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I already modified the grille previously at least twice. The factory grille was fine, but not sporty enough. The factory sport grille was rather ho-hum as it is the same grille in black instead of chrome coloured. I wanted something more unique, so I got my Plasti-Dip out, masked off just the leading edge of the horizontal bars and emblem, and this is what the grille has looked like for a while now:
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That was fine .... until a new idea popped into my head. I rather fancy some of the newer Mercedes grilles, minus the gopping ugly huge emblem in the center. The idea of one thick bar across the center on either side of the emblem is a nice touch. So, I decided to play about with that idea and make 2 thin chrome bars in the middle of the grille with a 'floating' emblem in the center.
The best thing about Plasti-Dip, as you know, is the easy removal allowing you to change your mind as many times as you like without damaging the original surface in any way. Just peel and re-do as often as you like.
In the last mod, I left the entire emblem assembly as chromed, but this time I wanted the appearance of a 'floating' emblem so I masked only the actual Inifniti embl;em and left the rest of the assembly free to be covered in black.
First comes the prep. My second home is London, but my third home is the Home Depot. They have plastic tarps or what you lot call drop cloths? I purchased a pack of 3 HUGE, thin, clear tarps for about $4 dollars, painter's tape to mount the tarp, and electrical tape for the actual border where I will be spraying. I use electrical tape because it stretches, is flexible, goes around curves without clumping like other tapes, and it makes a great seal along the border to ensure no seepage of spray gets under it, leaving a sharp line.
**** IMPORTANT *****
When spraying Plasti-Dip on your grille, you MUST slide cardboard between the inside of the grille and the radiator! Over spray can get on the surface of the radiator, reducing it's ability to properly cool. It takes 2 minutes, and will save you from the cost of a new radiator!
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Notice how huge these tarps are. It covers the entire front end, front fenders, and engine compartment. I simply cut a hole to allow the grille area to be exposed, then used a line of electrical tape to make the actual border. That was very important because the border will need to be removed while the Plasti-Dip is till WET. Multiple wet coats (5-6) are applied with NO drying time between coats, then the border is peeled off before the dip has a chance to set or dry. Completely different than a normal dip job.
The floating emblem required electrical tape in one piece, going along the outer edge of the emblem, allowing the rest of this part to be covered in dip. Then regular painter's tape covered the front of the emblem:
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The final result was a chrome box frame with two horizontal bars in the middle of the grille, and just the actual emblem floating in the center. Note the horizontal bars do not meet the sides of the grille. They appear to begin away from the sides and stop just short of the emblem. From a distance, the bars and the emblem float in the middle of the grille. I rather like that.
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As for the headlamps, I wanted to get close to the newer style with an eyelid treatment. It makes the front end look more menacing, without going too far or intruding on the actual beam of the headlamp, turn indicators, or high beams. I used construction paper to make a design on the actual lens. When I reached a design that I liked, I held the construction paper to the lens while applying electrical tape to make the border because it stretches and bends while making an excellent seal along the curves with one continuous piece. I then draped plastic tarp around the rest of the area. My car is white, so black dip would not mesh well with the car. Instead I used a few layers of 3 different dips: Gray for the base (3 coats) + Pearlizer (2 wet coats) + Aluminum Metalizer (2 wet coats). The end result is a look similar to chrome, but closer to aluminum with metallic flakes. When the sun shines on it directly, it appears as a bright silver which goes well with the chrome and pearl white surroundings.
**** new tip from my mate Fonz at DipYouCar. After shaking the Plasti-Dip can as directed, place it in warm-hot water for a about 10 minutes to warm the dip. It atomizes heavier and covers better. Also, as usual, shake the can between coats as well.***
NEXT MOD: EZ-Lip-
I was fortunate to be given some EZ-Lip to do an install and review. When I return from my trip next week, I will be adding EZ-Lip to the rear bumper. I'm quite excited about how this will look. Ilya did his front bumper and it looks brilliant! There is a DIY garage in Miami that rents out full service bays by the hour or by the day at very reasonable rates. You get use of tools, a lift, and with other peeps working in other bays and thew actual manger of the shop, there is help if needed. I will put the car on thew lift and take pics of the install to be posted here when completed.
