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s600 grille build quality

2K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  650cent 
#1 ·
Recently I got one of those s600 grilles from ebay from redcometm3. When it arrived I was sort of disappointed by the build quality. The "chrome strips" are really molded into the plastic and spray painted silver unlike the OEM ones which are removable strips. Also the height didn't seemed to be short on the bottom. Anyone know where to find a better quality one, or are they all made out of plastic these days?
I might just keep rocking the OEM grille painted black
 
#2 ·
its a chrome dipped abs plastic with the insets painted black. they will chip off..
 
#3 ·
#6 ·
I finally got the grille mounted. Had to trim a little off the back in order to allow enough room for the latch to move and adjusted the hood pull as well. It doesn't look too bad from a distance, but if you're up close you can see how the chrome fins don't quite line up perfectly like the original
 
#8 · (Edited)
some quick pictures that I snapped of the finished installation. Third pic shows how the middle strip comes up a little short. Fourth pics you can see the chrome fins taper unlike the OEM which goes all the way across
 

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#9 · (Edited)
Good job on the fitment... but the trimming needs to be rounded and filed nicely

As long as it is hard plastic (not nylon like the side panels) I would spray the whole insert (both black portion and silver painted lips) in transparent varnish... like 3 to 4 coats with good dry up intervals
I think this should protect it against chipping

Any self adhesive bra-like solution will be ugly as it will look like an added layer
 
#10 · (Edited)
haha, yeah I gotta work on that. It's only noticeable because of the harsh lighting and picture angle. I'm supposed to have a dremel tool arrive this week so once I get it I'll straighten the cut out. usually when I get new parts, I test fit them and make tons of adjustments later
 
#11 ·
Thanks for posting the pics. It is such a good looking grill....it is too bad that the black paint chips. I was thinking of a clear-bra solution to cover-up the black portion, but that would seem like too much work. Adding onto Raed's solution of spraying a clear coat is a good idea. SEM makes a clear coating that is used on the rocker panels as a chip guard. I was thinking of taping off the chrome strips and spraying that stuff on. The problem is, I do not know what type of paint that the grill manufacturer used because that SEM stuff could possibly lift enamel based paint plus it is meant to be sprayed on thick and create a texture like you see on lower rocker panels on some cars.
 
#12 ·
Wouldent just regular automotive clear coat be sufficient? andd yeah the Benz Bin has the insert grille cheaper.
 
#13 ·
True. Automotive clear coat be sufficient but that would require you taking it to a body shop to spray. Unless you have your own compressor. But buying clear coat and activator on your own to spray is not cheap either.

I'm begining to wonder if the maker of the grill properly preps the surface prior to painting it black or do they just spray over the chrome plating? There is a person here in vegas that has this grill and it is all chipped up as well.
 
#16 ·
ORR all black insert. I kno this might be stupid but they sell clear in rattle cans, would that not be good enough?
 
#22 ·
The can says, "Urethane Clear." I wonder if it is one of those hybrid cans that has two chambers. One for the clear and the other chamber for the activator. If so, that is good stuff. It is priced as much as the hybrid can.
 
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