Yes a professional body shop would be best. Painting factory chrome has a high potential for failure especially with something that takes a beating like the front of your truck. I disassembled my grille, top & bottom 'stainless' parts and the middle two chrome pieces. They painted these and the tailgate applique for $630. Compared to just roughing up the surface or hitting with a scotch-brite pad, they said its safer to straight up sand it...followed by epoxy primer. I received them last week, I'm waiting a couple more weeks for the parts to fully cure and off gas so I can add some sealant or protectant before splattering them with bugs. If you could get the shop to cure the parts under IR that'd be your best bet - I'm almost two months without these on, though have gotten several complements on how mean it looks....FYI, they wouldn't touch the chrome in the center infill. This is how I'm planning to resolve that.
Extremely helpful! I actually didn’t realize the chrome accent strips in the grill could be pulled…I was just going to pull the whole grill. Were those just popped off using a pry tool, or is there a trick to removing them?Yes a professional body shop would be best. Painting factory chrome has a high potential for failure especially with something that takes a beating like the front of your truck. I disassembled my grille, top & bottom 'stainless' parts and the middle two chrome pieces. They painted these and the tailgate applique for $630. Compared to just roughing up the surface or hitting with a scotch-brite pad, they said its safer to straight up sand it...followed by epoxy primer. I received them last week, I'm waiting a couple more weeks for the parts to fully cure and off gas so I can add some sealant or protectant before splattering them with bugs. If you could get the shop to cure the parts under IR that'd be your best bet - I'm almost two months without these on, though have gotten several complements on how mean it looks....FYI, they wouldn't touch the chrome in the center infill. This is how I'm planning to resolve that.
It would be +/- a couple hundred to vinyl wrap. Pros or cons: you can remove it, its temporary. You can not touch it up in a traditional sense .
FWIW, I spoke to a detail shop about wrapping the painted parts in paint protection film before I install them. They did say it still needs to cure fully and better bring them the truck with parts installed. It would be much easier to clean with PPF, but if I have any rock chips and for any reason need to remove the PPF, there is potential the paint could come with it where impact occurred. He thought I'd be better off ceramic coating and touching up paint as needed...
Not sure what it is, but I actually think your grille looks really good without the chrome trim pieces. Sort of Raptor-ish but more refined. It might not look as good up close but I like what I am seeing.Yes a professional body shop would be best. Painting factory chrome has a high potential for failure especially with something that takes a beating like the front of your truck. I disassembled my grille, top & bottom 'stainless' parts and the middle two chrome pieces. They painted these and the tailgate applique for $630. Compared to just roughing up the surface or hitting with a scotch-brite pad, they said its safer to straight up sand it...followed by epoxy primer. I received them last week, I'm waiting a couple more weeks for the parts to fully cure and off gas so I can add some sealant or protectant before splattering them with bugs. If you could get the shop to cure the parts under IR that'd be your best bet - I'm almost two months without these on, though have gotten several complements on how mean it looks....FYI, they wouldn't touch the chrome in the center infill. This is how I'm planning to resolve that.
It would be +/- a couple hundred to vinyl wrap. Pros or cons: you can remove it, its temporary. You can not touch it up in a traditional sense .
FWIW, I spoke to a detail shop about wrapping the painted parts in paint protection film before I install them. They did say it still needs to cure fully and better bring them the truck with parts installed. It would be much easier to clean with PPF, but if I have any rock chips and for any reason need to remove the PPF, there is potential the paint could come with it where impact occurred. He thought I'd be better off ceramic coating and touching up paint as needed...
I agree, could be worst. It is tougher to clean without the covers. My neighbors, “aw man the new grille looks sick!”…. Me, “Thanks!” (Under my breathe), “I’m still waiting on it.”
Mind sharing which tool worked best for removing the clips, with the least amount of swearing?@aa2021F150KR You can remove them, I intended on doing a write up, but haven’t gotten to it. It was a f&$king pain until I figured out how the clips work…then just kinda a pain once I figured which combination of tools to use. I did break one. Lots of videos to get you to this point, see photos.
if you see in the second photo is a little blue awl - I used this wedge/spread the clip open and whacked the prong with back of screw driver. Its a pain in the ass and there still will be swearing involved unfortunately.. I will say I was very close to just cutting the prong and plastic welding it back after paint.
I've been there on trim clips before.....that's why I asked. The right tool is almost always worth it's weight in gold.
