How to remove/paint your grill

Note: This is for a 97 grill, although the 98-99 is different, removing it should pretty much be the same. Its up you how you want to paint it, this is just what I decided to do with mine.

1. Pop your hood. Removed the screws in red, pop out the clips in blue


2. Carefully remove the grill and then take out all the screws where its marked red


3. Separate the two pieces, and clean them well to prepare for the primer.


I got the can of primer, gloss black paint, and clear coat from home depot. They were pretty cheap, like $4 a can. I took my paint code to a shop and had them mix me a custom can with my cars color (frost white) for the outside, that ran me a bit more

4. After the pieces are nice and clean, go to a well ventilated area and begin to lay your primer. I put on about two coats with 20 min intervals. I then put on 2 coats of gloss black for the inner part and the same was done for the outer. The amount of coats is all up to you, although you don't want to put too much or else the paint will start to run. Make sure you take 20-30 min intervals between each coat.


5. Apply 1-2 coats of clearcoat and let it dry overnight. I decided to do this mod at night with a chance of rain and my clear coat didnt fully dry so im some parts it looks kinda crappy. I would HIGHLY suggest doing this during the day, preferably a sunny day.


Note: you can also paint your emblems like I did above, 1 coat of each (primer, paint, clear) should be good.

 

nice write up, did you sand down the parts prior to primer or just strait to the primer?

 

straight to the primer

 

so where did u find the clear coat?
I can't find any anywhere.

 

any autoparts store should have it

 

home depot

 

hmm
well this is my work before i add that clear coat.


I use a dremell to take out the plastic and all, and then i painted it out and added the mesh.
Now I gatta buy a set of fog lights and then do the bottom.
Whats a good inexpensive set of foglights?

 

another picture

 

looks nice

any front shots?

 

w00ty

 

so you did the emblems to huh. i wanted all my emblems in black but i need to know what the best way to stick em back on is?? howd you do it?

 

just get some double sided 3m tape, comes in a small red roll. You can get it at like longs/officemax, etc. not the strongest kind. Cut them up into little strips and stick em on the back of the emblems and then slap em on.

 

can 97 grill be installed on 98 2.3 one??

 

of course

 

I did mine the other day,.. I painted everything except the (A).. enough talk here are the pics

 

That looks nice, did you use factory paint, or spray paint?

 

looks good but i dunno about cutting the lower grille

 

I went to my local auto body supplies store and they mixed me up a colormatched spray bomb...

 

I didn't cut it... the previous owner did because he had no place to mount the front plate.

 

is it the same white that is on the 99? and how did u get them to mix it, did u bring them a sample or what?

 

usually they need the paint code,.. it's located on the driver's side door sill...

 

frost white was only on 97 cl's. the 98-99 were tafetta white. The paint code is what you need, its on your door jamb

 

aight thanks a ton

 

i used silicone to stick on my emblems

 

anyone have a custom grill on primrose?...pictures.... would like to check it out and get some ideas for mine

 

One word,... photoshop.

 

Search for recycledpaper he had a pretty nice blacked out grill

 

Has anyone had problems with the paint peeling off?? I already have a few chips in mine

 

Paint shouldn't peel off if you sanded and primered underneath the paint, the paint needs something to adhere to.

 

I did all that,.. but it doesnt matter,.. if it peels i'll just sand it and paint it again,. I like to work on my car

 

i didnt sand mine and you can see the chrome in some parts from rock chips Im going to sand/repaint it when I get a few more chips

 

i did him the favor

 

in the first step... are the "screws" supposed to pull off or twist off cuz when i twist it, it feels like its gonna break...

 

I'm n00b, disregard that post^^

better question though... can/should/has anyone painted the inner part of the grill? the part that is basically the structure for everything else...?

 

I painted the inner part, it had faded so I just removed all the chrome parts and shot it with some black trim coating...

 

^^ ok thanks

 

Mine is painted. I think it turned out pretty well.

 

Waiting to paint mine, it's supposed to snow this weekend, so I can't paint yet

 

So undisregard that...

But it doesnt feel like its gonna break... It jsut keeps twisting... it never makes any progress... is it supposed to unscrew so like a lock on a locker or unscrew all the way cuz mine doesnt...?

 

Stick some needlenose pliars in and hold the back of the screws, and then unbolt the outer nuts