Adventures of my 'budget' Color-match grille (Lots of pics)

[ShadowRejects]

So heres the story; I'm experienced when it comes to painted. I love to paint. Ive painted every possible part on my truck. And since i've been going with the whole 'black and white' them on it, i figured, hell, i have the proper gear to color-match my grille, so why not paint it?

Yea.. big mistake

You'll see why. My 'story' is below..

The Idea:

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I Liked how it looked. So I went after it right when I got home from football at 5ish.

Got all my painting stuff! The white is nearly the exact same color as my truck, same paint I used to color-match my wheel's outer ring. Also same color I painted my antenna. and the clear coat and primer are left over from painting my rear bumper, and a fresh, brand new, never used spray gun! it was a gift from my dad so thats a score!

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Everything off the truck. Ready to paint this thing!

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I primed it with the dupli-color primer. The way the primer made the chrome look was really cool. If my truck was silver, i would've stopped right there, but its white. So I moved on

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Why you should wear a mask and ventilate your painting area

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Time for the fun!

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First coat of white!! Light coat.

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Second coat.

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third coat is where it starts to look good

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Then the trouble starts happening...

I run out of white paint! So, me being 16; I have to run up to Lowes with my dad and purchase another can of white. But this time, instead of the 99 cent stuff, my dad talks me into getting the automotive enamel, just because it was 6$ and probably better quality, etc...

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I run back home and continue painting! This stuff rocks. It has a wide spray, it's gloss, it has it all for a rattle can. I was having fun with this one can

More coat

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more coats

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and more coats. I cant see any chrome or discoloration anymore!

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I cant see any chrome or discoloration anymore! So i spray on some clear coats!!

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This paint is fragile as hell when it's not cured. I did this by dragging my nail across it. So i have to be careful.

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Chevy emblem temporarily re-installed

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I decide that was enough coats! time to tape off the outside and paint the vent and actual grille section. Its around 8PM when I get here.

My first piece of paper tape I peel off and stick goes on unever, so i carefully remove it from my some-what dry grille.... annnddddd......

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:sweak:

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By this time, im swearing up a storm. I just spend nearly 4 hours prepping and painting my grille, and this happens?? when i have just 10 minutes left til im complete??

So im lost.. i dont know what to do.. My solution to paint scratches-peels is always to cover it up with stickers, but that would look silly, especially on a grille.... So me being idiotic and pissed off, i try to spray over it.. This is how that went:

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So I guess it's time to break out the stickers..

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Eh. Could be worse.. Right? Wrong.

 

[ShadowRejects]

While painting my venting/grille/fin section black. This happens:

Horrible overspray in one section.. VERY visible form a distance..

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So i do this: I paint the fins black and dont really care about overspray..

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I then tape up the black so i can paint over the over-spray

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Huge success!

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I then sanded down my peeled spot flat, and painted over it as well as the rest of the grille for about 4 more coats! its barely visible now!

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How it looks now:

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Pretty proud on how it turned out. But honestly, WAS NOT worth the stres... at all. But it looks good IMO. Just want to see it on my truck!

Tommorow. im letting it bake in the sun before I clear coat it... But i just got done with it at 11:30.. So it's been a LONG stressful day. Just like to share it with yall. You think you had it bad?? No. This is the worst situation ive probably been in to this day. lmao ..

Hope you guys have a good one.

Tristan.

 

[Rewind]

I think you did a great job!

Sent from My padded cell using tapatalk 2

 

[ShadowRejects]

I think you did a great job!

Sent from My padded cell using tapatalk 2

Thanks man Im so glad it's over with! Im very excited to see it on the truck!

 

[Horns]

That will start to flake off pretty quick. Chrome is wayyyyyyyyy too smooth for paint to attach. You need to take a scotch brite and go to town on the chrome. You need to make the chrome extremely dull looking for the paint to actually grab to the grill.

 

[ShadowRejects]

That will start to flake off pretty quick. Chrome is wayyyyyyyyy too smooth for paint to attach. You need to take a scotch brite and go to town on the chrome. You need to make the chrome extremely dull looking for the paint to actually grab to the grill.

It probably will. But I prepped my chrome wheels the exact same way and painted them the same way as well and they are still holding up fine. But this is plastic, so youre right, it might flake. But ill take the risk... I just hope the sun bakes it in well while im at school today.

 

[ChrisAU]

Your wheels aren't plastic chrome. It looks good now, but give it time! Not trying to hate, just saying be prepared.

 

[BHBurban]

That will start to flake off pretty quick. Chrome is wayyyyyyyyy too smooth for paint to attach. You need to take a scotch brite and go to town on the chrome. You need to make the chrome extremely dull looking for the paint to actually grab to the grill.

^This, and self etching primer.

Your paint layed down pretty good though.

 

[tsoderstrum]

Yeah I'm a fairly amateur painter but it didn't look like you roughed the surface nearly enough for proper adhesion. Also like said above on something like this a self etching primer is always a safe bet. Plus you really should allow the paint to cure for 24-48 hours depending on conditions before applying tape for masking. Not hating just some help for next time. That said it looks really good and it's always great to see someone tackling projects to make something their own. Also beware if your gonna color sand it, the edges are extremely thin so be careful. My grill was looking perfect and I got a little anxious and burned through one of the edges and had to touch it up.

 

[ShadowRejects]

Yeah I'm a fairly amateur painter but it didn't look like you roughed the surface nearly enough for proper adhesion. Also like said above on something like this a self etching primer is always a safe bet. Plus you really should allow the paint to cure for 24-48 hours depending on conditions before applying tape for masking. Not hating just some help for next time. That said it looks really good and it's always great to see someone tackling projects to make something their own. Also beware if your gonna color sand it, the edges are extremely thin so be careful. My grill was looking perfect and I got a little anxious and burned through one of the edges and had to touch it up.

^This, and self etching primer.

Your paint layed down pretty good though.

Your wheels aren't plastic chrome. It looks good now, but give it time! Not trying to hate, just saying be prepared.

Thanks for the replies everyone. and i know. I was just in a rush because I had school the next day and wanted my truck to be done before then. Thats why i skipped sanding and rushed to tape it up. But i have had experience with self etching primer, and it rocked. but sadly i did not have any. But thats the type of primer i used on my wheels. But after i left it bake in the sun, i tried scratching it, and i was very hard to. Not fully cured yet but its about to be. But if it chips off, its no big deal because this grille is cracked in so many locations from where my dad hit a fence... I still need to re-paint my tie rods... Anyways; Pics

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