Grill surround swap

Alright boys and girls, I'm tired of the chrome teeth that came on my BLUE TRDOR. I want a color matched bezel/surround, and a black mesh grill, but I really don't want to spend a ton. CCG has the grill for about $100, and I'm fine with that. I'd like to trade somebody straight across, my chrome bezel for their blue one. Any takers?

 

I used the instructions in this thread:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bbp-color-keyed-grille-mod.398636/

And painted my own. Cost me roughly $100 +/- $20.

It was fairly easy, just make sure you take your time and don't do it outside when it's super windy like I did (the truck was in the garage as we were working on it).

 

thought bezels were black or chrome unless painted? what model comes color matched?

 

Paint it, take your time. most important part is to make sure you prep the surface right, paint slow and even, used automotive clear coat then polish with fine cut. It will look OEM for less than half the cost

 

None of them are colour matched. He painted his.

Jeff

 

I am curious to see how many end up with chipped paint on their grills down the line. The stick chrome looks much better than a chipped up painted grill in my opinion, plus it's too much work. I guess some like working on their trucks on their days off, while others like using their trucks on their days off.

 

Plenty of time for both.

 

Lucky you!

 

I've had my grill painted for about a month now and it still looks great. It took me about 3 hours to paint ithe, with about 2 of those hours waiting on the paint to dry.

 

Far from perfect but im going on 4 months and 3k miles on my painted grille. Yes paint chipped, but only when removing tape. Hasnt grown any since. But i didnt derp, i scuffed, paint prep'd, adhesion promoter, prep'd again, 6 coats of paint and 6 of clear. Pretty sure my grille has thicker paint than the rest of my truck. Can you see the chips? I have to look very closely in person. Pretty impressed, first auto paint ive ever done but i do work in parts so getting all the right stuff was easy

 

I'd hope it didn't start to look like shit after only 4 months! Let's see it in 4 years.

 

start to look like what? i said the chips were caused by pulling off the tape so um yeah... it always looked like that until i decide to paint again

 

What kind/brand/type of paint did you use? Been thinking of going the permanent route as well. The idea of dipping it sounds kind of cheap and high maintenance to me.

 

i used SEM products since thats what we carry in store. google these part numbers for the products i used:
-77723 adhesion promoter
-38353 plastic prep
-15233 gloss black color coat
-40903 1k hs clear coat

can probably get away without the plastic prep cleaner and go with a quaity qd electric parts cleaner or something similar

also used 3m tape and 3m scuff pad

 

just stinks because i have enough to do another dozen grilles, but the rest will probably go to waste. served its purpose though and made my oem grille ok for now until i replace it with one from BAMF or something similar