I'm about to paint my grille and bumper valance on my '02. Do I need to use Bumper Coating from Duplicolor, or could I use a plastic primer and Rustoleum semi-gloss? I just don't know how flat I want the grille to look, and I'm assuming the bumper coating is flat black.

Thanks

Oh, and I do not have the honeycomb grille

 

Make sure you scuff up the grille surround and sand the lower valance smooth. Use a couple coats of adhesion promotor, 2 or 3 coats of primer, sand smooth, then 3 or 4 coats of base coat. 3 or 4 coats of clear, let dry for a few days, wetsand, buff, then good to go.

Automotivetouchup.com is a great place for OEM paint. Just make sure you have your paint code.

 

I assume your doing black and not ptm? If so, I'd use Krylon satin black. Not too glossy and not too dull.

 

i agree with both but like fordguy24 said sand out all that texture in the valance or it will deff show. Cople hours of hard prep work will really pay off! good luck man post pics!

 

I am not PTM'ing it. My truck is white. Krylon is better than the Rustoleum semi-gloss?

And thanks for the tips.

 

I've never used the rustoleum, but I personally prefer the krylon. As long as you prep it properly it will last a very long time. You might want to think about using the white krylon fusion though. It will add that extra little touch and really clean up the front end of your truck.

 

The bumper, bumper pad, and grille surround I planned ptm'ing with Duplicolor perfect match. Then the grille and valance I'm doing black. I think it'll look better than that ol' stock gray, and that would be a whole lotta white if I did all of it white. But I was worried about it having too much shine, as it is an older truck with a lot of miles, and the clear coat has dulled somewhat on the rest of the truck.

 

In a bunch of how-to videos that I've watched (like on Duplicolor's site and automotivetouchup.com), they all talk about either a prep solvent or a prep wipe. Are these solvents just degreaser/cleaners, like Purple Power, or are they something different?