Grill Help

Gungho_15

Gungho_15

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This is my RDX. My question is what product can/should I use on the beak/grill?

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Wow, what a collosal PIA those lower grilles must be. IMO just use your regular LSP on the shiny parts (if that's what you mean about the beak). The problem on those lower grilles is you will get whatever you are putting onto the chrome parts onto the grille at some point.

The next question, are the grilles (both upper and lower) shiny or flat? They look flat in the picture. Which is really bad. That means that if you get LSP on them, they will either have white residue, or have a darkened/shined color, which you won't be able to duplicate on the whole thing, because who is going to spend 5 hours with a Q-tip trying to get each opening?

So, you have a few choices with the grilles. Leave them alone, use a clear spray sealant like AquaWax or Z8, use a WOWA like Opti-Seal (I'd say UTTG or WETS but that may need to be wiped later), or use a dressing, perhaps a solvent-based one. I actually sprayed a PIA grille (not nearly as bad as yours) with Opti-Seal a couple of weeks ago, it came out pretty good. If you leave them alone, they will get dull and crappy after a while.
 
It really isn't practical to work over those types of grills by hand, I've yet to find a product that lasts very long on 'em anyway. I've used Meguiar's aerosol Accent Coating or Trim Detailer on them with good results... nice dark finish that lasts a couple of months. AFAIK both of those products were discontinued, probably in favor of a VOC-compliant replacement. This appears to be the current product:

Meguiars Plastic & Vinyl Coating, exterior trim coating, trim dressing, vinyl protectant

Someoneoranother (Rasky? Barry?) had a thread somewhere showing them using an airbrush to apply Opti Coat to one of those types of grills. Darkened it up nicely and it ought to be good for a long, long time. If I owned a vehicle with a pain-in-the-neck honeycombed grill like that that's what I'd do. YMMV.

TL
 
Those are good suggestions, TLMitchell. I'm sure masking might be in order for the Opti-Coat/Guard spray, what about the Meg's aerosol? Do you have to worry about overspray?
 
Im going to go against the grain here. You can apply UTTG into each of those grill openings by hand in less than 10 minutes and probably less than 5.

Put a nitrile glove on your hand and then place an mf glove over that. Apply a couple drops of UTTG directly onto your finger and have at it. I'm assuming you mean the grill above the bumper since you said beak.

The grills around the headlights are much more difficult to properly clean or seal. For them it's going to take 30 minutes or more and the use of qtips for cleaning and electronic foam swabs for sealing.

However! You can seal them a lot faster by using permanon. If only working a very small area permanon can be sprayed over the surface and then quickly rinsed off and blow dry with no need to get your finger in there. I'm on my iPad or I'd drop some videos of the stuff I'm describing in here.

Cheers,
Corey
 
I sealed the honeycomb of my GTI grill last weekend with UTTG and a small foam paint/stain brush.
 
I'm going to suggest something that will make it a lot easier to apply.

Peval makes an "air brush" that you can use to apply due or dressings to things that have a lot of details like this. I have also seen similar things at harbor freight. You pick the product you want and put it in the bottle. Then spray like an aerosol. If you spray a light enough coat it should turn out great
 
Setec Astronomy said:
...... what about the Meg's aerosol? Do you have to worry about overspray?
Click to expand...

Both the Accent Coating/Dressing and the Trim Detailer wipe right off a resonably fresh LSP. No residue. As I mentioned, I haven't tried the current product.

TL
 
Sorry I should have clarified better my question. the black grills I am going to spray the Wolfgang trim sealant on to them with a small sprayer.

My question was leaning towards the metal. The centre of the car. I just wasn't sure if I should treat it with sealant and then LSP.

Thanks for all the great responses so far though!
 
I hit those honey comb grilles with my Tornador. Put some dressing in the canister, spray it down, then flip it to air and use your towel to wipe the excess. Let the air dry it out, and it will look new. Takes less than a minute to do.

Or, you can spray a water based dressing, then use compressed air. Either way, makes quick work of it. Unless there's some kind of splatter from compound or polish. Then you gotta get rid of that first. If not...piece of cake.

Oops...probably should have read all the posts first, ha. Oh well, good tip anyways!
 
Gungho_15 said:
Sorry I should have clarified better my question. the black grills I am going to spray the Wolfgang trim sealant on to them with a small sprayer.

My question was leaning towards the metal. The centre of the car. I just wasn't sure if I should treat it with sealant and then LSP.

Thanks for all the great responses so far though!
Click to expand...

Is it chrome? Apply that same WG ETS to the chrome. Apply it very thin and then buff off after 20 minutes. Don't expect it to haze or anything... Just let it set 20 minutes and then buff it off good. Prepare for a great shine and protection that lasts months and is resistant to cleaners.

Also, for the grill ETS or UTTG last much longer than any other dressings so spending five minutes to apply it and your set for 4-7 months.

To clean the grill before using the sealant I use my 1" wheel woolie. It works a treat on those puppies! For smaller grills a smaller brush or electronics foam swab is used.
 
CEE DOG said:
Is it chrome? Apply that same WG ETS to the chrome. Apply it very thin and then buff off after 20 minutes. Don't expect it to haze or anything... Just let it set 20 minutes and then buff it off good. Prepare for a great shine and protection that lasts months and is resistant to cleaners.

Also, for the grill ETS or UTTG last much longer than any other dressings so spending five minutes to apply it and your set for 4-7 months.

To clean the grill before using the sealant I use my 1" wheel woolie. It works a treat on those puppies! For smaller grills a smaller brush or electronics foam swab is used.
Click to expand...



HUH?? Who would have thought? I just bought a bunch of it on the last BOGO. I really never thought about using it other than plastic trim. Guess I should have read more about it. Thanks brother! I will use it for sure!
 
Twister said:
I'm going to suggest something that will make it a lot easier to apply.

Peval makes an "air brush" that you can use to apply due or dressings to things that have a lot of details like this. I have also seen similar things at harbor freight. You pick the product you want and put it in the bottle. Then spray like an aerosol. If you spray a light enough coat it should turn out great
Click to expand...

I think you meant Preval...I actually have one of those aerosol things somewhere that I used 100 years ago to paint a replacement part in my steering column...I wonder if it's got any propellant left?
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I think you meant Preval...I actually have one of those aerosol things somewhere that I used 100 years ago to paint a replacement part in my steering column...I wonder if it's got any propellant left?
Click to expand...

Yep that's it, I left out the r. I haven't used it but it was suggested to me for applying due for trim I had on my old truck. I'm going to pick one up tomorrow to play with.
 
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