VE Calais Grille Mod

[boyley]

I am in the process of deciding on modifying the grille on the calais. The calais grille is unique to the VE platform in that there are no aftermarket grills out there. Keen to see off the big holden badge front and back.

So I did some dodgy chopping in paint and come up with a few variants.

Blank
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh166/boylero/blank.jpg

V
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh166/boylero/V.jpg

Calais
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh166/boylero/calais.jpg

6.0l V8
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh166/boylero/v8.jpg

Anyone thats anygood at chopping can you do me some nicer ones please.

Cheers Boyley

[VESS-VWagon]

Nice one mate, about time somebody went ahead and made some attempt to change the grille. I am absoultely crap at photoshopping so can't help you there but I will second the fact I am sick of looking at that MASSIVE Holden badge in the grille.

Mine is painted black, to tone it down a bit, but I love the idea you have of getting rid of the thing all together. I like the one with small V in there, looks the biz! :goodjob:

[boyley]

Nice one mate, about time somebody went ahead and made some attempt to change the grille. I am absoultely crap at photoshopping so can't help you there but I will second the fact I am sick of looking at that MASSIVE Holden badge in the grille.

Mine is painted black, to tone it down a bit, but I love the idea you have of getting rid of the thing all together. I like the one with small V in there, looks the biz! :goodjob:

I am a fan of the V also but I think the scale may be a bit off.

[Highway]

G'Day Boyley,

I like the plain version or with the V.

Anything is better than the the chrome thingy.

Don't really like the chev versions even if they were available.

Bought some caustic soda the other day for the de-chrome
of the badge and am going to paint it black like others have done.

Can't help with the photo chopping.

Gary (Wonky) mentioned somone on here (can't remember his name) the other day who is also doing some work I think on something for the Calais grills.

Best of luck anyway and I would certaintly be interested in a grill along the lines of something plain and black.

Mike

PS- Let a bit more air in for the CAI also !!

[amckiwi]

Bought some caustic soda the other day for the de-chrome
of the badge and am going to paint it black like others have done.

Highway

Did the caustic soda work for you?

Mine has been soaking all week in an ever stronger caustic solution to no effect

Stu

[boyley]

Highway

Did the caustic soda work for you?

Mine has been soaking all week in an ever stronger caustic solution to no effect

Stu

Try some wet'n'dry on it mate, I cant see caustic soda shifting that plastic chrome shite

[Highway]

Highway

Did the caustic soda work for you?

Mine has been soaking all week in an ever stronger caustic solution to no effect

Stu

Haven't done anything about it as yet Stu.

With what you have said I think I might just use the wet and dry method.

Mike

[hallyoz]

Possibly a dumb question, but could you get a plane balck one plastic chromed? It might look ok agains a dark colour.

[boyley]

Possibly a dumb question, but could you get a plane balck one plastic chromed? It might look ok agains a dark colour.


Hi hally no such thing as a dumb question mate, I see what your saying and yes theres no reason why a grille couldnt be chromed. Peronally I would prefer black but each to their own...........

[hallyoz]

The dumb part comes from the fact that I don't know if it is possible to plastic chrome the VE grille because of previous coarings etc.

A mate has a BF XR8 and has bought a polished alloy upper and lower grille for it. It look quite good hence the suggestion. Also the 300C's with the Bentley type grille look ok also.

[mic]

Mine is painted black, to tone it down a bit, but I love the idea you have of getting rid of the thing all together. I like the one with small V in there, looks the biz! :goodjob:

Hey mate is it painted matt black or shiny? i dont suppose you would mind sharing a picture to see how good it looks?

[VESS-VWagon]

Yeah mine is matte black. I did an ordinary job of painting it and it's getting chipped now after a few thousand k's of highway abuse but this should give you the idea.

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/VESS-VWagon/P4270095.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/VESS-VWagon/P4270087.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/VESS-VWagon/P4270098.jpg

Sorry, dunno how to get the pics to come up in here, links will have to do. :)

I would say it looks ok. At least it deosn't glare at me anymore when I walk past it. I'm happy to have it like this until something better comes along................Enter Boyley!

[Muncha]

I messed around with this idea a while ago, i bought another grill and some latex moulding stuff to make a mould of the grill and get ride of the badge. After a fair bit of messing around i gave up, the moulding material was to flexible and not accurate enough. Tempted to give it a go some time in the future when i can find something more suitable.

[mic]

Yeah mine is matte black. I did an ordinary job of painting it and it's getting chipped now after a few thousand k's of highway abuse but this should give you the idea.

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/VESS-VWagon/P4270095.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/VESS-VWagon/P4270087.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/VESS-VWagon/P4270098.jpg

Sorry, dunno how to get the pics to come up in here, links will have to do. :)

I would say it looks ok. At least it deosn't glare at me anymore when I walk past it. I'm happy to have it like this until something better comes along................Enter Boyley!

Thanks champ looks really good. Did you clear coat it?

[Kuzman89]

Im not a big fan of the Holden badge, but I hate the Chev badges with the chrome or black stripe. Would be alot better if you could remove the holden badge and just replace it with a chev badge.

[VESS-VWagon]

Thanks champ looks really good. Did you clear coat it?

I was going to but I thought that might make it shine up a bit and I was trying to get it to fully blend in (dull matte black finish) with the rest of the griille. So no, I didn't clear coat it.

The problem is, I need to find a hardy paint that won't flake off and chip, or maybe find a hard wearing clear coat that doesn't come up shiny. Do these exist? .

I know buggerall about paints and even less about painting. What I do know is that area up front takes a battering (doing highway k's) and the paint needs to be tough, whatever is used.

[08ssv]

I was going to but I thought that might make it shine up a bit and I was trying to get it to fully blend in (dull matte black finish) with the rest of the griille. So no, I didn't clear coat it.

The problem is, I need to find a hardy paint that won't flake off and chip, or maybe find a hard wearing clear coat that doesn't come up shiny. Do these exist? .

I know buggerall about paints and even less about painting. What I do know is that area up front takes a battering (doing highway k's) and the paint needs to be tough, whatever is used.


If the paint is starting to flake off it may be because of a few reasons. The first is that the parts being painted are plastic and they need to be sanded with a 600 to 800 grit sandpaper (wet) to give the paint something to stick to. The second is that you need to apply a plastic trim primer before applying any paint. This allows the paint to flex as the plastic does and stops cracking.

In relation to clear coats if you are using spray can acrylic paint hold the can a little further away and get even coats applied and it will dull off when it dries. Acrylic dries to a semi matt gloss and needs to be buffed to bring a shine up. Two Pak is much stronger and durable and there is a matting agent that can be mixed to it to make the paint dry in a matt finish. It works very well. If you have not used two pack before take the grille to a panel beaters. They shouldnt really charge anymore than 50 to 100 bucks to put some black and matt clear two pack on a grille. could be done in half an hour plus drying time.

Any paint is going to stone chip though unfortunately especially if you are doing country k's behind all those big rigs. I dont miss them after moving to the city but now I have to sit at lights and in peak hour.

Hope this info helps. I would go the two pack route. It's newer and better technology and gives a better smoother finish.:)

[VESS-VWagon]

If the paint is starting to flake off it may be because of a few reasons. The first is that the parts being painted are plastic and they need to be sanded with a 600 to 800 grit sandpaper (wet) to give the paint something to stick to. The second is that you need to apply a plastic trim primer before applying any paint. This allows the paint to flex as the plastic does and stops cracking.

In relation to clear coats if you are using spray can acrylic paint hold the can a little further away and get even coats applied and it will dull off when it dries. Acrylic dries to a semi matt gloss and needs to be buffed to bring a shine up. Two Pak is much stronger and durable and there is a matting agent that can be mixed to it to make the paint dry in a matt finish. It works very well. If you have not used two pack before take the grille to a panel beaters. They shouldnt really charge anymore than 50 to 100 bucks to put some black and matt clear two pack on a grille. could be done in half an hour plus drying time.

Any paint is going to stone chip though unfortunately especially if you are doing country k's behind all those big rigs. I dont miss them after moving to the city but now I have to sit at lights and in peak hour.

Hope this info helps. I would go the two pack route. It's newer and better technology and gives a better smoother finish.:)

Thanks for the info 08ssv. Very helpful. :goodjob:

[08ssv]

I was going to but I thought that might make it shine up a bit and I was trying to get it to fully blend in (dull matte black finish) with the rest of the griille. So no, I didn't clear coat it.

The problem is, I need to find a hardy paint that won't flake off and chip, or maybe find a hard wearing clear coat that doesn't come up shiny. Do these exist? .

I know buggerall about paints and even less about painting. What I do know is that area up front takes a battering (doing highway k's) and the paint needs to be tough, whatever is used.


If the paint is starting to flake off it may be because of a few reasons. The first is that the parts being painted are plastic and they need to be sanded with a 600 to 800 grit sandpaper (wet) to give the paint something to stick to. The second is that you need to apply a plastic trim primer before applying any paint. This allows the paint to flex as the plastic does and stops cracking.

In relation to clear coats if you are using spray can acrylic paint hold the can a little further away and get even coats applied and it will dull off when it dries. Acrylic dries to a semi matt gloss and needs to be buffed to bring a shine up. Two Pak is much stronger and durable and there is a matting agent that can be mixed to it to make the paint dry in a matt finish. It works very well. If you have not used two pack before take the grille to a panel beaters. They shouldnt really charge anymore than 50 to 100 bucks to put some black and matt clear two pack on a grille. could be done in half an hour plus drying time.

Any paint is going to stone chip though unfortunately especially if you are doing country k's behind all those big rigs. I dont miss them after moving to the city but now I have to sit at lights and in peak hour.

Hope this info helps. I would go the two pack route. It's newer and better technology and gives a better smoother finish.:)

[ti0350]

Try to look around and see if you can get soem Krylon Fusion The paint is specially designed to go onto plastic without sanding.. This is the nerd coming out in me but I've sprayed some TIE Fighter Pilot helmets and armour in this stuff and it comes up great.. Althoguh I dont know if you can get it in matt black as we noly use gloss for costumes..