Derspeed

I like to have instructions on how to do things. I haven't seen any regarding removing the chrome pieces on the sport grille. I just did it about an hour ago and thought I'd post some pics to help you folks see what is involved. It's not difficult, but you have to be careful. It gets easier once you get used to the flexing limits of the plastic. Do this at your own risk. I can't take responsibility if you break your stuff. I hope this is helpful. Here goes:

I did not do this, but I suggest removing the star first. It is very easy. The plastic ring surrounding it is very flexible. Flip the grille over and find the prongs at the ends of the lower points on the star. They are shorter than the prongs at the top point of the star. Take a small flathead and just carefully lift the plasitc, that surrounds the black star piece, over the short prongs. Do the other side. Now push the star from the bottom and you'll notice it slides right out.





Front view of top prongs:



Now the tedious part. You'll need to do this 18 times. Again, you will be working from the back of the grille. I masked the front of the grille in anticipation of the chrome strips scraping against the grille while removing them. I am glad I did it, because that is exactly what happened. The tape totally protected everything. Oh yeah, don't tape the chrome strips down.

With a small flathead screwdriver, pry the tabs of the chrome strips and the tabs of the grey plastic grille apart. The screwdriver should be touching the spots of each piece as demonstrated in the next two pics. I am showng this with the parts separated so it's a little easier to see. I used a twisting motion. Do all of the top longer tabs, then move onto the lower smaller tabs for each strip. The smaller tabs are really hard to move. The plastic is flexible enough to be a little rough with them. I am not sure if I will remove the black plastic strips at the top and bottom. They are on really tight. They're black and I'm painting the grille matte black, so I probably won't remove them.





And there it is:

trial0r

did you paint it yourself too? any tips?

Derspeed

No. I just removed the chrome tonight. I was thinking about it though. I have used that bumper coating in the past and it works really well. I may test it.

tanktube67

You can have the paint put it in a spray can, I have done it several times and it works real well, it's all about the preparation.

TuneTime

nice... i think i had to do this 5 times last week... lol... just dont rush thru it folks... take your time.....

atspring

Looks easier than I expected. Thanks for the post. Wish I saw more how-to threads.

Derspeed

I know. On Passatworld they are all stickied. You can find a how-to post on almost anything. B5 and B5.5 Passats have been around for a lot longer than W204s though.

trial0r

sticky this!

rebel_mtc

You have to be very carefull on the 4th photo.

I suggest to use the screw driver to push down the plastic that the chrome laches to instead of prying on the chrome laches.

There was a thread on how I did this a few weeks back..

omgitselaine

I know i can bring the grill to a bodyshop and have it painted but i dont really want to lose the car for a day or two without a grill ? Does anyone know if theres a MB spray paint which we can use that would match the vehicle color as close as possible ? This looks like a fairly easy DIY but im afraid of the paint color not matching ? TIA

Saks_C350_Sport

I just picked my car up on Wednesday afternoon. My grill was pained FLAT black and I drove it for the first time last night. I find this morning that it is all pitted from road debris. I am NOT happy. Make sure whatever paint is used is going to be tough enough to not have this happen. I will be FINALLY taking pix of my ride today and you will see what I am talking about. Good Luck !!!!

Derspeed

I agree on the small ones on the bottom. The longer top tabs come off with either method. Just BE CAREFUL.

I bought some VHT heavy duty, hood and bumper coating in satin black from Summit Racing. I'm quite handy with a rattle can. The can says "creates a rugged surface with excellent mar- and scratch-resistance." Maybe the shop that painted yours didn't prep it right. I bought an extra grille for this project. I am sure it will need redone at some point no matter what paint you use.

Derspeed

Here is the paint I used and the finished product. I am going to let it cure for a while before I install it. This paint is a little difficult to use, but once down, it looks nice. It matches the black in the star section of the grille perfectly.

newtonlaw

thanks man! i am gonna do it if i find that bottle of paint! is there a how to on removing that grill?

micropower99

good question. how hard is it to take off the grill from the car?

Derspeed

Everyone who has done it says it's easy, but noone has posted pics. I need pics.

AkaSigFreak

Great pics of the step-by-step chrome removal. I was afraid I was going to have to tape it.

bjafari84

thanks for the tips! I just ordered the same type of paint and will attempt to paint it whenever it comes in!

Derspeed

Where did you order your paint from?

misterng

Any instructions on how to remove the grille? Thanks.

bjafari84

http://vht.carshopinc.com/product_in..._id/56296/SP27

15.72 shipped for me

Derspeed

Thanks. I asked because I think I bought the last can from Summit. I need to get some more Saturday for another project.

Derspeed

Here are some tips. I am not an expert, so do this at your own risk. I just know what has worked for me. I am usually the go-to guy among my friends and family when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Scuff all of the surfaces to be painted with 600 grit sandpaper. Then wipe it down with a Dupli-color prep wipe and dry it. Make sure to keep dust and lint away. The grille looks easy, but the slats are huge when it comes time to paint them. Use 2 or 3 light coats and allow 10 min between each coat. Then a 3rd or 4th medium coat. This paint is a little tricky. I got closer than the can suggested for the final coats. It will look uneven at first. Just let the paint dry. It will even out nicely. Remember, if you screw it up, you can always sand it and do it again. Let the paint dry for a day before replacing the chrome. I have to re-do a slat because I nicked the paint with a tab on the back of the chrome strip. I just had to see what it looked like re-assembled .

Good luck. Hope this helps everyone. Now, someone please post a couple of pics on grille removal. I know it's easy, but I don't want to mess it up.

ismeto

Brabus black painted grill face is more cool ..and black painted is also better in White

micropower99

I think its nothing without the chrome star in the middle. Thats what makes this car stand out. Honestly I wouldn't have bought this car if it wasn't for the grille that came with the sport edition. (The chrome star in the middle) Just my opinion