Painted Black OEM Tacoma Grill

First post here!

I think we can all agree that the designers at Toyota did a great job with the look of 3rd generation Tacoma. The only cosmetic issue I couldn't get past was the front grill being grey and the bumpers/fender flares being matte black for my OR. I personally like the look of the OEM front grill and didn’t want to swap it out for the black heritage grill like everyone else

I looked all over the web but couldn’t find a start to finish run through of anyone painting the front grill of their truck to match the accenting matte black features. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough, and if so I apologize for the duplicate post!



Do a quick YouTube search for how to get yourself to this point, with the front grill of the truck removed along with all the pieces of the TSS system and the front camera (if applicable) removed and safely put to the side



Use a fine sand paper to remove some of the outer paint layer/sealant of the OEM grill. I wouldn't go any more abrasive then 1500 grit, otherwise you may start to see scratch marks on your grills plastic. This part of the project is going to take some patience, elbow grease, and time getting into all the nooks and crannys. I spent close to 3 hours sitting with this guy on my lap making sure it was worn done enough to have an abrasive surface. I only focused on sanding the front of the grill as I did not see it necessary to paint the back. I suggest using sand paper instead of a brick or block for this part as some corners are pretty challenging to reach. After you have diligently worn down the paint/front sealant, take your grill to the bath tub and wash with soap, hot water, and a sponge. Again, make sure you get into all the corners with the soap and sponge. Not only are we removing the dust/particles here, but also any oils/dirt that may be on the grill from previous driving. After shes been washed, it is very important to make sure the entire grill (front and back) is completely dry before proceeding



These are the three spray cans I picked up from Lordco. I spoke with a body shop technician who recommended I do my research on car paint and speak with a sales rep for assistance before making a purchase/completing the project. The Lordco sales rep praised all three after I went over what I was doing, and explained previous clients have had great results with all three used in similar circumstances. I spent under $100 CDN for all three, and maybe you are able to find a cheaper/better option. I personally don’t have any previous experience painting vehicle parts, but my research and speaking with people who have experience led me to these three products for this project



This is how my grill looked before I started to paint. The photo may not do justice, but just make sure you have a some what abrasive finish to the grill after the sanding to help with the bonding of the paint to the plastic



This is after I applied three thin coats of primer to the grill. Hold the can 10 inches from the surface, and don’t over do it with the spray. Light and consistent is key, otherwise you’ll get paint runs. I chose three coats because it can be challenging to get at all the angles of the grill the first or second go around without over doing it. Make sure you let the paint dry 20 minutes before each coat. If you have another set of hands for all the painting, I would highly recommend. After you are satisfied with your layers of primer, let the grill sit for a few hours to dry before applying the black trim/bumper coating



This was the grill after three light coats of the black paint, following the same time to dry and techniques as the primer. After this I let the grill sit for 12 hours before proceeding with the matte clear coat



This is after three light coats of the matte clear coat using the same painting technique as the primer/colour. 20 minutes between coats, and I can not stress enough on keeping the coats light. I then let this sit for 24 hours to fully cure




It may not be a spot on perfect match, but I think it looks 100x better than the grey and pretty damn close to the black accents. Has only been finished and installed on the truck for a day, but I will provide updates after some time of daily driving

Hope this helps anyone out there thinking of doing the same. Let me know what you guys think! Cheers from Canada

 

Looks great man!

 

Yeah man, this turned out really nice! Fantastic job. I have my OEM grille sitting in the garage for just such a project.....someday....

 

Do it! Wasn't overly time consuming and labour intensive. If you find time throw your results here in the thread!

 

I like how you went with match of fenders and bezel. I’ve seen some do it with matte black spray paint and it didn’t match as well. Good job op!

 

Next up for you is bhlm of your headlights

 

Good job op! Didju have any issues with that 2k clear? I've never gotten mine work right, I'm almost 100% sure it's user error lol

 

Nice write up. The color match looks great!

 

Yeah I love when new forum members post helpful things on their first couple posts rather than the people who just put (bump) on random posts that mean nothing. Way to contribute to the forum Op! Hope more mods are in the future for you!

 

Excellent write up.

harbor freight sells eraser guns, they can be used like a mini sandblaster to get the right corners.

I will be attempting to plastidip mine here in the near future

 

Hell of a first post!

The simple mod looks great. I recently did mine too. I used SEM Flexible Black on top of self etching primer on mine. Originally chrome so wanted a solid base bond.

Seeing yours makes me think I need a little contrast and might have to change up the emblem. Might try a gloss black or a new chrome one...



And

 

Twintaco - what is BHLM. If its a mod, I gotta know about it
Skydvrr - was the first time I ever used it. Just kept the coats super light, shaked the rattle can super long before/during use, and held it pretty far from the application surface while spraying. Im no pro but I think it turned out okay

 

Speedfreak - Im liking the chrome cover up with the black. Well done good sir

 

black headlight mod! Did mine a while back but I bought an extra set to be safe I didn’t screw up my only headlights lol

now I have the OEM leds

 

I felt a great disturbance in the force... as if millions of knock-off pro grilles cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

 

Lol

 

Lawlll

Twintaco - how do you light the OEM LED’s? Im working up dropping that kinda cash for a set ($2100). Bought the wiring harness off Dave Easa from the forum here

 

I love mine. night and day difference from halogen. I found mine used for 1k so they are out there

 

Ebay also has then from time to time for about $500 a light hit you have to find then without damage which is the challenge

 

@Tacos4Runnin if you put an @ symbol before the user name, without a space, a drop down list will appear and you can select the member you are 'tagging.' Then they will get an alert just as you did from this post.