Painted the Kidney Grills - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

murph550 · 10th May 2008, 06:27

My friend and I were bored earlier so I talked him into spray painting the grills on his m3 to see whether or not I wanted to go through with painting mine. In the end I did and am extremely happy with how mine turned out, however I think I may spray a clear coat over them to make them a tad bit more glossy.

Before:

After:

I used rustoleum (sp.) professional enamel. I was considering using the high heat, but when I test sprayed it it appeared to dry much grayer than this did. All in all cost me $2, split the cost of the can with my friend.

malexgcab · 10th May 2008, 06:51

I was gonna bring my grills to a body shop to have it painted.

Did u have to prep the grills such as sanding it prior to painting? What's (sp.)? So, without the clear coat, how does the black look (matte, deep black, grayish)?

Do u think the paint will withstand the road debris?

murph550 · 10th May 2008, 07:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by malexgcab

I was gonna bring my grills to a body shop to have it painted.

Did u have to prep the grills such as sanding it prior to painting? What's (sp.)? So, without the clear coat, how does the black look (matte, deep black, grayish)?

Do u think the paint will withstand the road debris?

I painted them at like 8 - 9 o'clock so I really have no clue as to how well they will hold up. I didn't prep them at all so I have a feeling they may chip over time, but If that happens ill just sand em down and use a primer next time. Spray paint is so cheap and they really aren't to hard to pop out so re-doing it isn't a huge concern for me. As for the color it is a matte black, slightly lighter looking than the black trim on the bumper. However, this was under fluorescent light so under the sunlight they may appear a bit less matte due to the glare. I will see how they look in the morning though. The paint I used was "industrial strength" and after about 2 hours of drying seemed rock solid (i sprayed on coats in 5 minute intervals so it was pretty thick), so who knows maybe they will last. As for going to the body shop If you take your time doing them yourself I see no reason to pay a shop to do it. It took me about an hour tops, so if you decide to take your time with prepping them I would say spend the 4 dollars and 2 hours and do it yourself. Also, be sure to spray too closely as to avoid drips, and don't let any dust/particles get on them, cause it is a bitch to fix without restarting from the beginning. Oh, and (sp.) meant spelling since I was unsure how to spell Rustoleum. The paint I used is this, http://www.mclendons.com/item.asp?sku=10953096 and I got it at Home Depot. It was $4.75.

malexgcab · 10th May 2008, 16:22

Thanks for the info. I might just do it instead of having the body shop

.

Blockdoc · 10th May 2008, 17:51

FWIW,
I did the same thing for a year or so to save a couple of bucks...despite sanding/priming, and using very good paint...the rocks will chip and the silver will show through. FInally got tired of repainting and bought some aftermarket black ones...no more chipping. I figured I spent way too much time refinishing them to justify not buying some black ones.

I do think the look is SO much better tho.

Brian

Diny · 10th May 2008, 18:00

Looks good for now but don't be surprised if they start to chip.

I got some black grills from ebay and got them painted glossy black for 50 bucks each. Now I have a set of black and the factory chrome in storage, so I can swap whenever I feel like a change.

m5hor · 10th May 2008, 18:41

you guys might want to try a self etching primer.. i used it on i bike i am building..i couldn't get the rims to get back to chrome/polished so i painted them black.. i am not finished with the bike yet so i don't know how well it holds but might want to look into it..

iconoclast · 10th May 2008, 19:59

if youre going to use 'rattle-can' paint, plasti-dip is the way to go... its a satin finish that is still black, doesnt have a grey tint/hue to it.

155plus · 10th May 2008, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by murph550

Before:

You need some HID fogs...