I started a thread a while ago about stripping chrome off the stock ABS plastic...now that I've completed both projects I was working on, I figured I would post up the latest one. Here is the stock chrome grille, stripped and painted (3 base coats, 5 clear coats). This has not been wet sanded yet but I do not see any orange peel at all, so it may not be necessary.

Stock:


Stripped and Sanded:


Painted:

 

Nice work! Look forward to the completed Durango pics.

Chris

 

Thank you very much, I can't wait to get this back together either. I've been without a completed front end for a few weeks, but I need to wait a bit longer to let this paint cure properly.

 

What all is involved in removing the grille?

 

The grille or the trim piece that I painted? The grille is very easy to remove, you need to remove the front bumper to expose 2 bolts that hold the grille on...remove them, and pop the trim inside the engine and it slides right out, literally a 10 minute job.

The trim itself is a different story. This piece is held on by about 30 plastic clips or tabs that need to be pinched and pushed out in order to remove them. With how many there are, it's tough to get them loose and have them not re-seat when you undo other clips...also need to be careful not to break any of them, they are pretty weak.

 

When I had to remove the front fascia to install the tow hooks, I removed the grill to see how the chrome part was held in place. How anyone is able to separate the two pieces is a miracle! I think 30 clips is an understatement! All close to each other and on both sides.


Great job getting that apart.


This part would make it a lot easier, but $350+
http://www.ebay.com/itm/320994082757...84.m1423.l2649




Ebay does have used grilles often, so that is another option.



Kevin

 

Occasionally you can find the grille assembly for under $200 but that's not money I was willing to spend. Granted it's a lot of work to get something like this done, but if it's going to save me a lot of money, I'm all for it. Total cost of doing this is $14 for 2 cans of paint (I already had filler and sealer at home).

 

Wondering if it might be easier to shoot the whole grille as one piece black?? I found on ebay the honeycomb for $70 and the shell for $75. This way if it doesn't turn out good, you always have your original to go back to.

 

Check out Rock Auto...$138 for the entire assembly (at least for the 2011-13 models), comes primed and ready to paint.

 

Thats not a bad price at all, but need the 2014. It would be nice to get a second grille, that way if I don't like it, I can always go back to the red.