Buying Denali Need Upgrade Advise

Ksizzle · September 28, 2007

Hello, this is my first post. I currently have a 2005 mustang Saleen and am probably going to trade in for a ~2003 Denali (Black). My plan is to black it out from solid black 22s to the grille and chrome surrounding and a 2/3 lowering kit. I am new to Denalis so I need help. How do you paint the grille and chrome surroundings? I have only found one 22" completley black wheel, American Racing Thresh, is there any others out there? Thanks for the help

Ksizzle · September 30, 2007

bump.... ????

BigJayDogg3 · September 30, 2007

This would be a yukon denali correct?

Ksizzle · September 30, 2007

yes, sorry. Yukon Denali

Ksizzle · October 4, 2007

so is powder coat the best and only option for the grille and surrounding?

therapy · October 4, 2007

so is powder coat the best and only option for the grille and surrounding?

You could have a body shop paint them to match, it might be a bit more expensive but they can match the paint exactly.

Just hit up a body shop and ask them.

Ksizzle · October 4, 2007

I didn't think you could paint over the chrome.

cchupek · October 4, 2007

I didn't think you could paint over the chrome.

Yes, you can paint over chrome. The body shop you use needs to make sure it is prepped right, sprayed with an etching primer and then a good surface primer before they apply the color and clear. That will help it bond better. Make sure you choose someone that will give you a lifetime paint warranty against flaking or peeling. You will get rock chips, that is just part of having painted parts exposed to road elements.

SS Crew · October 5, 2007

I didn't think you could paint over the chrome.

Yes, you can paint over chrome. The body shop you use needs to make sure it is prepped right, sprayed with an etching primer and then a good surface primer before they apply the color and clear. That will help it bond better. Make sure you choose someone that will give you a lifetime paint warranty against flaking or peeling. You will get rock chips, that is just part of having painted parts exposed to road elements.

What kind of paint the factory uses that keeps the rock chips from happening so easily as compared to an aftermarket painted grille. I had the center section of the grille on my 2004 Silverado painted and thats where all the chips showed up - not at the factory painted areas. And I had my grille done at 3 different places - all high end / show qauality shops with the same results.

cchupek · October 5, 2007

I didn't think you could paint over the chrome.

Yes, you can paint over chrome. The body shop you use needs to make sure it is prepped right, sprayed with an etching primer and then a good surface primer before they apply the color and clear. That will help it bond better. Make sure you choose someone that will give you a lifetime paint warranty against flaking or peeling. You will get rock chips, that is just part of having painted parts exposed to road elements.

What kind of paint the factory uses that keeps the rock chips from happening so easily as compared to an aftermarket painted grille. I had the center section of the grille on my 2004 Silverado painted and thats where all the chips showed up - not at the factory painted areas. And I had my grille done at 3 different places - all high end / show qauality shops with the same results.

We deal with that same problem all the time in my shops. Although you can match the factory paint in terms of quality and looks, there aren't any body shops out there that utilize the "same" paint processes as the factory. At the factory, they use a paint system that is sprayed on and then clearcoated, that's where the similarities end. Their systems are more closely aligned to a electro-magnetized method, often seen in powder coating. While it is not a powder coating, the color and clear are for more durable than the aftermarket paint systems offered by PPG, DuPont, Sikkens, Sherwin Williams, etc. They can bake their finishes at a much higher temperature due to the fact that the vehicle is painted as a shell only. In the body shop environment, we go through the process of taking off all of the handles, belt & body side moldings, mirrors, weatherstrips and such, however, much of the vehicle is left in tact and does not allow high temp baking as it would ruin soft parts. On another note, it does help for the body shops to use a flex additive agent in their paint when spraying front end parts that are normally exposed to the rocks and debris. It helps to keep the clear a bit more resilient to the chips, but they will inevitably still occur.