Refinishing Grill Shell - suggestions please
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 896
Likes: 55
From: Bothell
Sounds like they stripped the anodizing off of it and re-polished it... pretty good for $100
Their suggestion to keep it clean and to wax and polish it is correct.
That said, while you have it off the truck you have the option to get it anodized again and then it takes far less care to keep.
Their suggestion to keep it clean and to wax and polish it is correct.
That said, while you have it off the truck you have the option to get it anodized again and then it takes far less care to keep.
Tuned
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
From: Vicksburg, MS
I've been researching this for a while, and I have developed a plan.
1. Greased Lightning cleaner to remove anodizing.
2. Sand and polish.
3. Use House of Kolor adhesion promoter (AP-01) and then immediately clearcoat.
1. Greased Lightning cleaner to remove anodizing.
2. Sand and polish.
3. Use House of Kolor adhesion promoter (AP-01) and then immediately clearcoat.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 885
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh
These are the best pictures I could get of the after. Obviously it looks a lot better than it used to since I swapped out the grill and headlight buckets as well. PO had ordered them but never installed. When I took them out of the box to install I realized just how bad my old grill shell looked. A few dents and a ton of water damage. I'm very happy with the new face of the truck!
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 885
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh
This is the best "before" style picture I can find, its from the day I first went to check it out, bought it a week later. As you can see, the bumper had bad rust damage, old grill shell is dull and dented, headlight buckets and grill are turning green (that part is kind of hard to see). There's a before picture of just the grill shell at the very beginning of this post.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,213
Likes: 321
From: SW PA
looks great! Well worth $100 IMO.
Looks like the bumper is decent quality too?
I bought one from rockauto and it was wavy looking.
Even though banksville Rd is a hassle of a drive for me, for $100 bones I would consider it.
Looks like the bumper is decent quality too?
I bought one from rockauto and it was wavy looking.
Even though banksville Rd is a hassle of a drive for me, for $100 bones I would consider it.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,172
Likes: 101
From: darlington
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 885
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh
Where ya driving from?
I took the grill shell off and took them just the part. I think that saved me a little money too because I didn't have a truck hogging their shop they just worked on it between their other jobs. Had it back to me in like 3 days.
Bumper seems about as thick and heavy as the original, chrome has a really small defect where it fades from chrome to yellow in about a .5"x5" strip, but I had it for like 6 months before I installed it so I couldn't get JBG to accept the return or help me out at all. Its not very noticeable so I guess I won't worry about it. Its not quite a show truck anyhow.
I took the grill shell off and took them just the part. I think that saved me a little money too because I didn't have a truck hogging their shop they just worked on it between their other jobs. Had it back to me in like 3 days.
Bumper seems about as thick and heavy as the original, chrome has a really small defect where it fades from chrome to yellow in about a .5"x5" strip, but I had it for like 6 months before I installed it so I couldn't get JBG to accept the return or help me out at all. Its not very noticeable so I guess I won't worry about it. Its not quite a show truck anyhow.
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