Some people have jokingly suggested Scothbrite for making the matte finish, and yup they were correct.

I first tried the "non bumper removal of the grill" with no success so I ended up doing it while it was mounted.

I taped off the bumper and grill, then proceeded to lightly sand the "chrome" with a 120 grit sanding sponge. Keeping in mind not to push to hard to go through the coating and making the lines parallel. I think the pictures speak from themselves

And for comparison, here's a similar shot with the chrome rings and surround


Modified by mack73 at 6:56 PM 8-3-2008

Most women want 1 ring on their finger. My woman wants 4 silver rings in the driveway but 3 kids required a Town and Country

2001 Jetta 1.8T Wolfsburg- all the bolt ons- SOLD!

2007 Audi A3- 2.0T- Black- S-Line-Loaded- Stage 2- SOLD!

2006 Subaru STi- WRBlue- Gold BBS package- Stage 2+

What is 120 grit sanding sponge

This:? http://jackstoolshed.net/4Piec...oogle

The Brungold Build
SoCal A3s on Facebook

courtney fan club vice president

Quote, originally posted by drew138 »

That looks pretty nice actually. I'm going to try it out on my neighbors car on the street tonight to see how it might look. What is 120 grit sanding sponge This:? http://jackstoolshed.net/4Piec...oogle

Thanks guys. And yes, that would be exactly what I was describing. The sponge makes it less likely to gouge, create waves or damage the "edges/bevels" as the pressure is more even.

Quote, originally posted by brungold »

looks good! how did you get the rings off of the grill without removing it?

I guess I was a bit misleading, I was able to dislodge the top half of the grill. WIth the top half pulled away, I was able to reach my hand down the back side and work out the tabs holding the rings in. There's no way you're getting them off in 1 piece without getting to the back side.

Gonna do this next weekend

Thanks Mack73

That's what she said!

No paint at all. Just 'scuffing' up the 'chrome'.

ahhh, now i see it

Neuspeed sport springs,koni fsd,Awe catback,Atp downpipe,Neuspeed p-flo&Carbon fiber engine cover,S-line blkout grill,Votex sideskirts,LED tails,6000k HID,S3 shiftknob&brake handle,TT alum light switch,TT alum pedals,S-line flat bottom steering wheel,forge dv,AWE Boost Gauge,ECS Spacers& Dogbone Mnt

nice job!

but would look even better on black background

black car w/ the brushed mirror caps, and this mod would be sick..

Most women want 1 ring on their finger. My woman wants 4 silver rings in the driveway but 3 kids required a Town and Country

or maybe lava grey

that too. even that blue color.

Most women want 1 ring on their finger. My woman wants 4 silver rings in the driveway but 3 kids required a Town and Country

X2!
I like it a lot! I'd do it, but I'd probably screw it up. (No artistic skillz)

i'll do it for you. we have a Audi DIY day this coming saturday in the Washington DC area...make it up here and i'll get it taken care of

x2. I wish I still had my chrome grill surround to experiment.

Few questions....

What direction / movement did you sweep the sponge-paper?

How long did you have to work on a section to get the desired finish?

And the totally dumb question of the hour: the sanding sponge -- is it actually a sponge that you 'wet', or is the grit just ounted to the sponge for easy of application?

Cheers!!!

Drew

Quote, originally posted by drew138 »

Hey Mack, I'm 100% doing this mod. Thanks for saving me $$$ on the OEM blackout grill which I was about to purchase. Few questions.... What direction / movement did you sweep the sponge-paper? How long did you have to work on a section to get the desired finish? And the totally dumb question of the hour: the sanding sponge -- is it actually a sponge that you 'wet', or is the grit just ounted to the sponge for easy of application? Cheers!!! Drew

For Direction I went with Horizontal on the grill and in circular patterns on the rings. IE, I went around the outside of the rings in one motion, so the scratches would follow the ring curve.

Time: for the grill it didn't take long as everything is flat for the most part. So maybe 10 minutes. Each spot only takes maybe 10-20 passes with the sandpaper. The rings take forever since there is so many nooks and corners, it probably took me an hour.

The sponge is not wet. It just allows for even pressure while conforming to the curves. No water necessary. So yes, the grit is attached to the outside of the sponge.

Ohh jeez you guys crashed the file server

I'll get them back up when I get home

EDIT: Pics are back up

Modified by mack73 at 9:01 PM 8-6-2008

Where was this DIY 8 months ago when I got rid of my stock grill?

. Now post some pics.