I apologize if I created this thread in the wrong section. I didn't see another category listed as exterior or body mods...So my issue is, I also had my front grille custom painted to match NBP as the rest of my car is and immediately within the first month the finish started CHIPPING & FLAKING!

This has been a while ago (less then a year approx 8-10mo) since I had it done, but it first happened within the first month or two. I took it back (813Kustoms) and they re-did it...or just sprayed over it...IDK. But again, started happening right away. From my conversation with the MGR/OWNER Joe, he advised they did it correctly, prep and all and used a adhesive call BULLY DOG as the primer setting. (or something to those lines)

I don't know full step 1-completion of paint and body but I know my odds and ends. When I see the flake chips there seems to be NO BACKING color behind the NBP or coating the silver grille... Just doesn't seem to have any adhesive in between the 2 materials at all imo.

My question is to all who have had this done, Anyone else experienced flaking or chipping problems?

NOTE: Just to be clear. When I say CHIPPING & FLAKING I don't mean the "Normal" FROM ROAD DEBRIS OR ROCK CHIPS...i MEAN flaking LITERALLY. Thanks!

I will post a BEFORE & AFTER (most recent how it looks now) Pics later.

 

Never done it on my TL, but I have seen it. But you definitely got screwed. Sounds like they just sprayed over it. :/

 

^ I def feel the same... Like I said... Never PERSAY spray'd a car myself...But I know what the odds and ends of spraying a car and primer and the IMPORTANCE of PREP! And there just does not seem like any prep coat was done to the trim where its flaking off. I would def be able to see the back of the flake a diufferent color the NBP (black) It would have a white, tan or grey backing showing when the NBP chipped or flaked the primer coating or adhesize also chipped or flaked... Anyone else??? Pls chime in.

 

I had a part of my nose painted from the autobody while my car was being repaired and at first it started flaking but that was because of bad paint from the company. i got everythign redone through the lifetime warranty and it's holding up pretty well so far. I'm thinking you got screwed over like jrog mentioned.

My suggestion = sand it down since its flaking and vinyl those pieces with gloss black. lots of members do that and you're able to dissemble the nose once the bumper is off.

 

VINYL the grille??? REALLY? :/ any thread on it?

 

The grill can come off without taking off the bumper.
I had a buddy paint mine...he's a painter...he says he used some primer and I felt the same way, where it's chipped, I can't see anything on the plastic. Who knows...it shouldn't be "flaking" though.

Maybe improperly applied...or maybe the bully stuff affects the tenacity of the base coat?

 

^ Het wassup ROCKSTAR...Long time no hear... How ya doing!? I been away from here myself for sometime TRYING to have some progress on my car... and sad to report...NO RIMS yet, still Thats another fight with myself deciding on ASPEC 18s or Staggard 18s or Staggard 19 or Flush 19s..Grrrrrr!!! *RANT* But yeah, Like I said just trying to get some progress on this TL. But having some issues along with the grille. But I am going to get some pics of the grille up here soon.

 

Please do. I'm good man...just truckin along with my projects and new projects and creating more work for myslef and maintaining previous mods and redoing previous mods. Honestly...the journey is half the fun...the destination is fun too but getting it there is the best. Take your time...no rush.

Looking forward to some pics...and hope you find resolution to your problem. I think the vinyl idea would be a good solution.

 

+1 for glossy black vinyl. matches NBP paint perfectly.

BEFORE



AFTER

 

You know something funny...I actually kinda dig the dark chrome look of the type s grill....but yeah...all blacked out takes the focus off the LOOK of the Acura beak and puts the focus on the aggressive shape of the front of the car as a whole.

My opinion, at least...

 

Thats CRAZY! That is Vinyl??? Was it heat shrinked on to wrap around the edges and countours and sharp corners? What about the durability of the edges? This is crazy, just never heard or thought about that.

 

^yup, sorta.

took the entire grill apart piece by piece and wrapped everything individually. once you wrap it all, and put it back together, the edges are protected bc everything is held together by supporting parts...you know what i mean?

prep with alcohol...heat vinyl...becomes pliable...measure and lay down ontop of grill parts...heat some more...press with fingers to get it to stretch/take hold. take your time and measure. this took me a while bc i was a first timer. but it's held up great for over a year.

hair dryer
straight razor blades
rubbing alcohol/rags
patience

 

^ U say IT HELD UP GREAT... Is that past tense? Or its still HOLDING UP GREAT for the past year...Meaning STILL GOING STRONG? Just wanna clear that up before making a attempt or show interest toward this avenue... U know? And beiong that u are in Balt. I see u also have some inclement weather as I do in Fla. (opposite of course) So thats important to know as well.

 

yeah it's still holding up just fine after a year. no issues at all.

 

sorry -____- ive never done this mod, just seen DIYs.

Good luck OP! Vinyl is the way to go

 

U know, I was laying down thinking of this VINYL thing...And it came to my mind that is what that 300 has! Explain... There is this Chrysler (Red) 300 Trixed da hell out VIP style running around here in Tampa... It has to be one of... Or the BEST lookin 300 ever! IMO at least... Just so clean and done right! But one day i was parked next to him at a light and noticed some smoke,graffeti,naked woman, bullets...etc etched on the door sills and ex. rear view mirrors... So after chiming in this thread and into the thought of vinyl...That 300 came to mind and it looks amazing! The red background to his design matches perfect! And when I looked close I assumed it was custom painted but looked to perfect as if it was printed. So it MUST BE VINYL! If he is parked at this one Euro shop I see it at, I am going to stop and take pics and ask the dude....

 

I will add pics of STOCK and freshly painted... But here she is up to date as she stand now

You can see where off to the left of the top bezel is even starting to or about to flake even more.

 

Yup, they just sprayed it. I had the same issue with my painted grille as it started flaking after a year or so, it happened twice before I said screw it and went back to stock silver as all the paint comes off easily.

If you really want your grille painted the right way then check with member named "Nexon" He paints grilles, bumpers etc for members here and I believe on RV6. Notice in the following thread how many steps are involved in order to get a proper finish and durable coating of paint.

https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-photograph-gallery-296/once-again-nexson-grille-pics-809345/


Most body shops just wipe the grille, throw on some adhesion promoter (thats what the bully dog stuff is), paint and clear the grille pieces. You can see from the pictures you posted above that the pieces never got preped right neither did they get primed.

 

^^^100% agree...
and PS...send your stuff to Nexson...he's the man.
OR, go back to the shop and get your money back or have them do it right (if they can).

 

No... As mentioned above that is one thing even basic knowledge would recognize... No different color of any kind behind the flakes of the NBP... Black on both side and NONE on the grille...Just raw grille material as u mentioned, barely even looked scuffed or preped. Yeah, I am def convinced now. Thanks for you help and link. I will be talking to a REAL KNOWN custo m paint shop shortly vs the VINYL option as well and weighing it out between the 2 on which avenue I choose.

Rockstar... This is my immediate and 1st option starting TODAY! ... I always like to give someone the benefit of the doubt and chance to DO THE RIGHT THING. I will keep you all posted of any happenings and choices per this thread.

I just PM'd NEXSON also.

 

Effin A right...let us know if they decide to do it right.

"if you can't find the time to do something right, when will you find the time to fix it?"

quote somewhere around my office...

 

LOL... lost somewhere in your office... But still a very good quote...LOL!

 

ain't it though?!! Well, I remember it was on a flyer in the bathroom at one point...and someone photocopied it and put it up but can't remember where. Always stuck though, so to speak.

Applies to a lot of things in life...the shortcut is never the right way to do things.

 

short cuts = short gratification. LIKE CHIPPING AND FLAKING DAYM IT!

 

Yeah buddy...for real. Doing it the easy way always makes for a lot more work.

 

Nothing more then bad prep or lack there of. Honestly, that bulldog A/P isn't the best of stuff. I use a PPG A/P. The problem here is that the grille wasn't scuffed at all, it has no tooth for the paint to stick. It doesn't even need adhesion promoter because it is going over an already painted surface. That is a big no-no.

The proper was is to scuff the original paint with at least p320 to create a nice tooth. Then I go epoxy sealer, which creates a nicer cushion for rock chips, then I urethane seal, from there I do not have chipping with any of my grilles.

Thanks for recommeding me guys, apperciate it. I called you Josh and left a message.

 

NEXSON called but couldn't answer my celly while at wk... TTYL Nexson y

NOW....Does anyone happen to have a USED 04-06 TL grille assembly laying around? :/

 

Just take it off and send it to him...he can repaint that one...prep should be easy as it's not on there very well.

Don't worry about driving around for 3 weeks with no front gril...I've done it. Even went to a big meet that way and photoshoot...

 

so how did u remove it w/o removing the bumper...Looks like the actual structure of the grille is there...Just the bezel and grille trim was removed on your pic. Everything was sprayed on mine... Including the tunel of the grille itself, which remains when u remove the trimming/bezel like u have in that pic. (Correct me if I am wrong...)

 

in that pic...all 3 are missing...
1 on the hood portion up top
1 on the middle where the A sits
1 on the bottom "v" shape

All 3 can be removed without removing bumper...just need patience...

top, easy...4 bolts
middle...jack car up and look up in there...there are 5 screws you can get to with a stubby screwdriver...then the A comes off with 2 other screws.
bottom...again, look up in there and feel around...there are tabs you can reach in with a small flathead and release the clips.

I know it cause I've done it a million times...I can swap my grill in about 15 minutes now.

 

UPDATE: I went to 813Customs... We went back and fourth...He went on and on how he used the correct products and method for plastic trims and went on how I brought him USED semi-malfuctioning items to make fit...etc etc... NOTE: The grille was not the only issue. I also purchased here on ACURAZINE a V1 ATLP roof wing and TYPE~S rear deck spoiler who had issues but he took the job anyways and more install and fitment. It was his job to MAKE EM FIT!...anyways, he originally charged me $650 and gave me back $200 to compensate for some of the trouble and time. So I left. Lesson learned.

I the went to a known shop and does more practical and higher end cars and jobs... Advance Technology is the shops name and they had some NICE cars there sanded down and full paint jobs in pending status (Lexus IS~F, Mercedes, Lexus IS 350 etc...) Short story short, I ended up knowing the owner of the 300 I spoke about earlier regarding the vinyl conversation which is 1/2 of the shop...AND I went to High School with So he said he would GUARANTEE HIS WORK 100% and uses the proper methods and products...Even showing me his stock containing NOTHING but PPG and DuPont products of stripper, sealer, base coats, gel coats, enamel, clears...The entire stock. After shootin the shit for a while I mentioned something I had in mind to do one time to the TL... FLAT/MATTE BLACK grille, Hood, Roof and Trunk. So basically from the mouth of the grille all the way across the top to the back only. He said if I decide to go with that, he will remove all the parts and do the entire job for $650.00!!! If I want fixed what is wrong now and all original NBP, then the price would obviously be LESS

So at this time, I am pretty happy. What do u guys think regarding the FLAT/MATTE Black top from front to back? I have seen some threads about the ENTIRE TL Flat/Matte. But I am only wanting the top. Chime in... If anyone has a pic...Pls share. I need it for my imagination

The 300 with VINYL Roof and pillars. (Artwork is Skulls, smoke,bullets,Marilyn Monrow with a LA GANG flag across her face... IT IS BAD ASS!)




Oh...and here is my TL BEFORE the shit job...

 

The front, nose end of any DD car takes major abuse. You need to clear vinyl over a paint matched grill, or know that you will be touching up chips every year. If it is flaking, that's an adhesion issue, and another problem on its own (poor workmanship).

Your TL looks pretty stock. I think a radical paint scheme would really clash. Honestly if its a DD, I would lean toward a stock-ish, "sporty look" via subtle mods & ride height drop.

With a matte finish, your not going go get the evident Blue Pearl effect of the NBP OEM high gloss paint. Straight solid matte black will look almost the same from a distance. Maybe if your eyes are a foot away, but from any distance you won't be able to see the pearl flake in most surrounding light.

 

that vinyl on the 300 is pretty cool. i've seen stuff like that all over the car, but i like how he kept it to just the pillars and roof.

that being said, i'm still not feelin that 300. props to the wheels and drops but its blehhhh looking to me.

and that rear roof spoiler just looks so out of place. on a chrysler? really




i think you should try vinyling the front grill yourself. vinyl only costs less than 50 bucks. you can DIY and save money.

it's not really difficult to take the front bumper off either.

 

My car is stock...as of now, although I am not really into PERFORMANCE mods... I have learned my lesson on that subject... But yes, appearance is my target to have a aggressive clean sporty lsedan look. And my FLAT BLK/MATTE design is only for appearance and only from grille on back the top. Not the sides and bumpers, they stays NBP. My next mod after that is all done, possibly MATTE/FLAT finish wheels of some kind. Thats why I was leaning toward that design with a finish product in mind in the short and near future. Not for SPEED or TRACK performance. IMO the TL is NOT a base for that. (no disrespect to those who MOD theirs out and actually do have REALLY qk TL's... I like to cruz and profile a lil in my TL. The TL design is a aggressive but sexy look on its own.

BTW...The last pics of my car are when I bought the car within 2-5 days... I now have a Type-S front lip, Type-S rear deck lip, Type-S rear tail lights, ATLP V1 roof wing & minor exhaust mod (1 resonator removed to give it a lil G35 sounding purrrrrr...)


This still is a opt. And spending the real doe $ on some feet and rubber

 

Jay, in the lower right hand corner of each post, there is a button (the middle icon) that is a Multi-Post icon. This allows you to respond to multiple people in a single reply. They will look like the merged posts I've done for you above.

 

Got it Mr Bell!

 

I think in the long run, when the novelty of the matte black wear off...you will regret having done it. Also, resale will drop a LOT since it's not reversible. I think you should just have him do the grill properly and call it a day for now...I'm hoping he won't charge you more than the 200 you got back from the d bag.

Then you have 450 for your suspension savings or wheels etc...

Just my opinion, as you know!

 

or you can just vinyl it yourself and take the money you saved and put it towards coils lol

you should def give vinyl a try. it wouldn't hurt at all. worst thing would be you want the pearl effects so you can ditch the vinyl by easily ripping it off and getting it painted.

you never know, you might end up saving yourself alot of $$ once your satisfied with the vinyl. to be honest, i don't see why you wouldn't be satisfied. it may be scary because you have to take your bumper off, but it's your car man. you gotta get to know her better

 

Yeah...I hear ya. But at the same time...Its a sticker overlay. Not paint. IDK... U are right, for all I know I may love it...or HATE it... But I just don't see vinyl out lasting paint, IMO. So I will try paint again, done the rt way this time. I just don't know weather to do the flat/matte design or orig. mudered out NBP.... And Honestly, I really don't have the patients. My wife told me the same last night when discussing the option including vinyl grille. She knows I will end up breaking something along the way under consruction... I have a bad case of ADD and so picky if its not right, I turn green. And u don't wanna see me when I am angree...LOL! JK... But seriously, I just can't. I know myself also and she is 100% correct.

... It has also crossed my mind in design for a FLAT/MATTE and GLOSS vinyl Graffiti hood design and NBP murdered out the rest as it was... Hmmmmmmmm... :/

 

Vinyl, pasti-dip, spray paint combo