abice

I'm going to try and paint my front grille myself i would like to do black either matching the paint or a bit glossy to show a little accent in color (I know chrome black is out of the question)

Here is my question I'm got some chrome trim pieces from my dealership to practice on, what are the best paint products to use for this kind of DIY mod and where can I purchase them, I assume i need sand paper, primer, the color, and clearcoat.

Any DIY grille paint mods feel free to throw up a pic of how yours came out too.

Thanks again

Don Meshal

iTrader: (1)

we have something called " search " you know

abice

thanks dude.................... i know there is search but I really don't want to go through every painting grille thread and search for where someone posted a products page or find a specific post that someone gave the best advice about which brands look the best, I was really hoping someone would see the thread and give me a quick link to products and offer a word about which brands are the best.
I don't need to know the process or taking off the grille I'm just looking for products (primer, paints, and clears) I was hoping someone would post a product and then others would disagree or agree and maybe put up a picture showing how good there's came out because they used a certain product.

I could search all day, and find all these different answers and different threads but none are exactly what I'm looking for

NiTeHawKPwNeD

Remove the front grill....
Clean it...
Sand paper it with 1500 grit...
You can primer it if you want to.. Or get to the point and use black paint... 3 coats of color..
3 coats of clear coat..
Let it dry overnight..
Install it back on the next day...
Admire it...

Rust Oleum Black fininish
Duplicolor Clear Coat

This is what I did... EXCEPT removing the front grill.

hispeed-lowdrag

iTrader: (7)

lol all of those things will be answered by any one of the many DIY threads...but anyways...

Duplicolor is the paint you want to use for ALL (primer paint and clearcoat)

abice

yeah i did some searching and the thread I found the guy painted his grille with bed liner, i Just got irritated and put up the post.

i just found this site which is a quick link on the side of myg37.com
Automotivetouchup.com Touch Up Paint, Aerosol Spray Paint and Paint Touch Up Accessories
has anyone heard of using these products

Weiboy718

iTrader: (10)

I would recommend taking it to a body shop instead. It's night and day difference on the paint. It's only 80 dollars max.

civeng

I just completed painting a second grille Obidian Black that I purchased on ebay for $80. I prepared the grille by thoroughly sanding with 400 grit paper and thereafter washed with soap and water. I used XIM vinyl and plastic primer for maximum adhesion and to ensure that the base coat did not damage the grille. I applied three coats of automotive base paint sanding with 600 grit paper for the first and second coats (not the last coat). Applied two coats of automotive clear urethane with an activator. I wanted to achieve a durable and maufacturer like finish. I used a mini HLVP gun that I purchased a while back on sale at Princess Auto for $10. These are handy little guns with a cup that holds about 3 ounces. I am no pro, but with a little patience you can obtain good results. In a few days I will apply some very fine rubbing compound to remove some fine raised specs of dust and finish off with polish. Its can be difficult to avoid dust particles in the absence of a spray booth. I did this in my garage with a home compressor. for any newbies, I recommend that you do not take this on without an appropriate to filter out the fumes.

The only regret I have was being a little impatient after applying the last coat of clear. I installed the grille before it fully cured and left a finger print. Application of very fine compound should remove the imperfection before polishing.

I installed the Infiniti emblem as is. In hindsite, I should have painted the outer chrome edge of the emblem OB to make it look as if it was floating.

Removing the radiator cover took a little fanaggling and soon realized that the cover has to be pulled back far enough to clear to horizontal dowels located directly infront of the radiator fluid reservoir. Loosening the two bolts at the outer edges near the top of the reservoir will allow it and the radiator cover after removing all bolts and clips to slide toward the engine. This will allevaite the potentail of craking the radiator cover as I have read many others have encountered. Othewise, I followed the DIY instructions from earlier posts.

My cost for the grille and paint supplies was approximately $190, keeping in mind that I have my own compressor and spray guns.

I will probably paint the original grille similar to the sport grille sold at dealerships to determine which one looks best.

hispeed-lowdrag

iTrader: (7)

Wow...you paid A LOT just to DIY. way back when I had my OEM grille and painted it on my own I paid $20 and it looked great...plus you could have bought the midnight black grille from the dealership for right around that price too.

strdr19

On my g35 I did the grill black myself w duplicolor products as many have recommended but on my 37 I had it done by a buddy who does body work. The difference is not night and day but there is definitely a difference in durability and quality. I like doing stuff myself but the clearcoat he used is quite superior to duplicolor. I think that makes a difference if you don't want your g to end up looking like an eclipse or a civic.

abice

yeah i like that website it has a great diy for painting anything, i'm gonna buy a bunch of products, and follow what it says pretty much along the lines of civeng up there, i decided to do it when i started reading that diy on the link i posted above, doesn't seem to complicated just a lot of practice, plus if i can figure it out the right way **** ill paint the trunk lid the grille emblem i dont know other plastic pieces that need touch up, and I think on that site i can buy the Infiniti Obsidian black paint which is what i want to do match it exactly with the color of the car, and then add a **** load of clear to gloss it up i've pretty much got it figured out thanks guys and civeng nice work!!!!

civeng

The reason for painting the grille myself was that I am not particularly fond of the quasi matte paint used on the sport grille. I was looking to match the grille with the rest of my car which is Obsidian black. I still have sufficient base colour and clear coat in the event the grille requires repainting in the future or if I decide to try something different with the original chrome one. It also gives me some satisfaction having done the work myself and not having seen one in my area that is similar. Quality automotive paints tend to be more durable than the contents of a $10 aersol can and thus the reason for the higher cost. I believe if you want professional results use what the professionals use. On the contrary, if you want instant gratification and are not interested in durability, buy a spray can. Afterall, a $50K G37s deserves a little bit more than what is contained in $10 aersol can of paint that can be purchased from your local hardware store.

civeng

Dealerships in Canada are quoting $330 -$350, including taxes for the sport grille. Prices are similar on intrenet sites after factoring in shipping.

abice

IIIII AGGREEEEE 100% by sport grille i assume your talking about the midnight black grille that infiniti has come out with recently??? but anyways im right on with you i want mine to match the obs and the automotive paint site i have up there has like everything and color matching paint im tempted to buy the start paint gun set and practice a ****load on junk parts my dealer has given me