All Chrome ( DIY ) Grille** 4 your GS**
03-03-08, 01:29 AM
#121
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01-22-09, 09:44 PM
#122
Lexus Test Driver
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im keen to give this a crack on my 98 grille but am hesitant with all these stories of hardship. i only want to do the front of the slats though, so i guess a q-tip and some gel based stripper is going to be the way to go.
01-22-09, 10:30 PM
#123
Lexus Champion
if not done carefully on 98-00 grilles, your grille will look like crap.
08-27-09, 01:51 PM
#125
I just painted my grill black, it's much better then that stock faded graphite/black color it was previously.
I'm thinking of using gel paint remover on the vertical bars and the trim around the grill.
Should come out sick looking... But kinda having second thoughts, I like the look of the all black grill too...
What do you think, leave it as is or chrome the vertical bars and trim???
I'm thinking of using gel paint remover on the vertical bars and the trim around the grill.
Should come out sick looking... But kinda having second thoughts, I like the look of the all black grill too...
What do you think, leave it as is or chrome the vertical bars and trim???
08-27-09, 02:30 PM
#126
I just painted my grill black, it's much better then that stock faded graphite/black color it was previously.
I'm thinking of using gel paint remover on the vertical bars and the trim around the grill.
Should come out sick looking... But kinda having second thoughts, I like the look of the all black grill too...
What do you think, leave it as is or chrome the vertical bars and trim???
I'm thinking of using gel paint remover on the vertical bars and the trim around the grill.
Should come out sick looking... But kinda having second thoughts, I like the look of the all black grill too...
What do you think, leave it as is or chrome the vertical bars and trim???
08-27-09, 05:02 PM
#127
The black looks good, here's a pic of mine with the front of the slats and outer trim chrome for you to think about. I'm just gonna link it since I couldn't resize the pic, don't want to screw up the margins on the page. 
https://www.clublexus.com/gallery/sh...00&ppuser=4957
https://www.clublexus.com/gallery/sh...00&ppuser=4957
08-27-09, 06:57 PM
#128
Lexus Test Driver
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i also ended up removing the chrome frm just the front of the slats on my 98 grille. decided i didnt want to risk making it look totally crap cause i would never get another one easily around here!
mine was a very very slow and tedious way of doing it cause i was super cautious- i had some paint thinner in the garage so i got a box of cotton tips/q-tips and dipped it in the thinner and ran it up and down the front of each slat a few times one by one letting it soak then doing a little more. Then 1 slat at a time working from the middle of the grille outwards i used my fingernails (!) and scraped the black paint off the chrome.
took me about 3 days working 1 slat on the left, 1 on the right from the centre outwards. man i had some sort fingers by the end but i am happy with the result i got haha
mine was a very very slow and tedious way of doing it cause i was super cautious- i had some paint thinner in the garage so i got a box of cotton tips/q-tips and dipped it in the thinner and ran it up and down the front of each slat a few times one by one letting it soak then doing a little more. Then 1 slat at a time working from the middle of the grille outwards i used my fingernails (!) and scraped the black paint off the chrome.
took me about 3 days working 1 slat on the left, 1 on the right from the centre outwards. man i had some sort fingers by the end but i am happy with the result i got haha
08-28-09, 10:19 PM
#130
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NY
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Im also pushing a pearl, and I was thinking of DIY chrome until I peeped how sick black looks! How did you actually go about painting? Did you go with some sort of spray or did you get that professionally done?
08-28-09, 10:38 PM
#131
I'm actualy going to be making the outter time chrome again, will do it this weekend and post pics.
Last edited by SHiZNiLTi; 08-28-09 at 10:44 PM.
08-31-09, 01:01 AM
#134
Lexus Champion
the 01+ grille is very easy to do, cant say the same about the 98+ grille, speaking of 98 grilles i got one that i did a fail chromed job who wants it for free? maybe someone can flat black it 
06-27-13, 12:33 PM
#135
Driver School Candidate
Let's resurrect this one ...
Wanted to chime in with my experience ...
Newly acquired 2000 RX300. LOTS of stone chips on the grille. Thought about painting it but then came upon this thread and thought I'd go with the "full-on chrome" look.
My results:
After the first pass, it looked like crap. The wide bars were easy to get clean, but the chrome finish farther back was less smooth, and held the paint. I needed to use #0000 steel wool coupled with Klean Strip in order to clean out all the waffle holes. Form the steel wool into a tube and then "floss" with it, front-to-back.
Eventually, it came out looking great!
Newly acquired 2000 RX300. LOTS of stone chips on the grille. Thought about painting it but then came upon this thread and thought I'd go with the "full-on chrome" look.
My results:
After the first pass, it looked like crap. The wide bars were easy to get clean, but the chrome finish farther back was less smooth, and held the paint. I needed to use #0000 steel wool coupled with Klean Strip in order to clean out all the waffle holes. Form the steel wool into a tube and then "floss" with it, front-to-back.
Eventually, it came out looking great!