DIY Blackout Grills

A4darkness · 01-17-2008, 01:42 AM

I just hated the chrome on the front end of my car. To me, it was a serious eyesore and needed to be changed. So, Blackout grills it was.

First off, thanks to A4mods.com for posting the how to!

It's all about the Plasti Dip... that's what you use. I went to two different places [Home Depot + a hardware store] that stocked a similar product... a rubberized undercoating of sorts.

However, you can't use this and achieve the same results with Plasti Dip... regardless of what a Home Depot "expert" might say.

Removal of grills comes first. Once the license plate is off, the bottom grill pops right out.

The upper is a little tricky. Try using 2 screwdrivers... one to hold a tab on one side, the second to pry the next one out. Be careful, they will snap if forced.

Removal of the chrome piece is where you have to be careful. I slowly wedged a narrow flat-head in the side and tried to create space by moving the black portion as far over as possible before trying to remove the chrome piece.

These tabs here are VERY brittle and will snap if forced. I cracked the first one, but it really didn't matter too much.

I washed the grills, sanded them down with 100 grit and then scrubbed em again.

The Plasti Dip is rather thick so it tends to go on heavy if you're not careful. This is the first time I've painted anything in God knows how long so it took some time to get it even.

I did probably six coats, every hour or so, over the course of a day and let the grills thoroughly dry overnite. The finished product looks great!

The reinstall took 5 minutes. Again, on the upper grill, you may have to work from side to side to get the tabs pulled out far enough. I used some needle nose pliers this time which worked well.

I'll post the final product as my sig when I take some pics I like.

A4mods rocks... I'm very happy with the results!

quattrothatcould · 01-17-2008, 06:15 AM

I bought my lower one black a year or so ago, and DIY'ed my upper one that had broken in a spot or two when a branch hit my car. Mine doesn't look great from 2 feet, but from 10 its fine. But then again its also my winter grill lol. Great job

Boston Driver · 01-17-2008, 10:15 AM

A4darkness · 01-17-2008, 12:22 PM

But I gotta say, with a thorough wash, sand, rewash and a LOT of coats that got progressively thicker as I went... it looks pretty damn good.

A4darkness · 01-17-2008, 12:30 PM

so I think it'll hold up. But really, that's what Plasti Dip is made for... and it's on there pretty thick.

And BTW, your car is very nice. But I'm sure you're already well aware.

TurboEnvy52 · 01-17-2008, 01:36 PM

A4AdMan · 01-17-2008, 04:25 PM

A4darkness · 01-17-2008, 05:50 PM

boxster02 · 01-17-2008, 08:40 PM

A4darkness · 01-17-2008, 09:47 PM

01-17-2008, 01:42 AM	#1
A4darkness Member Account #: 55993 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,065	DIY Blackout Grills I just hated the chrome on the front end of my car. To me, it was a serious eyesore and needed to be changed. So, Blackout grills it was. First off, thanks to A4mods.com for posting the how to! It's all about the Plasti Dip... that's what you use. I went to two different places [Home Depot + a hardware store] that stocked a similar product... a rubberized undercoating of sorts. However, you can't use this and achieve the same results with Plasti Dip... regardless of what a Home Depot "expert" might say. Removal of grills comes first. Once the license plate is off, the bottom grill pops right out. The upper is a little tricky. Try using 2 screwdrivers... one to hold a tab on one side, the second to pry the next one out. Be careful, they will snap if forced. Removal of the chrome piece is where you have to be careful. I slowly wedged a narrow flat-head in the side and tried to create space by moving the black portion as far over as possible before trying to remove the chrome piece. These tabs here are VERY brittle and will snap if forced. I cracked the first one, but it really didn't matter too much. I washed the grills, sanded them down with 100 grit and then scrubbed em again. The Plasti Dip is rather thick so it tends to go on heavy if you're not careful. This is the first time I've painted anything in God knows how long so it took some time to get it even. I did probably six coats, every hour or so, over the course of a day and let the grills thoroughly dry overnite. The finished product looks great! The reinstall took 5 minutes. Again, on the upper grill, you may have to work from side to side to get the tabs pulled out far enough. I used some needle nose pliers this time which worked well. I'll post the final product as my sig when I take some pics I like. A4mods rocks... I'm very happy with the results! __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The switch to vB = FAIL I am now at: q u a t t r o w o r l d . c o m Installs: Alpine Head Unit \| Blackout Grills \| RS4 Rear Sway Bar \| Strat Short Shifter \| Delsa Rear Spoiler \| Retro Solutions HIDs \| * Comments may be peppered with sarcasm which are only intended for good times, never maliciousness.

01-17-2008, 06:15 AM	#2
quattrothatcould AudiWorld Super User Account #: 105649 Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 12,824	Very nice. It makes a huge difference, doesn't it? I bought my lower one black a year or so ago, and DIY'ed my upper one that had broken in a spot or two when a branch hit my car. Mine doesn't look great from 2 feet, but from 10 its fine. But then again its also my winter grill lol. Great job __________________ -Matt 2004 Audi A4 1.8t 6MT Quattro "Modding is like herpes; once you get the itch, it never leaves."- OpenSkye Dahlback \| Milltek \| AWE \| Vogtland \| H-Sport \| Oettinger \| BFGoodrich \| Thule \| OEM+ \| Dents Wish List: Stasis Torsen Center Differential, S4 Recaros (Black leather), Affordable parking in Washington DC KMD Tuning Stock Dyno (w/ Milltek): 162.5 HP; 164.5 ft/lbs TQ Dahlback Stage 2 Dyno (w/ AWE FMIC, Milltek): 244.8 HP; 312.8 ft/lbs TQ 2002 Audi 1.8t K04'd Tiptronic Gone but not forgotten

01-17-2008, 10:15 AM	#3
Boston Driver AudiWorld Expert Account #: 69482 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Lexington, MA Posts: 26,765	Nice, but I wonder how that will hold up through winter :^/ __________________ 2002 A6 4.2 Sport...with a few things added

01-17-2008, 12:22 PM	#4
A4darkness Member Account #: 55993 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,065	Thank you. Yeah, it looks sooooo much better. No knock on anyone who's a fan of chrome, of course. But I gotta say, with a thorough wash, sand, rewash and a LOT of coats that got progressively thicker as I went... it looks pretty damn good. __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The switch to vB = FAIL I am now at: q u a t t r o w o r l d . c o m Installs: Alpine Head Unit \| Blackout Grills \| RS4 Rear Sway Bar \| Strat Short Shifter \| Delsa Rear Spoiler \| Retro Solutions HIDs \| * Comments may be peppered with sarcasm which are only intended for good times, never maliciousness.

01-17-2008, 12:30 PM	#5
A4darkness Member Account #: 55993 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,065	Well, I'm in SoCal and only spend a few weeks out of the year in cold / harsh climates... so I think it'll hold up. But really, that's what Plasti Dip is made for... and it's on there pretty thick. And BTW, your car is very nice. But I'm sure you're already well aware. __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The switch to vB = FAIL I am now at: q u a t t r o w o r l d . c o m Installs: Alpine Head Unit \| Blackout Grills \| RS4 Rear Sway Bar \| Strat Short Shifter \| Delsa Rear Spoiler \| Retro Solutions HIDs \| * Comments may be peppered with sarcasm which are only intended for good times, never maliciousness.

01-17-2008, 01:36 PM	#6
TurboEnvy52 Member Account #: 43384 Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 6,491	hmmm, may have to get the upper one done this summer.

01-17-2008, 04:25 PM	#7
A4AdMan AudiWorld Super User Account #: 75826 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Mansfield, MA Posts: 11,479	Nice work. Let's see some Daylight pics of the grilles on. __________________ 2002 3.0 Quattro \| Dolphin Grey \| Platinum \| Premium \| Xenon \| Heated Seats \| Owner since June 29, 2002 What I've done to it: Limited Edition 25th Anniversary S4 18" Wheels \| Milltek Exhaust \| H-Sport S4 Sway Bars \| Bilstein Sport Shocks \| Eibach Pro Kit Springs \| S4 Front Bumper \| S4 Upper and Lower Grilles \| S4 Polished Aluminum Mirrors \| S4 Door Blades \| S4 Replica Spoiler \| Zimmerman Rotors \| Hawk HPS Pads \| 3M Carbon Black 50% Tint \| Hoen H-11 Xeonmatch Fog Bulbs \| Tinted Side Markers Miles: 98,500 B6 A4 3.0 AudiWorld Member Database

01-17-2008, 05:50 PM	#8
A4darkness Member Account #: 55993 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,065	Yeah, I'm gonna try and actually shoot my car this weekend... weather permitting of course. __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The switch to vB = FAIL I am now at: q u a t t r o w o r l d . c o m Installs: Alpine Head Unit \| Blackout Grills \| RS4 Rear Sway Bar \| Strat Short Shifter \| Delsa Rear Spoiler \| Retro Solutions HIDs \| * Comments may be peppered with sarcasm which are only intended for good times, never maliciousness.

01-17-2008, 08:40 PM	#9
boxster02 Audiworld Junior Member Account #: 88664 Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 507	Make sure you put a thick matte clearcoat on it. I didnt on my b5. After 20k mi =thrashed __________________ 2000 Silver Metallic S4 Giac X Piggie + Modded Downpipes Darintake Tint Bilstein/Vogtland BBS rc's Falken GBR Hardwired Cobra

01-17-2008, 09:47 PM	#10
A4darkness Member Account #: 55993 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,065	Didn't realize I needed that. THX __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The switch to vB = FAIL I am now at: q u a t t r o w o r l d . c o m Installs: Alpine Head Unit \| Blackout Grills \| RS4 Rear Sway Bar \| Strat Short Shifter \| Delsa Rear Spoiler \| Retro Solutions HIDs \| * Comments may be peppered with sarcasm which are only intended for good times, never maliciousness.

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