Grille problems

[reynirv]

Hi all.
The chrome on grille on my 2008 Explorer limited started to peel off more than a year ago. I replaced it last summer with an aftermerket grille ordered at Amazon for $100+. I have cleaned and waxed it several times but after just one winter it has become brown coloured of rust with green spots and makes my car look very bad.
I am wondering if I should try to remove the rust on my new grille and re-paint it, but I am afraid that the rust will come through in a while.
I still have my old grille. I could also try to repaint that one, but I am afraid that the chrome would continue to peel off.

What do you recommend?

thanks

 

[asull85]

I would sand down the OEM grille and have it repainted.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

there are a few things you can do to remove the fake chrome..... the easy way is to hit it quickly with a propane torch and it will flake right off.... try it slow and get feel for it because it takes less time for the coating to peal than the plastic to melt

I hope you dont have a color like mine that nobody makes shaker can paint... pueblo gold metallic.... been wanting to paint my grill and hood trim for over a year

 

[Sitcoms]

there are a few things you can do to remove the fake chrome..... the easy way is to hit it quickly with a propane torch and it will flake right off.... try it slow and get feel for it because it takes less time for the coating to peal than the plastic to melt

I hope you dont have a color like mine that nobody makes shaker can paint... pueblo gold metallic.... been wanting to paint my grill and hood trim for over a year

This is just a suggestion, but I've always thought black grilles go well.. so if you want to go that route you could.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

I ran that option through my head since I hate chrome and any aftermarket grill options that I like only come in black and chrome...I basicly plasti dipped mine gold just to try out rustolums version of the product and it did not go well

 

[reynirv]

there are a few things you can do to remove the fake chrome..... the easy way is to hit it quickly with a propane torch and it will flake right off.... try it slow and get feel for it because it takes less time for the coating to peal than the plastic to melt

I hope you dont have a color like mine that nobody makes shaker can paint... pueblo gold metallic.... been wanting to paint my grill and hood trim for over a year

Hi, thanks very much for your advice. I went to the kitchen and borrowed my wife's "Creme-Brulee" torch. Worked well and now I have removed all the fake chrome from the grille.
I am planning to paint my grille in 2 colors; frame will be in same color as the car (Silver Birch I think), and the horizontal bars will be black.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

Creme-Brulee FTW

 

[USMCBuckWild]

Hi, thanks very much for your advice. I went to the kitchen and borrowed my wife's "Creme-Brulee" torch. Worked well and now I have removed all the fake chrome from the grille.
I am planning to paint my grille in 2 colors; frame will be in same color as the car (Silver Birch I think), and the horizontal bars will be black.

Post pics when done, my Exploder is Silver Birch as well

 

[Trac Marks]

Life started with a plain factory grille.

It developed a small, pea size bubble where I assume a rock or debris hit it, breaking the bond between foil and plastic. Using my 3200 PSI power washer to remove baked-on bug splatter, I obviously got too close to the bubble and here are the results, probably as effective as a torch.

I painted it all white but wasn't happy with the 1990's era looking results. Painted the horizontal bars black for a while and hated it a little less. Tried silver bars for a while too, thinking it'd match the roof rails and step bar trim. The hood chrome trim has been white then black then chrome again as well.

With limited selection aftermarket out there, I bought the chrome version of the Bentley grille and was content for a while.

After a few months, it became too much blingy chrome for my taste, so I painted the insert black:


Think I'm done for a while.

Unless you think painting the chrome white would look better, with the black mesh?

 

[reynirv]

Pictures did not appear. I uploaded the pictures to photobucket, selected html sharing. Posted it into the image button. What am I doing wrong?

Figured it out

Afremarket grille:

before and after:

What do you think?

 

[Machine090767]

Grille looks great in Black!

 

[D Hook]

Looks great! I like the matching color to the body color.

 

[nickelphillips]

How hard is it to swap a 2006-2010 Iron Man or Sport Trac grille onto 2007 XLT (which was the base model for that year)?

 

[Bazz270]

They are all the same ...

 

[xjsport95]

Went with black