Idea to Share: Grill Insert Paint Technique
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Idea to Share: Grill Insert Paint Technique
Arright guys (and gals too).... after see tons of pics of blacked out grills, I just wanted to share the way I painted up my grill inserts.
<B>Concern:</B> Alot of grills are all black and, to me, lack detail and takes away from identifying it as a 73/74 or 75-77. Plus, it just looked like a big black hole in the nose end of our trucks.
<B>Concept:</B> Keep the distinction of the different years and also reduce the somewhat bug-eyed look of stock front ends. My opinion so please don't flame me!!!
<B>Technique:</B>
1. Clean/scrub inserts thoroughly with grease-cutting dish soap.
2. Wet sand with 320 grit
3. Spray leading edges with silver paint and allow to dry thoroughly. Use multiple thin coats!
4. Apply 1/-4-inch fine line masking tape to leading edges. I used light green 3M tape and a razor blade to get nice clean cuts
5. Apply multiple thin coats of satin black (I use Krylon 1613).
6. Unmask to reveal the silver leading edges.
... here's what I ended up with:
And a close up:
The pics were taken last fall as "The F-Bomb" is now wearing full camo. Inspired?
<B>Concern:</B> Alot of grills are all black and, to me, lack detail and takes away from identifying it as a 73/74 or 75-77. Plus, it just looked like a big black hole in the nose end of our trucks.
<B>Concept:</B> Keep the distinction of the different years and also reduce the somewhat bug-eyed look of stock front ends. My opinion so please don't flame me!!!
<B>Technique:</B>
1. Clean/scrub inserts thoroughly with grease-cutting dish soap.
2. Wet sand with 320 grit
3. Spray leading edges with silver paint and allow to dry thoroughly. Use multiple thin coats!
4. Apply 1/-4-inch fine line masking tape to leading edges. I used light green 3M tape and a razor blade to get nice clean cuts
5. Apply multiple thin coats of satin black (I use Krylon 1613).
6. Unmask to reveal the silver leading edges.
... here's what I ended up with:
And a close up:
The pics were taken last fall as "The F-Bomb" is now wearing full camo. Inspired?
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,647
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From: Halifx Pa
I like it, and would like to see someone do it as fordblack suggested. But good work looks real sharp, and I agree the all black is so one dimensional.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,735
Likes: 2
From: Wingo, Ky
Somebody may beat me to it but I have an extra set of grille inserts. I will try to experiment with them soon to see what this look would look like on a truck with unpainted grille shell and bumper.
I will first try the method above. Then I may try something kinda crazy all silver with a black leading edge.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Thanks. You make an excellent point. I think you'll be surprised what a subtle reduction of visual clutter can make. On a Dent with an unpainted shell or bumper, I believe it will make those stand out more but streamline the overall appearance.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2009
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looks good. I was thinking of this very idea this morning! I knocked all the dings out and used JB Weld as filler, then I sprayed the whole thing silver so far. I was thinking of masking a scheme in which the top and bottom of the surround is the color of my truck (black), but the center surround still silver, and the inserts like yours, to sort of mimic the '66 grille. I'm also using a '78 bumper painted the same silver, with the license area painted black, and the guards on it. Of course I'm building a cheapo street truck, but it all still applies.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
looks good. I was thinking of this very idea this morning! I knocked all the dings out and used JB Weld as filler, then I sprayed the whole thing silver so far. I was thinking of masking a scheme in which the top and bottom of the surround is the color of my truck (black), but the center surround still silver, and the inserts like yours, to sort of mimic the '66 grille. I'm also using a '78 bumper painted the same silver, with the license area painted black, and the guards on it. Of course I'm building a cheapo street truck, but it all still applies.
I get what you're doing. Cool. I'll have to file that idea. If anyone noticed, I also painted the recesses of F-O-R-D with gloss black paint.
Heres' another detail....I installed early 90s Ranger side mirrors cuz I don't like the goofy swing-aways.... They look like a tattoo on a supermodel's butt. 'had to weld close the holes but the square head of the Ranger mirrors look better than the swing-away's bulbous heads.
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
I like your idea it looks sharp, here is a few different idea's, not my trucks. The red Bronco even has blacked out his taillight chrome rings and tailgate chrome and fender well chrome.
As far as the blue one, notice the outer shell again painted black with the blue edged inserts like yours, along with the blue FORD letters.
I did the sort of the same with my 79, it has the chrome grill insert. But only the edges so I masked off the flat inner part and painted it gloss black after touching up the radiator insert.
As far as the blue one, notice the outer shell again painted black with the blue edged inserts like yours, along with the blue FORD letters.
I did the sort of the same with my 79, it has the chrome grill insert. But only the edges so I masked off the flat inner part and painted it gloss black after touching up the radiator insert.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,735
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From: Wingo, Ky
I got one side done on my 73. Now im just gettin started on the otherside. I had to order the correct tape online, nobody around here had it. I went with Metallic Silver and Flat Black paint.
Now thats what you call a difference between night and day! Thank you very very much for the idea HIO.
Tip: Let the silver cure a couple days. Reason is you might get impatient and want to hurry up and spray the black thick and heavy to get done(I did). If you do so the paint will bleed throught tape to the silver. Not to worry though if you let silver fully cure. Take tape off 10 minutes after sprayin black. Then get a shop rag and spray it with WD40, then lightly rub and black will come off the silver.
Now thats what you call a difference between night and day! Thank you very very much for the idea HIO.
Tip: Let the silver cure a couple days. Reason is you might get impatient and want to hurry up and spray the black thick and heavy to get done(I did). If you do so the paint will bleed throught tape to the silver. Not to worry though if you let silver fully cure. Take tape off 10 minutes after sprayin black. Then get a shop rag and spray it with WD40, then lightly rub and black will come off the silver.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!
I got one side done on my 73. Now im just gettin started on the otherside. I had to order the correct tape online, nobody around here had it. I went with Metallic Silver and Flat Black paint.
Now thats what you call a difference between night and day! Thank you very very much for the idea HIO.
Now thats what you call a difference between night and day! Thank you very very much for the idea HIO.
Thanks for posting the pic. It's sometimes hard to visualize but your pic is worth a thousand words.
Glad to share!
