tbone55

How do I open my hood to the vertical position, i.e. service position?

Thanks,Tony.

CDP

There should be a lever thingy on the...er...I'll take pictures.

CDP

Okay, when you open your hood. You'll see these lever's on each side. Circled in red. Push that in on both sides and it'll unlock the hood so you can open it all the way. Where the red arrow is pointed at is where the hood is locked. So make sure you push the thing in all the way on both sides.

tbone55

Thanks Chris! i knew it had something to do with those things LOL!

tbone55

BTW, I bought all the paint to do my grill and grill frame....$72.00 in paint! Also, is that clear bra stuff that Ashman and AMGzorro, were talking about a spray on thing or is it a film?

CDP

I think it's a film from 3M, I'm not sure but I should invest in that. I know what you mean about the ridiculous price in the paint. A can alone with clear coat was 35 bucks! and I'm only painting those headlight panels. Which im doing right now and taking a break from right now. So are you coloring matching the grill and frame?

tbone55

grill frame white and grill in black. I might do the the wipers and the black strip on the trunk...maybe even the door handles. I'll have to get another can made up though. It's 6.99 per additional can, the pint makes about three and 1/2 cans.

So if that stuffs a film how do you apply it? Anybody??

ZorroAMG

You guys are getting SCREWED on paint prices. Paint is $20 Canadian per can and Clear is $14.

The 3m film goes on best like window tint. I'd have a shop do it though to avoid bubbles

CDP

Zorro,

actually, you're getting ripped.

It was 35 for the paint and clear coat after tax and shipping.

ZorroAMG

Not to start an argument over such minor *****e, but YOU are wrong :

$35 USD is roughly $42 CND, and I paid $20 + $14 = $34 incl tax (no shipping, it's local, can't u californians buy paint locally?? )

But, whatever

CDP

lol. darn you got me.

ZorroAMG

Haha, it's all fun and games my friend!

tbone55

I did buy it locally. One pint of paint @ $31.53 and 1/3 of that pint put into spraycan @ $6.60. Any additional cans @$6.99 each, using what's left of my pint.One can of clear @ $11.66. I also bought black paint (for the grill), some bull dog flex/adhesive and some sandpaper. My total for EVERYTHING was $71.

Actual cost to paint the grill frame...$49.79, so I spent about $15 more than you did, but I have extra paint for touch ups and/or spay cans. Also, next time I want to get some paint in a spay can it's only gonna cost me $6.99.

ashman

simple answer. www.towerpaint.com give them your paint code. then they send you a can. can costs I believe around $15.00 U.S.

you can get clear from them too.

overall, wont cost too much.

For me, I have to go to my bodyshop guy and get him to mix it for me then find someone to put it into a spray can if I want to use it aerosol, otherwise I gotta buy an air compressor and paint sprayer... and still add thinnner to the paint so it will flow out of the sprayer...... Damn that custom paintjob....

AshMan

CDP

I went with Paint World for my paint, so I can paint my headlight trims. Fast shipping too. Via UPS.

CaliE320

For the price of all that paint & material you could've just dropped off the grill at a shop and have it professionally painted for around $50.

~Cali

tbone55

SERIOUSLY, if you can find me a reputible body/paint shop that will do it for $50, I'll GLADLY take it there. I'm not really looking forward to this project...just the results. And even then only if it comes out right.

I've shopped around and no one will do it for less than $200...one said $150 if has the paint already.

CDP

I know, painting things yourself sucks. I messed up soooo bad on my headlight trim panels.

ashman

just remmeber one thing about painting.

90% prep, 10 % actual painting.

Take the time to prep it right, gett he surface nice and smooth and clean after sanding.

When I did my wiper panels and grill, I took the time to sand, prime, fill, sand, prime, sand, prime paint, wet sand, paint, wet sand, paint wetsand, then clear, wet sand, clear wet sand, clear wet sand, then polish.

Don;t expect to do it in a few hours. it takes patience, and remember to paint in thin layers. I wet sanded with 600 grit inbetween each paint and priming and clear coat coating. and did several layers of each. my grill and wiper panels came out quite well. I used flexible primer on the grill frame and it has withstood chip for well over a year.

Just take your time. be patient, go slowly, and don;t rush it. remember not to try to layer ont he paint thick, you will get runs and may even get fisheyes.

Clean the surfaces well after each sanding as well to remove any particles.

I did my wiper panels a few years ago and it is time to do them again. all I will do is strip them, and follow my own advice.

AshMan

tbone55

Thanks Alon.

i'm definitly going to take my time...just a little nervous.

ashman

if you are going to paint the chrome, you can;t just prime the chrome and paint. you have to roughen up the chrome. I used some 100 grit I think, and sanded the chrome up so it was very rough, in fact I took the chrome down quite a bit in some places by sanding too much, and got to the what appeared to be copper below it, perhaps nickel.

Regardless, the first time I did it I just primed and painted the chrome, and after a while it started coming off and I was able to peel it off fairly easily which is why I took more drastic steps second time around to roughen it up it means more priming and sanding to fill the scratches in the chrome, but the scrates gave the primer something extra to grip to. It didn;t hurt that I also have a completely stock frame that I put on the car so I could take the time to work on my grill which was maybe a little bit a day for a few weeks.

And guess what, I'm going to be putting the stock grill frame with insert back on soon because I will be painting my grill again soon, only this time I am going to make some extra mods to it. I havent figured out just yet what mods I am going to do to it, but it should come out nice.

Also remmeber that I shaved the holes int he grill for the front laurel wreath badge and the hood star myself and those took time to dry, and be sanded and filled. I'm working up a new insert soon too that involves a lot of work, so thats going to take time too.

AshMan

tbone55

Yeah I've been thinking about buying another grill frame so I can take my time ...I fiure about a week atleast to do the job right and that's not counting screw-up time either LOL!

I've seen the pics of your grill during the "fill in" progress...what kind of filler did you use?

ashman

A Little something called JB Quik... you can get it at home depo, and usually auto parts places like pep boys autozone etc.



Its held up well.

AshMan

tbone55

great minds think alike! That's what I was planning on using, just never used on such a big spot.

thanks!