Polished Grill before after - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

NicoSlam · 02-24-2010, 10:13 AM

Well I decided to polish the grill on my 69 since it looked bad against a new chrome grille. The grille was a solid 8 with only one dent on the pass side. I started by removing the grille and tapping out the dents as best as possible. I then used easy-off to remove the anodize. after a good cleaning, I went over the whole grille with 600grit and wd40 to smooth out any scratches etc. followed with 0000 steel wool to smooth out and give a uniform surface appearance. The next was the fun stuff. I used a 4" medium buff wheel and tripoli (brown) and did most of the work with this compound. I cleaned the surface to remove and residue and followed with a new loose wheel and white rouge to remove any haze. Finally I polished the grille using an aluminum polish I found at outzone. Not the show quality results but the grille compliments the bumper pretty darn close. As for the inner grille, I painted the surface with silver, let it dry then taped it to protect it and from the back side I painted it black leaving the look use see in the pic. Overall it took about 7hrs but well worth cost savings of a new grille. Here are some pics. Hope you like.

junkman · 02-24-2010, 10:20 AM

looks great, I have one that needs the same treatment. So did the easy off take off the anodizing pretty well? I have tried a couple things on mine and the only thing I could get to take it off was sandpaper, even tried spray can paint stripper.

OARNGESI · 02-24-2010, 10:32 AM

looks realy goog

chas350 · 02-24-2010, 11:03 AM

Nice!

DT1 · 02-24-2010, 11:02 AM

I'm in the process of doing my grill on my 71 C-10.
I tried Easy off and White lightning to remove the anodizing but neither worked all that well. If you want to remove the anodizing quickly, use a 20:1 mix of water and sodium hydroxide (lye). Put it in a spray bottle and liberally coat it. Let it sit for ten minutes and use a Scotchbrite pad. Repeat and done.

Brad · 02-24-2010, 11:43 AM

That looks fantastic!! I'm not a fan of the 69-70's because of the grill, but I wouldn't mind owning that. Wow!

Ok, after looking at it closely again I'd say you really need to clean up the black overspray on the grill and headlight buckets. In fact, I think it looks way better with the headlight buckets polished instead of painted like you did.

big_al_71 · 02-24-2010, 12:00 PM

That looks really good, definetly worth the effort...

NicoSlam · 02-24-2010, 12:02 PM

thanks for the comments. I also didn't like the black headlight rims. Looked like the truck had black eyes. I wasn't too pleased with the quality of the aluminum bezels. They were shiny but very thin. Anyway, I dont plan on hitting them so it should be fine. I'll try the 20:1 water lye on the trim next. easy off wasn't the best but better than elbow grease and sandpaper.

robzilla · 02-24-2010, 12:24 PM

where can you buy lye? as i need to do my grill too.

DT1 · 02-24-2010, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robzilla

where can you buy lye? as i need to do my grill too.

EBAY...$8.00-10.00 for a 1 Lb container.
Caution!!! This stuff will Eff you up! Wear eye protection and gloves.

**71blksuper4x4** · 02-24-2010, 01:06 PM

Some hardware stores keep it in plumbing sections. Trevor

D-Rat · 02-25-2010, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad

That looks fantastic!! I'm not a fan of the 69-70's because of the grill, but I wouldn't mind owning that. Wow!

LMC Truck sure likes the 69-70s....a new grill shell in their catalog is $1150 vs something like under $400 for a 71-72. Crazy.

**Hart_Rod** · 02-24-2010, 03:13 PM

It looks great! Have you thought about shooting a coat of clearcoat on it to preserve the shine?

Brad · 02-25-2010, 03:47 AM

Hey, I also noticed the chrome bumper isn't there anymore. Why did you take it off? It looks really good with your blingin' grill!

I did a little 'paint' for ya and I think this would make the grill perfect:

67ChevyRedneck · 02-25-2010, 04:31 AM

I think the last pic was his "before" pic.

I like it, good job

**rockc** · 02-25-2010, 09:46 AM

That is a nice job. What kinda paint did ya use for the lettering?

**N2TRUX** · 02-25-2010, 10:12 AM

That turned out awesome.

NicoSlam · 02-25-2010, 03:11 PM

I do plan on adding the stripping this weekend. It would cover areas I just couldn't reach with the buffing wheel. I'll post update Saturday.

1971ChevyTruck · 02-25-2010, 04:31 PM

Looks good!!

stueber68 · 02-25-2010, 09:49 PM

How about using an aerosol clear coat to seal it and easier to keep clean?

70Custom10Nut · 02-25-2010, 10:17 PM

Looks awesome!

Now I know how to do mine, but I have the same question about protecting your hard work. Will clear paint work? If not are there any products that will? Cnut

70Custom10Nut · 02-25-2010, 10:26 PM

I'll bet someone could do all his trim the same way. A little time, patience, and elbow grease can save about $2000 in new trim costs. Cnut

oldblue1968chevy · 02-25-2010, 11:17 PM

wow looks great!!!!! good job!

02-24-2010, 10:13 AM	#1
NicoSlam Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Antonio TX Posts: 251	Polished Grill before after Well I decided to polish the grill on my 69 since it looked bad against a new chrome grille. The grille was a solid 8 with only one dent on the pass side. I started by removing the grille and tapping out the dents as best as possible. I then used easy-off to remove the anodize. after a good cleaning, I went over the whole grille with 600grit and wd40 to smooth out any scratches etc. followed with 0000 steel wool to smooth out and give a uniform surface appearance. The next was the fun stuff. I used a 4" medium buff wheel and tripoli (brown) and did most of the work with this compound. I cleaned the surface to remove and residue and followed with a new loose wheel and white rouge to remove any haze. Finally I polished the grille using an aluminum polish I found at outzone. Not the show quality results but the grille compliments the bumper pretty darn close. As for the inner grille, I painted the surface with silver, let it dry then taped it to protect it and from the back side I painted it black leaving the look use see in the pic. Overall it took about 7hrs but well worth cost savings of a new grille. Here are some pics. Hope you like. Attached Images

02-24-2010, 10:20 AM	#2
junkman Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: metropolis il Posts: 91	Re: Polished Grill before after looks great, I have one that needs the same treatment. So did the easy off take off the anodizing pretty well? I have tried a couple things on mine and the only thing I could get to take it off was sandpaper, even tried spray can paint stripper.

02-24-2010, 10:32 AM	#3
OARNGESI Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: CASA GRANDE AZ Posts: 4,276	Re: Polished Grill before after looks realy goog __________________ 70 SWB STEPSIDE 70 BLAZER 09 challenger

02-24-2010, 11:03 AM	#4
chas350 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 581	Re: Polished Grill before after Nice! __________________ "I'll Procrastinate Tomorrow" quote by LEEVON 71 K10 long fleet (sons truck) new 370hp 355, sm465 np205, 3.73's 33's 70 K20 long fleet 98 G3500 work van

02-24-2010, 11:02 AM	#5
DT1 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Gardnerville Nv No Mo Cali!! Posts: 869	Re: Polished Grill before after I'm in the process of doing my grill on my 71 C-10. I tried Easy off and White lightning to remove the anodizing but neither worked all that well. If you want to remove the anodizing quickly, use a 20:1 mix of water and sodium hydroxide (lye). Put it in a spray bottle and liberally coat it. Let it sit for ten minutes and use a Scotchbrite pad. Repeat and done.

02-24-2010, 11:43 AM	#6
Brad Out of the carpool lane. Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Clark Co, WA Posts: 5,673	Re: Polished Grill before after That looks fantastic!! I'm not a fan of the 69-70's because of the grill, but I wouldn't mind owning that. Wow! Ok, after looking at it closely again I'd say you really need to clean up the black overspray on the grill and headlight buckets. In fact, I think it looks way better with the headlight buckets polished instead of painted like you did. __________________ 1968 C-10 SWB, 5.7 Vortec/700R4/3.73 posi, Torch Red 1968 Camaro, 250/Powerglide, all original (No, I'm not gonna drop a 350 in it!...Jeez!) 2000 Honda VFR in the faster yellow! 2008 Husqvarna TE-610 1967 C-10 SWB 'Six Appeal'-Gone but not forgotten... Last edited by Brad; 02-24-2010 at 11:46 AM.

02-24-2010, 12:00 PM	#7
big_al_71 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: South Florida Posts: 11,375	Re: Polished Grill before after That looks really good, definetly worth the effort... __________________ Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please!!!!!. Sylvester's build thread >>>http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ht=big+rebuild

02-24-2010, 12:02 PM	#8
NicoSlam Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Antonio TX Posts: 251	Re: Polished Grill before after thanks for the comments. I also didn't like the black headlight rims. Looked like the truck had black eyes. I wasn't too pleased with the quality of the aluminum bezels. They were shiny but very thin. Anyway, I dont plan on hitting them so it should be fine. I'll try the 20:1 water lye on the trim next. easy off wasn't the best but better than elbow grease and sandpaper.

02-24-2010, 12:24 PM	#9
robzilla Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: castlegar,b.c Posts: 277	Re: Polished Grill before after where can you buy lye? as i need to do my grill too. Last edited by robzilla; 02-24-2010 at 12:27 PM.

02-24-2010, 01:06 PM	#11
71blksuper4x4 SWB 4x4 Collector Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Osage City, KS Posts: 5,155	Re: Polished Grill before after Some hardware stores keep it in plumbing sections. Trevor __________________ TREVOR 1970 CST swb 4x4 (speedwarning,cruise,tilt,tach,8track, original red shoulder belts,tow hooks) 1972 Jimmy (soon to be Hickey cloned) 1971 Cheyenne Super 4x4 swb (tilt,tach,buckets, original blue shoulder belts,am/fm,cruise,tow hooks, dealer 8 track) 1972 Cheyenne Super K20 4x4 Custom Camper (tilt, tach, am/fm, tow hooks, bed toolbox, aux gas tank 1972 Cheyenne Super Crew Cab K30 4x4 Duramax, Allison, np205, buckets, tow hooks (CURRENT PROJECT) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=624819 1989 V3500 Crew Cab (454tbi, NV4500, np205) 1970 Chevelle SS (LS5 454,th400,8track,buckets,tach) :2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (daily driver) WTB: 1968-70 Cruise Control Lever

02-24-2010, 03:13 PM	#13
Hart_Rod ************* Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 17,856	Re: Polished Grill before after It looks great! Have you thought about shooting a coat of clearcoat on it to preserve the shine? __________________ Rob - https://www.instagram.com/hart_rod_c10 As Iron Sharpens Iron, So One Man Sharpens Another. Proverbs 27:17 FOR SALE: DBW pedal bracket - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=651123 FOR SALE: Hood Brackets http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=679945 1987 Silverado SWB - 34.5K original miles http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=801834 1969 SuperBurb - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=200387 1968 Farm truck - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=358692 1968 SWB - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=551258 1948 Chevy - http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=122164&page=3

02-25-2010, 03:47 AM	#14
Brad Out of the carpool lane. Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Clark Co, WA Posts: 5,673	Re: Polished Grill before after Hey, I also noticed the chrome bumper isn't there anymore. Why did you take it off? It looks really good with your blingin' grill! I did a little 'paint' for ya and I think this would make the grill perfect: Attached Images __________________ 1968 C-10 SWB, 5.7 Vortec/700R4/3.73 posi, Torch Red 1968 Camaro, 250/Powerglide, all original (No, I'm not gonna drop a 350 in it!...Jeez!) 2000 Honda VFR in the faster yellow! 2008 Husqvarna TE-610 1967 C-10 SWB 'Six Appeal'-Gone but not forgotten... Last edited by Brad; 02-25-2010 at 03:51 AM.

02-25-2010, 04:31 AM	#15
67ChevyRedneck Hittin E-Z Street on Mud Tires Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 23,090	Re: Polished Grill before after I think the last pic was his "before" pic. I like it, good job __________________ Jesse James 1967 C10 SWB Stepside: 350/700R4/3.73 1965 Ford Mustang: 289/T5-5spd/3.25 Trac-Loc 1968 Pontiac Firebird: Project Fire Chicken! 2015 Silverado Double Cab 5.3L Z71 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L 5spd 2020 Chevrolet Equinox Premium 2.0L Turbo 2011 Mustang V6 ~ Wife's ride American Born, Country by the Grace of God 1967 CST Shop Truck Rebuild! My 1967 C-10 Build Thread My Vintage Air A/C Install Project "On a Dime" Trying my hand at Home Renovation! 1965 Mustang Modifications!

02-25-2010, 09:46 AM	#16
rockc Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SE WY Posts: 640	Re: Polished Grill before after That is a nice job. What kinda paint did ya use for the lettering? __________________ 72 chevy 3/4 ton 4X4

02-25-2010, 10:12 AM	#17
N2TRUX Happy to be here Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Cypress, TX Posts: 39,023	Re: Polished Grill before after That turned out awesome. __________________ Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @N2trux.com Articles- "Jake" the 84 to 74 crewcab "Elwood" the77_Remix 85 GMC Sierra "Scarlett" "Refining Sierra"



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02-25-2010, 03:11 PM	#18
NicoSlam Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Antonio TX Posts: 251	Re: Polished Grill before after I do plan on adding the stripping this weekend. It would cover areas I just couldn't reach with the buffing wheel. I'll post update Saturday.

02-25-2010, 04:31 PM	#19
1971ChevyTruck Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,006	Re: Polished Grill before after Looks good!!

02-25-2010, 09:49 PM	#20
stueber68 1968 C20 Vortec Beast Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: STILLWATER,OKLAHOMA Posts: 483	Re: Polished Grill before after How about using an aerosol clear coat to seal it and easier to keep clean? __________________ Ugly or not it still kicks a**!

02-25-2010, 10:17 PM	#21
70Custom10Nut Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vilseck Germany (currently) Posts: 317	Re: Polished Grill before after Looks awesome! Now I know how to do mine, but I have the same question about protecting your hard work. Will clear paint work? If not are there any products that will? Cnut

02-25-2010, 10:26 PM	#22
70Custom10Nut Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vilseck Germany (currently) Posts: 317	Re: Polished Grill before after I'll bet someone could do all his trim the same way. A little time, patience, and elbow grease can save about $2000 in new trim costs. Cnut

02-25-2010, 11:17 PM	#23
oldblue1968chevy Grandpa in the rustmobile... Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Spokane WA/Viola TN Posts: 11,422	Re: Polished Grill before after wow looks great!!!!! good job! __________________ John Goose-1968 C10 355,9.32-1CR, Vortec Heads ,262 voodoo, 3.73:1 3OTT (HS ride/beater/farm truck) http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=317684 Grams 53-1953 Chevrolet Belair http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post4327784 1969 Chevy C10 Shortbed 4.5/6?" Frame off resto http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=548136 1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

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