Black Grille Insert, Results a Year Afterwards!

[BoostnBenz]

Hi All,
I know not everyone likes this change but I do adore how it brings out the chrome on the grille versus the blah grey, but that is just my opinion. Anyway I painted my grille probably 8k miles ago and live with the gravel trains which drop rocks all over the roads, then SUVs pick them up and throw them until they finally make it over to the shoulders. I'd say my 8k miles encountered more rocks than most people would in 75k miles, but anyway my results from painting could have been better.

What I did:
Take out the two phillips screws at the bottom of the grille, pop out the clips carefully (without stabbing yourself or breaking anything!), then take the chrome off, and begin paint prep work. Just to make sure my results were true I took the insert which is now off the car, and stuck it in a sink full of hot soapy water and scrubbed it down with a toothbrush. After it was all clean and dry I sprayed it down with a plastic primer and an expensive flexible high gloss black bumper paint. The results looked excelent,





but as time went on and it caught dozens upon dozens of rocks it began looking like this upclose:

[BoostnBenz]

So what we should learn from this is that even with good prep work in the wrong environment normal bumper paint can't withstand the rocks without chipping. So what will I do different next time? There are two things which come to mind, one being cheap and one expensive. The expensive approach will probably yield similiar results but would take longer and have smaller chips. It would be for me to use an all out automotive paint (PPG Deltron), then clearcoat it and hope for the best. The other approach is one I learned of on the Cummins Turbo Diesel forums, they use this paint made by Krylon called Fussion (available at WalMart and Advanced Auto). From what I hear it makes an excellent paint on top of plastic, the CTD owners are using it on their bumpers with successful results. I'm not certain how good this paint trully is but I have yet to hear bad things about it.

L-D: Don't poke yourself in the eye even without the tools in your hands let alone with them, it'll hurt! If you happen to screw something up then remember you did it, not I, therefore you can happily whistle a serene song and take all credit due rather than trying to blame it on somebody else. Things can and do go wrong, just take yourself as an example... just kidding! For those with ADD, you accept full liability for your actions, for those without ADD the same applies!

[jdblann]

Is your car silver or the blueish silver. I forget the color.

I am soon to repaint my daughter's 84 which was the astral silver metalic clear coat.

Just wondering. Your car looks great!

[BoostnBenz]

Thanks, it is ascot gray so the blue is just an illusion. I don't know if it is just the gloss doing it but I've had people ask me this quite a few times as sometimes it looks greenish, other times blue, other times redish.

[BoostnBenz]

One bump just so people see it, then I'll let it fall off into the archives.

[redbaronph123]

i did that too to my wagon.
here's the before pix. 2 months into my acquisition of the wagon.

[redbaronph123]

5 months after i got the car..

[redbaronph123]

2 years after and getting a grill badge.. the black grill doesnt look good with it..

though the black paint is still holding up..

i might bring it back to the grey color...

[BoostnBenz]

I like the way the badge is contrasted to the black just as the black is to the chrome. That is great yours is still holding up, mine probably would have but living around all these gravel pits takes its toll.