For anyone whom has repainted their grill/grill inserts

[DanDombrowski]

Well, I piled my registration and title together for the E34, went to turn it into Carmax and get my $1800, and my sister interviened and said she wanted the car. My sister just turned 15 and would have got her learner's permit yesterday if it weren't for that piddly raincloud that cancelled school and work yesterday in S. Florida.

Bottom line is that we've decided we can't see a perfectly good E34 go, so we're keeping YET ANOTHER car. Remember, the car needs a new manual transmission, and I'm estimating about $1000 to fix ($750 for a reman unit + $250 to install). We've (I've) decided we can't see a perfectly good E34 go, so I ordered some Euro projector depo headlights off of ebay to replace the one my mother backed into, and got the first one installed yesterday. I'll post the before/after pics soon, I promise.

So, having the grill and grill inserts off, I wondered if I should spend the time to paint the parts. The grill itself is of course body colored paint, and is extremely pitted and rusting in places due to lots of rock chips. The headlight grill inserts are plastic. I was thinking of repainting both the grill and the plastic inserts, or possibly just the plastic headlight grill pieces.

If anyone has done this before, what problems have you encountered making the final product look good? I'm mostly worried about autozone rattlecan paint matching the car, or at the least looking decent. I mean, if I respray the faded black plastic black again, does it stand out too much and make the rest of the plastic trim look bad? Any other pointers? The car is black BTW.

[Qube]

Faded black trim can be restored. You won't believe how bad mine was. All I did was coat with Zaino tire dressing.

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/images/z-16.jpg

Makes the bumper trim so shiny it looks like paint and the sides so black it's stunning. Of course, if there is wax residue, use a rubber eraser to get rid of it first.

In regards to front grill.. there was a discussion earlier. Started by Gayle, I think? Anyway, you CAN paint it in a pinch, but you need to sand it down to ensure your new paint doesn't look just the same afterwards. On that note, I just bought a new front grill to paint instead ;)

Lucky for you, the car is black. Black is difficult to mismatch... I like white as well. You can get away with minor deviations without issues.

[Evan]

Is there a photo of your car somewhere so we can have a closwer look?

[ryan roopnarine]

awwww.

hopefully, you'll communicate to her how badly such a car can slip in the rain. i don't know if, looking back on my life, i would have wanted a rwd e34 as a first car. the fwd ford taurus was hard enough to control in the florida slipperiness right after i got my license. maybe if you turn the abs off for a widdle bit and take her for an instructional cruise after you get things together with the car.

ps...i don't know if this is even a priority for you right now, but there is a rear e34 bumper on ebay for $4x plus $4x shipping. didn't look at it though.

[DanDombrowski]

Oh wow, really? I'm gonna have to look at that bumper. I've been checking periodically for transmissions, the bumper problem has moved to the back burner. Will definitely have to check that out.

As for the car being slippery - yeah, she will get a good amount of instruction on it. Our parents havent really put any effort into teaching her to drive at all, I'm doing most of it. With me not living at home anymore, it makes it a bit difficult. We were going to do some 1st gear driving last weekend, but the battery was dead, and needed a full recharge. I could jump it, but as soon as she would stall the car, I would have to get out and jump it again. Wasn't the best time to be doing it.

I think the training plan is going to start off in the Volvo. The brakes are in such need of a rebuild that the front right locks up before all the others and it has no ABS. That, and there is so much air in the lines that the pedal travels a good way to the floor. And yes, the training will be in an abandoned parking lot, I'm not just going to let her start driving that wreck.

After that, we'll do some training in the E34, she should have her permit by then. Also, we should have the headlights fixed and I'm charging the battery at discount auto parts today, so the car should be somewhat driveable (in gears 1,3,4, and 5).

[Evan]

It's great that you're helping your sister out so much.

I have two narrow headlight grilles I can donate to you.

[DanDombrowski]

http://plaza.ufl.edu/volvo240/Eclipse%203-1-2006/DSCN0720.JPG

Thanks for the offer on the grills. I might take you up on the offer, I would at least give you something for them. Where are you located?

[Evan]

I'm in Maryland.

You have some busy weekends ahead.