OK, either the three bodyshops I've spoken to are talking *******s or there is a "special" method of preparing the chrome for paint. All three have said "we will do it if pushed but won't guarantee the work

So, how was YOURS done?

OK, either the three bodyshops I've spoken to are talking *******s or there is a "special" method of preparing the chrome for paint. All three have said "we will do it if pushed but won't guarantee the work

So, how was YOURS done?

Had mine done back in 2008 and its been holding up just fine and as good as any of the rest of the paint work on the front of the car i.e. a few paint chips but to be expected after 80,000 KM. I had mine done by a local bodyshop, it cost 150 euro and took them 2 days as they took off the grill surround and then had to sand it down to remove the chrome then prepped it for paint and finnaly painted it. Best mod ive done to the car, still think it looks way better than standard!

I did mine myself, and I only wet sanded the chrome to give a smooth finish. It's held up just fine without taking the chrome back but it was a cheap mod doing it myself

Got mine done by a bodyshop i'd used for over 20 years, owner warned me that it was likely to chip. I thought he was exagerating, had the surround on the car for 3-4 weeks and it was chipped to feck.

Got another grille surround, got it painted too, put the original one back in to be repainted again (so I could swap them around as it only takes a few minutes) and the paint reacted on it (because the daft painter didn't neutralise the wax/polish i'd been applying to it) so they rubbed it down and painted it again which means it's effectively been painted 3 times. Now been on the car for about 2 and a half months and hasn't chipped once so perhaps the answer.

Tried another one last night and the guy rubbed his chin and said "not really interested mate cause it will chip too easily"

I'm getting the right ******* hump about this!

No wonder we are in **** as a country - nobody wants to take on simple bloody jobs like spraying a chrome grille!

had mine done for a few month now, I was also advised they couldnt guarantee it not chipping etc, but touchwood no problems yet, nothing out of the ordinary. I was told when I went to collect it after painting that rubbing the chroms off was a real pain though lol

Edited 17 August, 201114 yr by VRSDanny

Best practice would be to completely remove the chrome, tedious but you could do it yourself. I had mine done just over 2 years ago at a local bodyshop, iirc the cost was around £40, all they did was sand down the chrome to key it then applied an etching primer.

Although it has suffered chipping, it's not that bad. If and when it needs doing again, I will follow Harry's route and DIY it. One piece of advice I would give you is once it is painted, wrap it in some kind of clear film as an added protection.

Did I imagine it or wasn't soaking it in a strong bleach solution the way to get the chrome off of the plastic?

Did I imagine it or wasn't soaking it in a strong bleach solution the way to get the chrome off of the plastic?

This is an urban myth I think, afaik many people have tried and failed employing this method - a point to note though, apparently it has to be ASDA bleach????

This is an urban myth I think, afaik many people have tried and failed employing this method - a point to note though, apparently it has to be ASDA bleach????

You forgot to mention Lemon Scented, not the plain bleach

Has anyone successfully had their grille 'wrapped' in leiu of painting it?

Edited 18 August, 201114 yr by zimmerman

I wrapped my own grille on my previous vRS using 3M Di-Noc Carbon Fibre

Tony a body shop should be able to do it no problem. As far as i'm aware all they do is remove the chrome finish, prime it and paint it job done. If they are saying it will chip too easy then i think they are probably just going to key the chrome a bit and spray straight on top. I got mine done at one for my last vRS and it held up fine. It has the odd stone chip on it but nothing that wouldn't happen if it had remained chromed. It is also now on another members car and as far as i know holding up strong.

My new one i had done for the Anthracite Assassin cost me £70 iirc (Can't remember exactly as i bought the complete grille but it was circa that) but it has come out a top job. Again it has a couple of minor chips on it as does the bonnet and again it's nothing that wouldn't have happened if it had remained OEM.

I even had the dealer fit it for me the day i picked it up

I bought new grill surround and badge off main dealers then gave it to a man he made it so and even fitted it well happy when and if it gets chipped to hell ill do it again with old surround but have it protected with venture shield or something.

Damn that looks sexy

I wrapped mine in Matt black vinyl the other night as it was only £4 odd, just to see how it would look prior to painting.

It turned out to be a better job than I expected so I plan to leave it on!

I wrapped mine in Matt black vinyl the other night as it was only £4 odd, just to see how it would look prior to painting.

It turned out to be a better job than I expected so I plan to leave it on!

do you have any pics of it up ??

Not yet I'm afraid.

My car is due a wash, so I'll get some photos tomorrow.

The bleach dip worked on my Fabia grille when I did it, that's all I know. I left it in a dip tank filled up with standard bleach (wasn't ASDA, and it wasn't lemon scented ) and a few days later removed it. The chrome had detached and lifted to the top of the solution.

Not sure on this current Octy one, as I bought it already coded but the finish wasn't great. So I had it re-done. Cost was £60 or £70. I don't feel it will be any more or less likely to chip than say the bumper - it's in the prime spot to get hit anyway! I just let a few coats of sealant cure over it (half an hour curing time, buff off, re-apply), then two coats of Collinite 476S a few hours apart. So at least it's got some more protection over the painted section.

If you're still struggling wardth, I've got the details of the place - you could post it to them??

P.S. Carl - Assasin is looking epic - officially want an anthractie Combi next! When you next up north?

I painted my grille myself.

So far so good. I just sanded the chrome to get a good key then a few coats of plastic primer which I flatted back with wet and dry. Then on with the race blue paint then a few coats of lacquer which after left to dry was wet sanded then polished up. It has covered 2000 miles so far and it doesn't have a single stone chip yet.

P.S. Carl - Assasin is looking epic - officially want an anthractie Combi next! When you next up north?

Second that. I pitched up with a two week old car that I thought looked the mutts and fell in love with the AA. I spent ages telling my missus that the new car should be an estate and she put her foot down "we don't need an estate, theres only two of us"..........

She may have changed her mind now!

I'm currently in the same boat! Two people clearly means a Combi's a necessity :p

Does look good, rarer and the overall dimensions aren't any different.....

Second that. I pitched up with a two week old car that I thought looked the mutts and fell in love with the AA. I spent ages telling my missus that the new car should be an estate and she put her foot down "we don't need an estate, theres only two of us"..........

She may have changed her mind now!

Buy a dog.......

... or take up fishing

Protek in Bathgate done mine, sanded down to remove the chrome coating, primed painted and lacquered.