Kizashi Club

So as promised I finished the bumper paint this weekend here's a before and after pic:
If anyone would like me to throw together a quick DIY thread I can. I made sure to take, or have pictures taken during the entire process. Funny thing is now that its done I am already ready to do MORE!!! I think I might buy a 2011 SLS Sport bottom grille (to match the top grille) and I think I might put a red pin-stripe outlining the entire grille (ala the prior model year GTI).

In the meantime here are some extra pics:

do you know where the bottom grille is selling i want that ..you did a great job on your car

Thank you!! I do not know where to get one... YET. Since its a factory piece on the 2011 "Sport" models I am hopeful that come August (when the 2011's are supposed to hit showrooms) we can find them at our local Suzuki dealerships.

lookin wrote:do you know where the bottom grille is selling i want that ..you did a great job on your car

Is this what you're looking for? http://www.egclassicsinc.com/inventory/ ... itemid=928

Kizzyohio, how did you remove the front chrome emblem? Was it hard?

Yes, please do a DIY thread. I really wanted to do this. Looks great!

Awesome , Kizzy. What kind of paint did you use?

How come the grill looks silver/chrome in the close-up and it looks like you painted it black in another shot? Did you PhotoShop any of these photos?

I'll go on record saying I think you have to be crazy to spray paint a brand new car, but it doesn't look half bad.

I am waiting for someone to come out with custom grills... looks like it would be an easy swap.

I have to agree, I don't have the guts to do it, but it turned out very nice.

SX4toKizashi wrote:

lookin wrote:do you know where the bottom grille is selling i want that ..you did a great job on your car

Is this what you're looking for? http://www.egclassicsinc.com/inventory/ ... itemid=928

Kizzyohio, how did you remove the front chrome emblem? Was it hard?

no that one but that is nice a little too expensive for me though ..but i meant the same grille on the top i would like the same on bottom

Just a quick reply, I will submit the DIY tomorrow while the wife's at school. Meantime answers to questions brought up so far:

1) Thanks for the compliments!!!
2) I looked at the grille from eg classic inc but I am looking for something with less chrome
3) I used a small head screw driver to get under the "S" badge and lightly pulled it away until I could get my fingers under it. At that point I slowly pulled it away from the grille. Like the other badges its just held on by double-sided sticky tape. That being said, unlike the painted body, the adhesive likes to stick to the grille a lot more. I have been slowly working it off using a plastic spoon, goo gone, and finger power. While I still have the "S" indention it is now the same color as the rest of the grille.
4) I used SEM 39143 Trim Black Auto Paint from Sherwin Williams Automotive Stores, took about 1/2 a can (maybe less?) its a flat black
5) No photo shop involved, I think the difference you see is in the lighting. I still have the factory grille on the car unmodified (minus removing the "chrome" badge.)
6) I know painting a car so soon seems crazy but when I first saw the Kizzy I thought it needed a blackout grille from the factory (a lot like the concepts). I have always been a fan of the Audi, VW, Mitts Evo look. Once I saw the design of the front bumper I knew I had to paint it. It was one of the things that factored into my purchase decision. Also seeing a few aftermarket Kizzys with the bumper blacked out allowed me to see what the finished project looked like.
7) It was really quite easy to do and was completed in under 2 hours.

So I have learned a few things and have made a few more paint modifing decisions. I think I am going to paint the grille to match the bumper (flat black), and I NEED to paint a lower part of the grille surround to complete the project. I'll describe that in more detail in the DIY.

Hope that covers everything. If anyone has questions or wants specific pictures let me know and I will post them up for you.

... as always, more to come!