I want to paint my grill–Advice Please.

[SurferRob]

I really want to paint the grill on my 2005 SR5. Mine is chrome and I want to paint it matte black.

To those that have done it, how hard is it? Other than cleaning the grill is there anything else I should do? After painting, how has it held up, looks wise?

Thanks in advance.

Rob

 

[montanaT4R]

Last year i painted the center cross bar of my 06 grille flat black. I pulled it off, sanded it down, and after the flat black spray i cleared it w/ a matte clear... It has held up pretty well. Only issue is sometimes when you go to clean the bugs off, they can take some of the paint w/ them. After nearly a year, i have only had to touch it up once or twice from where the bugs pulled off the paint. Worst case, you can always pop it off and give it another spray down the road. I also painted the rear chrome piece above the rear license plate bracke flat black. That piece has held up very well.

 

[montanaT4R]

Here is a pic showing the flat black grille insert... One day i might pull off the surrounding chrome and give it a spray too...haven't decided yet.

 

[SurferRob]

Thanks for the replies. What grit did you sand it with? How many coats did you do initially?

Your truck looks sweet. I am dying to do the rims. That looks so good.

THanks
Rob

 

[montanaT4R]

Thank you. I had the wheels powder coated flat black. I'm not sure about the grit, nothing two course, just enough to rough up the chrome so the paint can adhere. I probably did 4 coats of flat black and 2 coats of the matte clear. I love it...really stands out from the crowd.

 

[JAC]

Here is mine

<a href="http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/JCSR5/?action=view&current=blackgrill010.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/JCSR5/blackgrill010.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[SurferRob]

Thanks JAC, any tips? How has it held up? Looks good.

Rob

 

[JAC]

Thanks JAC, any tips? How has it held up? Looks good.

Rob

To be honest with you...I did this yesterday..and I just sanded it a little and painted it with a semigloss black..also need to mention that this is not the stock grill this is an aftermarket grill insert. Which means that I can remove it whenever and leave the truck with her own grill.

 

[oldschool]

The right way to paint your grille would be stripping the existing chrome off first, using muriatic acid ( which you can purchase at Lowe's ) then scuffing up the surface with a fine grit paper then shooting the grille whatever color you desire. Paint doesnt stick to chrome well, but it will adhere very well to the nickel underneath it. Good luck.

 

[MikesToy]

Just buy the OEM painted grille (mostly made for the Limited). May cost you more but saves you time and hassle of doing it right.

 

[oldschool]

Just buy the OEM painted grille (mostly made for the Limited). May cost you more but saves you time and hassle of doing it right.

Definitely more durable but good luck finding it in matte black, gonna have to go custom on that one.

 

[SurferRob]

OldSchool, thanks for the tip. Still trying to decide if I want to do it. If i need to replace this grill for any reason, they aren't cheap. Might just leave it alone. We'll see. Thanks.

Rob

 

[Merlin]

painted the grill of my 3G - just sanded it lightly so the paint would have something to grab on to, primed it, then rattle-can sprayed it with three or four light coats of flat black, sanding in between coats. went about a year before i thought it looked kinda off compared to the herculined bumpers and rockers (but it still looked fine, no fading, chipping or peeling).

i eventually sanded the paint off and just herculined the grill too so it would all have the same finish.

didn't look too bad, but our friend at the dealership was scratching his head when he was appraising it for a trade in on my wife's new T4R.

he was like :wtf: did you do to the bumpers, rockers and running boards?

 

[Jordanbiird]

Definitely more durable but good luck finding it in matte black, gonna have to go custom on that one.

Hey, when taking the chrome off the grill, with the muriatic acid, how do you do that? lit it sit in a bucket of it? or just wash it on with a spung? Have a link? or words of advice?

And what paint, would be the closest to oem, BLACK. to paint the grille to match exactly my black 2008 4runner?

 

[AuSeeker]

Hey, when taking the chrome off the grill, with the muriatic acid, how do you do that? lit it sit in a bucket of it? or just wash it on with a spung? Have a link? or words of advice?

And what paint, would be the closest to oem, BLACK. to paint the grille to match exactly my black 2008 4runner?

You can buy OEM color matched touchup paint in a spraycan.

I don't know too much about the T4R chrome grill, but aren't all the T4Rs grilles plastic anyway, if so I don't think the chrome is traditional chrome which is a real metal electroplating which does have nickel as a under plating but if I'm not mistaken the plastic (which cannot be electroplated to my knowledge) is only a chrome paint, please correct me if I"m wrong!!!

 

[blakem5]

i had my grill plasti dipped black for a year and i would go hard on it with the pressure washer to see if it would hold up and it did, not even any rock chips on it and i drive BC roads. and i decided i was tired of my grill being black so i took it off and it dident leave any plasti dip behind

 

[YetiX]

I bought a limited grille off eBay and then Plast-dipped the center bar with flat black. It held up to yesterday's mud bogging very well.