I guess it's been done before, but I painted the grille black on my 04 Limited today. I think it turned out okay. I may go back later and add chrome strips where the original silver strips were on the front of the grill. I don't know. I kind of like it all black. I definitely didn't like the stock look.

 

Looks good! Now what's with those Obama plates?

 

looks good, i think i am going to paint my grille and hideous silver window trim black too.

 

When I first got the Xfire, I didn't like the silver trim around the window either, but it has grown on me and now I think it looks cool. I noticed the other day that the new Pontiac Solstice has the same window trim treatment and I think that's one of the nicest looking cars out of Detroit in a while. It's all a matter of taste and whatever you think looks best, looks best. It's very much like politics.

 

I really like the look. Nothing like a simple tasteful modification. I can't tell, did you remove the metal trim strips first?

What paint did you use, and did you use primer first?
Did you remove the grill or paint it on the car?
Any other info would be appreciated.

I wonder what it would look like with a matte finish. Too bad there isn't an after market black grill or other colors to match the car.

 

can you post some photos of your car from 3/4 angle on both sides and then a side shot so i can see how it looks with the "unusual" silver window trim? maybe it does break it up enough so it looks good.

thanks

 

yep... i agree with you... i would add the silver strips back in... it would look more crisp.

i do like it painted though!

 

I took the grille out of the car. Just four screws at the top and then reach in and depress the six clips that hold it in at the bottom. Then I washed and dried it. I did not remove the silver colored strips. I painted over them. I used Valspar (Lowes) plastic (for lawn furniture etc.) spray paint. It said on the can that no priming was necessary and it guarantees against flaking and chipping. (We'll see if that is indeed the case.) I put on three thin coats about 10 minutes apart. Waited about 30 minutes and mounted it back on the car. If I do add the strips back to the front, I'm going to use chrome trim, so that it will match the chrome emblem on the hood. There is a thread somewhere from someone who did that. I gotta say though, for my taste, the all black looks good.

I'm thinking about tinting the headlights. I think it might look good with the grille. I tried once about two months ago, got pissed off and screwed up the film and ended up throwing it in the trash. It seems that I sometimes have the attention span of a gnat.

 

I'll post the requested 3/4 angle pics hopefully later today after I change the oil on my wife's Mazda.

 

It could look a little better maybe a texas longhorn?

 

For those interested in this topic also view this thread

 

Here are the requested pics.

 

thanks, it does look a lot better. i think i will paint mine, did the paint you used match the black factory paint?

i still plan to paint my window trim, i am concerned that removing it may leave pry marks though.

 

No, the paint on the grille does not match perfectly, but since the grille is a different part of car, it still seems to work. Yeah, be careful with the window trim. I had to replace my windshield shortly after I bought the car in December and on the driver's side the trim is beginning to buckle in the middle of the A pillar a tad. I think it was the first Crossfire windshield the guy had ever replaced, go figure.

 

I was considering purchasing the chrome window trim for $300+ and then painting that black as an expensive option. I may have to go that route.

Does anyone know if the chrome window trim completely covers the stock window trim?

 

Yes, it covers all of the stock surround, and even has a small finishing lip for the inside edge. It comes as three separate pieces, one each for the top and for both sides.

 

Painted mine flat black. Generally I like it better than chrome or silver.
Before

After

 

Photoman - why not just have the stock surround painted? It looks really nice on the black x-fires....just a thought and it would save you buying the chrome just to have it painted.

 

is that the stock grill painted black with the plastic pieces go top to bottom trimmed off??

because i was thinking off doing that myself and then i stumbled across your pic...

 

Nothing trimmed off. Just removed the grille and sprayed it flat black and screwed back on. Took 15 min.