I have been trying to get some stuff done while waiting for the weather to break. I cleaned up my grille and painted it twice. Like about everything on this project it seems that everything I do the first time is just for practice.
The first time i painted it i cleaned it up, taped it off and used some SEM self etching primer and Trim Black paint. But, even after i gave it a few days to cure it seemed like the paint scratched off of the chrome surface of the grille really easy. So i used my cheap harbor freight blaster and blasted off the newly applied SEM paint. This left the grill with a nice surface profile for the paint to stick to. The second time, i tested in a couple of spots the Etching primer and the trim black paint and just the trim black paint. After i gave it a day to cure i felt that just the trim black paint adhered better to the grille than the primer and paint method. I then stripped off all of the tape and retaped it so i would have nice sharp edges and applied just the trim black paint. I think that it turned out pretty good. There are still a few small dings that i couldn't get out and the chrome is not the best But, i guess it beats buying a repop that costs $600, came from China and doesn't fit.
Before