After seeing many threads about painting the front grill and debating with myself, this weekend I took the time to do it to my mk2. Never painted anything in my life before so I am pleased with the result as a first timer  Also saved a handful of cash when not ordering superskoda parts. Thanks to helpful people of this forum who also shared their projects. 

 

Before and After

 

 

 

 

Looks good. We did ours race blue to match the car. It looks much better with the grille surround done.

Your car looks like it has a moustache!

6 hours ago, MicMac said:

Your car looks like it has a moustache!

Yes, now I just need to add some sporty stickers and eyes on the windshield so it’s like from Disney Cars!

Did you use any guides?

 

What paint did you use and where from?

I have just done the same to the chrome grille surround on my facelift Yeti.

 

The surround was damaged in the accident but too expensive to replace as all that was visible was a fairly clean break and a small amount of chrome lifted around it, after seeing your pictures I decided it would look better in black, the chrome does not go with anything else except the bonnet badge which was also damaged.

 

By painting it black I was able to do a decent repair that is invisible to Stevie Wonder & Ray Charles, I sanded, used plastic primer (probably totally wrong) satin black followed by 2K clear coat because I needed a resistant finish knowing it was going to take a lot of hand pressure to fit the inner grill to it after the repairs and to refit the whole assembly into the slightly damaged bumper.

 

The now gloss black around the matt black inner grill actually looks really good and fitted it is much much better looking than the chrome surround and really goes well with the silver "Outdoor" bumper lower insert.

 

I have ordered a matt black bonnet badge to complement the job.

 

The price for a new chrome grille surround was silly money but the price for the black Monté Carlo version is insane!

JR - any pics?

 

i have a white Octavia VRS with a chrome grill - the inner grill where the old VRs badge was, which has incidentally fallen off is a dull black. 
 

I’m thinking either paint the surround white and freshen up the inner grill with a fresh black and a new Black VRS badge or paint it all black

 

To be honest though I wouldn’t know what paint to use - I’ve seen a few videos on you tube but with it being at the front of the car I want it to be well protected and not just flake off in a few months!

Edited 8 August, 20205 yr by phil08

Will upload a photo later, the primer used is more important than the finish paint, nothing will really adhere to the chrome even when its sanded, etch primer might have a chance, I dont think the plastic primer I used did anything but its all that I had.

 

The satin black was chipping from just the gentle handling moving it around to spray all the recesses, it would not have lasted 5 minutes on the vehicle, it now has a tough 2K clear coat protecting it which is the best that I can do.

Photo as promised:

 

 

Does that front end look like its had such a hard frontal impact as to set off 3 airbags and write the vehicle off?

 

The only thing that has been replaced is the grille inner as a couple of the plastic slats had broken off.

 

The bumper has been polished, no paint repairs, the silver part is as was, just a scratch visible.

 

Grille outer surround had a crack on the RH side which is still visible in the photo after the repair.

 

The bonnet badge is cracked & the nose of the bonnet will benefit from a little more persuading forward after the badge is removed before the new one fitted.

 

The inner bumper steel beam had in fact deformed & the longeron which is the initial sacrificial crumple zone had compressed, I got it 90% straight on my hydraulic press but it was better to fit a new one at £60 as all the panel gaps are set by it.

 

The plastic bumper and the polystyrene moulding behind it transferred enough force to deform the bumper iron crumple zone and set off the airbags yet both were re-used without any paint repair, Skoda really picked good materials.

15 hours ago, J.R. said:

Will upload a photo later, the primer used is more important than the finish paint, nothing will really adhere to the chrome even when its sanded, etch primer might have a chance, I dont think the plastic primer I used did anything but its all that I had.

 

The satin black was chipping from just the gentle handling moving it around to spray all the recesses, it would not have lasted 5 minutes on the vehicle, it now has a tough 2K clear coat protecting it which is the best that I can do.

I sprayed my chrome grill trim with Hammerite smooth black mixed approximately 1:2 Cellulose thinners.

 

2 coats over 180 grit Aluminium Oxide keyed surface, no problems after a year.

Edited 9 August, 20205 yr by MicMac

Is there anywhere that sells the same white that the Skoda Octavia VRS is supplied in?

 

Im not sure on the black surround on a white car as yet.

 

However I take it any black spray paint that’s suitable for plastics would be ok?

 

 

I believe (and it was hard for me to accept) that the chrome finish on the grille outer and other plastic trim pieces is acually real chrome deposited over some magic copper coating.

 

So the preparation should be that of painting over a chromed bumper etc which is never successfull in the long term.

 

I am hoping that the 2K clear coat on mine will add protection but its such a small item that touching in stone chips should not cause too much grief.