Where can I get aluminum-look kidney grilles?
09-26-2009, 02:03 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by mmitev' post='1017460' date='Sep 26 2009, 09:27 AM
Thanks for the comments guys. I know that I am in a bit of a black-grille-fan-club here and thats why I tried to explain my rationale in the original post.
In my view a car has to have a consistent look - if its a menace, that means all the (matte) black things with maybe a bit of red on the black wheels or something for contrast; if its a luxury car, that means chrome, beige leather and wood... (not really my thing) I certainly like the matte black grilles on many of your cars here, but they just have an overall sporty look and thats why black fits them.
Mine is a bit of a different machine - see attached pics below. Its far from pure sport, its not classic luxury, it has more of a cleaner modernistic look, if I may say so. I just want to extend that same theme on some of the exterior details, as I think the chrome grille is something of an universal brand recognition thing and thats why BMW puts it on all cars, although design-wise it does not always fit.
I have chrome only on the grille and exhaust tips and ideally I want to have them both in a colour similar to the wheels, although ideally it has to look like real metal, to be more exclusive. If I dont find anything for sale, I will go down the spraying route, although with zero painting experience I am a bit worried of the results. Anyways, I will post pics when I have something to report..
In my view a car has to have a consistent look - if its a menace, that means all the (matte) black things with maybe a bit of red on the black wheels or something for contrast; if its a luxury car, that means chrome, beige leather and wood... (not really my thing) I certainly like the matte black grilles on many of your cars here, but they just have an overall sporty look and thats why black fits them.
Mine is a bit of a different machine - see attached pics below. Its far from pure sport, its not classic luxury, it has more of a cleaner modernistic look, if I may say so. I just want to extend that same theme on some of the exterior details, as I think the chrome grille is something of an universal brand recognition thing and thats why BMW puts it on all cars, although design-wise it does not always fit.
I have chrome only on the grille and exhaust tips and ideally I want to have them both in a colour similar to the wheels, although ideally it has to look like real metal, to be more exclusive. If I dont find anything for sale, I will go down the spraying route, although with zero painting experience I am a bit worried of the results. Anyways, I will post pics when I have something to report..
09-26-2009, 06:11 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by mmitev' post='1017460' date='Sep 26 2009, 03:27 AM
Thanks for the comments guys. I know that I am in a bit of a black-grille-fan-club here and thats why I tried to explain my rationale in the original post.
In my view a car has to have a consistent look - if its a menace, that means all the (matte) black things with maybe a bit of red on the black wheels or something for contrast; if its a luxury car, that means chrome, beige leather and wood... (not really my thing) I certainly like the matte black grilles on many of your cars here, but they just have an overall sporty look and thats why black fits them.
Mine is a bit of a different machine - see attached pics below. Its far from pure sport, its not classic luxury, it has more of a cleaner modernistic look, if I may say so. I just want to extend that same theme on some of the exterior details, as I think the chrome grille is something of an universal brand recognition thing and thats why BMW puts it on all cars, although design-wise it does not always fit.
I have chrome only on the grille and exhaust tips and ideally I want to have them both in a colour similar to the wheels, although ideally it has to look like real metal, to be more exclusive. If I dont find anything for sale, I will go down the spraying route, although with zero painting experience I am a bit worried of the results. Anyways, I will post pics when I have something to report..
In my view a car has to have a consistent look - if its a menace, that means all the (matte) black things with maybe a bit of red on the black wheels or something for contrast; if its a luxury car, that means chrome, beige leather and wood... (not really my thing) I certainly like the matte black grilles on many of your cars here, but they just have an overall sporty look and thats why black fits them.
Mine is a bit of a different machine - see attached pics below. Its far from pure sport, its not classic luxury, it has more of a cleaner modernistic look, if I may say so. I just want to extend that same theme on some of the exterior details, as I think the chrome grille is something of an universal brand recognition thing and thats why BMW puts it on all cars, although design-wise it does not always fit.
I have chrome only on the grille and exhaust tips and ideally I want to have them both in a colour similar to the wheels, although ideally it has to look like real metal, to be more exclusive. If I dont find anything for sale, I will go down the spraying route, although with zero painting experience I am a bit worried of the results. Anyways, I will post pics when I have something to report..
09-26-2009, 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted by CWS530' post='1016988' date='Sep 25 2009, 01:23 PM
I believe Trinity offers painted grilles.
09-28-2009, 06:56 AM
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Originally Posted by pjinca' post='1017267' date='Sep 25 2009, 08:12 PM
Um, that's because chrome is for pimps and lowriders not BMW's
I see nothing wrong with pimps. They provide the second most valuable service.
09-29-2009, 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Howitzer' post='1019151' date='Sep 28 2009, 11:46 AM
I have the matte black grill. However, I am debating painting that jet black to match my car. I'm on the fence about it.
i too am also looking to put the matte black grill on my e60...mine too is also a jet black colour and i think it would look great if the grill is jet black matching the car... i would rather prefer buying a new set already painted properly and a top of the line oem direct fit application as apposed to spray painting the grill myself...that is a good idea about the jet black configuration... if member "Howitzer" would upload a picture of the matte black grill on your jet black e60 it would be very much appreciated because i am also looking in buying the matte black grill...
thanks in advance,
Roger
09-29-2009, 10:18 PM
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My Ride: Alpine White 2006 530Xi (SLD)
When brabusw209amg and I were painting my grilles (well, John was painting - I was prepping), I actually sanded my OEM grilles and can tell you this: they look really good if you just wet-sand the chrome out with some fine sand paper. It will take you about 40 minutes of sanding, if you are slow. I'd also suggest you put some matte clear coat on them afterward, so that the dirt does not stick to them too much. I would have done that myself, but my car is Alpine White and it wouldn't look good IMO. But on a blue car - 
10-05-2009, 01:11 PM
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Answers in the order of your comments:
Taylor ? thanks, I fell in love with it the moment I got I there. I still haven?t seen the same colour combination on any forum or on any other Individual car for sale.
Pjinca ? I agree with the painting option ? see below
Diamond ? exactly, and you are also right about not painting too many things in brushed aluminium ? since I have this idea I have been looking around on the streets and noticed that an awful lot of cheap new cars (Korean, French etc.) have a load of such aluminium-look details on them. So as a result I only want to do it for the grille and the exhaust tips, which are chrome and already ?light in colour? in the stock version. So I am not changing the overall look of the car, just slightly trimming these two details.
xBMWx ? I absolutely agree with your logic, but I just don?t like chrome too much, and it does not fit the rest of the car (I have no chrome anywhere else on the car).. I am either keeping the current one, or I am trying to make something that does not look messed up, but rather looks like a logical extension of the style that the ?Individual? guys put on the car in the first place. To put it another way, I want to do something I which believe that they would have done themselves if they had a larger budget! Plan B is stick with stock grille, also if I f**k up my current one ? then I will reorder the same part.
v_therussian ? great idea, this is exactly what I was planning to do after I saw member kaiten408?s DIY grille painting guide. His also looked awesome when wetsanded, and very similar to brushed aluminium, and he was very helpful in explaining to me what he did. So thanks to him as well! I was obviously thinking about a clear coat but I was worried about the shiny effect which I want to avoid ? so your suggestion about a matte clear coat is just perfect, I hope the last missing piece of the puzzle..
As a result, I will be speaking to a friend of a friend who works in a paintshop and has a pretty broad experience, and based on his advice I will decide how to do it. It may be quite some time until I actually do it, but I will post pics for sure..
Taylor ? thanks, I fell in love with it the moment I got I there. I still haven?t seen the same colour combination on any forum or on any other Individual car for sale.
Pjinca ? I agree with the painting option ? see below
Diamond ? exactly, and you are also right about not painting too many things in brushed aluminium ? since I have this idea I have been looking around on the streets and noticed that an awful lot of cheap new cars (Korean, French etc.) have a load of such aluminium-look details on them. So as a result I only want to do it for the grille and the exhaust tips, which are chrome and already ?light in colour? in the stock version. So I am not changing the overall look of the car, just slightly trimming these two details.
xBMWx ? I absolutely agree with your logic, but I just don?t like chrome too much, and it does not fit the rest of the car (I have no chrome anywhere else on the car).. I am either keeping the current one, or I am trying to make something that does not look messed up, but rather looks like a logical extension of the style that the ?Individual? guys put on the car in the first place. To put it another way, I want to do something I which believe that they would have done themselves if they had a larger budget! Plan B is stick with stock grille, also if I f**k up my current one ? then I will reorder the same part.
v_therussian ? great idea, this is exactly what I was planning to do after I saw member kaiten408?s DIY grille painting guide. His also looked awesome when wetsanded, and very similar to brushed aluminium, and he was very helpful in explaining to me what he did. So thanks to him as well! I was obviously thinking about a clear coat but I was worried about the shiny effect which I want to avoid ? so your suggestion about a matte clear coat is just perfect, I hope the last missing piece of the puzzle..
As a result, I will be speaking to a friend of a friend who works in a paintshop and has a pretty broad experience, and based on his advice I will decide how to do it. It may be quite some time until I actually do it, but I will post pics for sure..
10-06-2009, 07:13 AM
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if anyone was not sure what colour I was trying to achieve - this is it!!! 
the chinese beat me for their 60th anniversary celebrations!
in typical chinese fashion though - looks more like tin than aluminum.. 
I am definitely going for much better quality, and of course I am not touching my high gloss shadowline!
the chinese beat me for their 60th anniversary celebrations!
in typical chinese fashion though - looks more like tin than aluminum.. I am definitely going for much better quality, and of course I am not touching my high gloss shadowline!