Detailing Tips for Honeycomb Grills ?

[57Rambler]

The trend of honeycomb grills on vehicles looks nice, but they appear to present a challenge when detailing. I want to do something to protect the grill on our new vehicle, but I am torn on what type of product to use, and esp. on what kind of applicator works the best. I am leaning towards using WETS or the similar Mckee's 37 product instead of a coating like Q2 or Dlux, mainly because I am concerned about it being difficult to properly / evenly apply a coating to a honeycomb grill. But I would really rather have the longevity that a coating offers. Are there any tips/tricks to doing a honeycomb grill ? To me it seems like a foam finger or MF glove would work for a sealant, but I can't think of anything that would work with the coatings as they usually rely on using the sponge applicators + MF suedes included with them.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[Bruno Soares]

Some pros spray the coating on and then don’t need to level/wipe off the excess. Wastes more product but sure is easier to apply.

 

[rlmccarty2000]

You can buy large Qtip looking applicators of all sizes on the CarPro site. A coating applied to the honeycomb would be a tedious process, but it would last a few years and provide great protection. The applicators are not sold by AG.

 

[FUNX650]

...I would really rather have the
longevity that a coating offers.

Are there any tips/tricks to doing
a honeycomb grill ?

Air-brushing is the way that some AGO
Forum members like to “dress-out” those
honeycomb grilles.

Here’s just one of many done by RaskyR1:

Opti-Guard application -
Paint was done using CarPro Suede MF applicators,
trim/wheels were done with foam applicator,

plastic grills done with air brush.



Front and rear grills were a little dull and very intricate....a PITA to clean too!

Perfect candidate for Opti-Guard via airbrush!

Better!

Bob

 

[57Rambler]

Thanks for the replies. The air brush method looks trick, but the other half might kill me if I bought one (and a better compressor) just to detail a car grill. :argue:

 

[FUNX650]

The air brush method looks trick,
but the other half might kill me if
I bought one (and a better compressor)
just to detail a car grill.

:idea:

•Get a kit that’s not only compact (‘scuse
the pun); but also one that you both can
learn to enjoy.
-Luminess Air Basic Airbrush Spray System:

Bob

 

[BillE]

You can buy large Qtip looking applicators of all sizes on the CarPro site. A coating applied to the honeycomb would be a tedious process, but it would last a few years and provide great protection. The applicators are not sold by AG.

The 'giant Q-tip' thingies can also be had for a 'dollar', great (for me) on honeycomb stuff.

Bill

 

[rlmccarty2000]

CarPro sells a great variety of the Qtip thingies. One of my favorite has a pointed end and it works fantastic to get dirt and old wax that has gotten into places where nothing else will work. I bought a car where the previous owner must have been a Turtle Wax user and the good old white residue was caked into many areas, one being where the mirror cover snaps on. I tried wax removers and brushes and microfiber towels, then I found the pointy Qtip, mind blown. I use these Qtips on every detail I do now. They are super helpful on interior details where crumbs get smashed into cracks and around the dash area tight spots. I wish I would have found these years ago. They are not discussed at all. Maybe I should do a photo shoot of the many different types and functions. They are very useful for many projects.

 

[davidc]

The worst part is getting the dang thing clean, there's a lot of holes to use a brush, qtip etc. and I just do not have that kind of patience.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

As mentioned... cleaning and then protecting these types of trim is time consuming and a real paint. Takes both time and patience. The cleaning part is not to bad if you have a good brush like the Wheel Woolies Boar's Hair Brush I show washing the grill of this Maserati.


How to safely wash a ceramic coated car by Mike Phillips - Traditional Hose & Bucket Approach



Here's another place the Wheel Woolies Boar's Hair Black Wheel Brush comes in handing and that's for washing intricate and hard to reach areas like front grills.

Then rinse....

 

[TTQ B4U]

Use a spray version such as Adam's in and out or Megs.

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[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

More....


For dressing and protecting, here's the lazy man's method. I'm not a fan of this method but it is quick and easy. Also comparably cheap.


From the second post in this thread...

Review: BLACKFIRE Trim & Tire Protectant Aerosol



Exterior Trim

Some exterior trim is easy to dress because it's easy to get to and somehow wipe a trim dressing on with some type of simple applicator pad.

BUT sometimes some exterior trim is a real pain in the rear to dress due to the complicated and/or intricate design. Such is the case with a lot of car grills. They usually have some form of rectangular or honeycomb design that you can't easily get an hand applicator into thus you can't dress the trim by hand. That's where an aerosol version of a trim dressing comes in handy.

Here's a great example of trim that's hard to dress the traditional methods of hand-wiping...

BEFORE

Here's how the plastic grill looks after washing the car. It's dull and lifeless. With time, if nothing is done it will oxidize and turn white. Once an intricate design grill like this turns white with oxidization it's pretty much game-over. So my best tip is to start treating your plastic grill trim as soon as you buy your car. If you always "do something" to it.... it will always look new. It's when you neglected exterior plastic trim over time that it goes down hill.

Now this is easy-peasy....

Just spray the BLACKFIRE Trim and Tire Protectant into the grill and do it from a couple of different angles to fully coat all of the plastic.

Here's a half-n-half shot...
The left side has been treated and the right side is how it started out....

Here I've sprayed a little further....

Pretty easy to see the dull plastic portions of the grill that I have not applied the protectant.

Finishing the job....

Technique Tip
Use compressed air to blow the dressing completely throughout the grill area. For this I like to use the Metro-Vac Sidekick.

Technique Tip

To REALLY push the BLACKFIRE Trim & Tire Protectant into all the nooks and crannies of a grill I like to use a RaggTopp Haartz Convertible Top Brush.

After treating the grill use a clean, dry microfiber towel to wipe off any excess from surrounding paint.

BLACKFIRE Trim & Tire Protectant is the fastest, easiest way to treat and protect plastic grills or any intricate, hard to detail plastic surfaces.

Review
Without investing a ton of time to use a non-aerosol product, I can't think of a faster or easier way to make a plastic grill look sharp and new. If your car's plastic grill looks dull and ugly then get a can of BLACKFIRE Trim & Tire Protectant and restore the new-car look in minutes.

 

[DBAILEY]

I hate the grills on some of the new Lexus'. You can waste an hour or two on those things

 

[57Rambler]

:idea:

•Get a kit that’s not only compact (‘scuse
the pun); but also one that you both can
learn to enjoy.
-Luminess Air Basic Airbrush Spray System:

Bob

If I got one of those Luminess airbrushes it might turn in to something like that old Reese's commercial, ie. "You got chocolate in my peanut butter. No, you got peanut butter in my chocolate."

"Your leftover foundation got in my trim protectant."

"No, YOUR leftover trim protectant got in MY foundation. So now you can't use the airbrush anymore !"

I suppose I could be proactive and buy (2) Luminesses ... :surrender:

More....

After treating the grill use a clean, dry microfiber towel to wipe off any excess from surrounding paint.

So just wiping off the excess trim protectant from the paint with a towel is adequate. That's good to know, I would have guessed it would make a smudgey/smeary mess.

 

[Klasse Act]

Great topic and very timely as my buddy down in Tenn just got a Veloster N and not only does it have a honeycomb grill but its gloss black:doh: What I plan on telling him is this, spend the time cleaning it really good initially, probably going to have to do it 2 or 3 times. I would then wait till is dried completely....then, wet down the grill again and spray some 303 Touchless Sealant (or similar product) and coat it. After this, keep an eye on it and maybe just to be on the safe side or fanatical side some would say, re-apply the spray on, hose off product once a month, its not like your going to be using too much anyways, right!

 

[57Rambler]

re-apply the spray on, hose off product once a month

That's an interesting idea. But do these spray on/hose off products play nice with black plastic ? And do they offer much/any UV protection ?

 

[Klasse Act]

That's an interesting idea. But do these spray on/hose off products play nice with black plastic ? And do they offer much/any UV protection ?

I know they work great on painted plastic grills, no doubt and I've been using them for a couple years now on our rides and had ZERO issues. I'd say on my old Abarth it always helped keep the rubber at the bottom of the windows coated and protected, looking new always.

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