrome ones. Are the chrome ones able to be painted? I've never looked at one upclose. Thanks.

 

you can paint anything with enough sanding and priming.

 

would it be alot of trouble though, or does it come off easy.

 

that i don't know. My dad has the chrome grill and thats why i chose the sport cause i didn't like it. Are yoiu looking at chrome one strictly cause they are more common?

 

According to a couple of body shop guys I talked to Chrome can't be painted correctly. A guy (who had the opportunity to earn my business) told me that Chrome is too hard of a surface to prep and paint correctly.
I'm not an expert, but I believe him since he could have said "Sure, I'll paint your bumper for you"

Perhaps the front grille surround is a different story.
I was just outside looking at mine and really don't like it. I want to replace it with a color matched one.
I think you can get them for under $300 painted.
Then you could probably sell your used one for $100 or so on eBay.

 

front grill surround is plastic with a chrome "colored" coating on it

 

Here's what I wrote in response to painting the chrome grill earlier when someone asked since I had it done.

I payed $50 for the paint job on the chrome grill so I figured I wouldn't be out much money if it didn't work out well. I've had the grill on the truck for about 5-7 months now and the paint matches perfectly. I did manage to get a tiny tiny chip from a rock on the freeway which would have chipped it regardless of where it hit the truck.

However, just last week I noticed that around the vents on the side of the grill they must not have prepped it as well because it flaked off in one of the corners/creases. It's about the size of this smiley face so I hit it with a little touch up paint.

If I were to do it over I would try to prep it as much as I could possible before taking it somewhere to get done, and don't always go for the cheapest paint job either.

Try to trade for a base grill or buy an aftermarket one if possible, if not then pay to paint the chrome one.

Hope this helps

 

That's what I thought too and am sure is the case. I asked him specifically about my front grille surround though and he said he wouldn't do it, but he didn't see it in person. I only spoke with him over the phone, maybe he just assumed it was real chrome.

EDIT:
By the way, a member here on the board quoted me at $225 shipped for a color matched grill. I think he works at a Toyota dealership or something. If you PM me, I'll send you his name, or you can look in the group buy section

 

sandblast it

 

I don't really want to pay for a new colormatched one its going to be cut and have bondo all over it and need repainting anyways. I just saw a cheap chrome one on ebay thought maybe I could use it.

 

I went to an automotive paint store around town and asked the guy about painting my chrome grill. He said it was not only plastic, it was a thin metal coating with chrome paint, then told me to sand it down just to make it rough and spray some primer with acid (when I remember the name I'll let you know) then prime and paint. The acid primer is supposed to help the new primer and paint bold to the chrome part. He claimed he did the same to his truck, when we get some good weather I will try it and let you know how it turns out.

 

im pretty sure the grille is the same as the toyota emblems, and when i took them off to paint them black the chrome coating sanded off with ease. if the grille is the same id imagine it could easily be sanded and painted

 

Your auto guy is wrong!!!! Had my rear bumper painted black (color matched) and everything has held up perfectly. As long as you prep it correctly (sand,paint adhiesive) then your good to go.

The front grille surround is the same way, just helped a friend do his last weekend and we just had a massive hell storm. Paint still looks good as new

 

Well that's good to know. I hope he is wrong because I think it will be much cheaper to paint my bumper than get a new one.
How much did it cost you to get yours painted? How long has it been now?

 

I think i paid the guy $75.00 but no more than $100.00. It's been several months now. Still looks excellent

 

Well keep us posted. I was told it wasn't worth it because it would most likely start to peal and flake after 7 or 8 months.

 

I picked up chrome grille to modify and unfortunately after all the fiberglass and bondo work, wasn't too happy with the paint.
Guess I didn't prep well enough but I had a couple pieces chip off when I removed the tape after painting. I found a BSP grille so I just gave up on it for now, I don't think it will hold up as well as a regular painted grille would but don't see why it wouldn't last for a while if done right.

 

That's kinda what I was thinking too. I might as well just pay the money for an OEM because I know the paint will match perfectly and probably last longer too.

Then I'll be able to sell my stock grille, so really I won't be out that much money.
If I wanted to get crazy I could try the satoshi mod on my chrome grill when I take it off, get a little bit of practice doing it, then turn around and do my color matched one.
Then I'd be able to sell the newly satoshied chrome grille on ebay for a little bit more.