Painted My Cladding Pics>>>

[Mark Miller]

I painted my cladding today with flexible bumper paint.
I didn't like the faded plastic look.
While I had the bolts out I sprayed them silver. (not sure if I like them silver)
Last week I painted the calipers and debadged.

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/Vehicross_Black_a.jpg
http://www.markalexandermiller.com/VehicrossBlack.jpg

Here is the Before:
http://www.markalexandermiller.com/VehicrossBefore.jpg

[Anita]

Ooooo, I likey! :heart: :cool!: :heart:

[VCrossfan]

Looks very nice, The Cladding bolts look good also. :thumbup:

[v+choi]

Wow, looks great!
I assume you took all cladding off before you painted, did't you?
How much did it cost to you?

[9tinyfingaz]

very nice.............quick how-to right up? Which specific paint?

[etlsport]

wow.. looks very nice.. please share the details!

[Mark Miller]

Thanks :bwgy:
I guess I can do a little right up on how I did it.

It took a couple of hours with a friend and it was done in my back yard.

The cost very cheap everything available at Wal-Mart.
$37.76 Total Spent Before Tax

$23.22 For 6 Spray Cans Dupli-Color Bumper Coating
$ 4.74 For 1 Quart Klean Strip Prep-All Wax & Grease Remover
$ 6.77 For Masking Tape Blue 2inch I had a roll of ¾” that was free.
$ 2.63 For A Plastic Drop Cloth
http://www.markalexandermiller.com/PaintingSupplies.jpg

Tools used were a screw gun with a Philips bit, a T-30 bit, and an alan bit (size?)
The T-30 for the cladding, the alan for the fuel door, the Philips for the lights.
Remove the front turn lights, rear taillights, gas cap door assembly.
(you might want to tape off the gas door there are some nuts that will fall out)
The round front parking lamps, rear round reflectors, and headlights were taped off.
Remove the cladding bolts around the top of the cladding and in the door sills.
Remove car tag/plates.
Use a Scotch Brite pad and rub down the cladding (I didn't do this but you might want to)
Clean the cladding using the Prep All Wax and Grease Remover.
Tape off around the top of the cladding.
Using two layers of tape so it tapes off about 3.5 inches up from the cladding.
Some places you can slide the tape behind the cladding.
I even taped off the door handles and the half moon on the back door and painted them.
I removed the aluminum fangs from the front grill. Painted the grill also.
I used the drop cloth to lay over the wheels and tires.
Paint the cladding; I did two coats, first a light mist then a second thick coat. You can do a third mist also.
For the heck of it I sprayed the cladding bolts with Silver BBQ paint.
Removed the tape, be careful it can fall and stick to new painted area.
Put everything back on and you’re done.
http://www.markalexandermiller.com/PaintingSupplies2.jpg
It is possible that I might have omitted something, I’m sleepy.

I did this same thing on my Jeep Wrangler a couple of years ago and it held up very well.

[VehiX]

Looks good :)

Can you please make a follow up post in a few months so we can see how well this holds up to the elements and every day use.

[transio]

very nice! :) Is there any problem with texture variations?

[VehiGAZ]

Looks "good"?! I think it looks GREAT!!!

Well, in the pictures, anyway - I almost can't believe a rattlecan job like that would look as good in person. I'm not doubting - I'm just expressing my shock at how sharp it looks!

And please keep the bolts as they are - that contrast was the first thing I noticed and I was stunned by the look! It's a sharp counterpoint to the black, with a classy look, and it ties the remaining chrome bits together visually.

WELL DONE!!!

[VXD959]

Looks great! Good job!

[Cyrk]

Nice keep us posted on how it holds up... do you need to treat it with any cladding products or is it good to go and will not fade or streak?

One thing looks like you missed two bolts on the font by the grill.

Good work.

-Dave

[tomdietrying]

Looks fantastic! Thanks for the write up.
Peace.
Tom

P.S.
Did you have some minor nicks and scrapes to cover up? Did it cover them up completely or is it still noticeable?

[nfpgasmask]

I'm impressed....I love the 100% black out look...now all you need to do is debadge and order up some clear corners...

Bart

[Chopper]

That's it!! To hell with the paint booth-I'm closing it down and selling it. I like the contrasting bolts

[tbigity]

dude, that is o-mazing

And I am with you vehigaz...it looks beyond good. I seriously thought it was a pro job. I was surprised that for a spray there was no streaking, running, or globs. Great job man.

And FTR, the contrasting bolts are 1337. Don't lose them!

[Tone]

Awesome!

[Kenny]

Nice job! Like you, I strive for the deep black look on the cladding.

As noted in earlier posts, please keep us posted on how it holds up and takes to the various cleaning products...

oh, and the contrasting bolts look great.

[goffaramma]

Beautiful! I've always wanted to do that, but wasn't sure how. I'm doing it this weekend on my Ironman. I can't believe how great that looks.

By the way, what kind of paint did you use on the bolts? I'm not sure what BBQ paint is. I'd like to paint mine white.

Way to go!

[VCrossfan]

BBQ Paint is high temp paint. I painted mine (Silver) about 6 months ago w/High Heat Paint (Just because I had some laying around) and they still look great. My method was I took a long 2x4 screwed them all into with a fair amount of space between each one, then scotch brite each one (top/side) and shot them...dry/re-install

Note::: The high heat paint covers fast also so you have less buildup

Good Luck...

[goffaramma]

BBQ Paint is high temp paint. I painted mine (Silver) about 6 months ago w/High Heat Paint (Just because I had some laying around) and they still look great. My method was I took a long 2x4 screwed them all into with a fair amount of space between each one, then scotch brite each one (top/side) and shot them...dry/re-install

Note::: The high heat paint covers fast also so you have less buildup

Good Luck...

Thanks VCrossfan. I'm gonna tackle that job this weekend.

[E-ZooZoo One]

Total SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET-ness!

Now I know what my first project is going to be next Spring :thumbup:

[blacksambo]

Very nice write-up and good job. I'm curious about the caliper paint. What type and how hard was that task?

Many thanks.

[Mark Miller]

Thanks Guys and Gals! ;)
And a thanks goes out to everyone who has posted on this site, I did a lot of searching on what people have already done to get ideas and learn the tricks. Thanks.
I will keep you guys posted on how it holds up.
I’m still amazed when I walk out and see the VX with the black bottom.
The Bumper paint is a satin paint so it is more forgiving than gloss paint and the cladding was near perfect before painting.
I went ahead and did the wheel wells also.
The two front bolts might have nuts on the backside, didn’t come right out so for time sake I left them in.

On the caliper paint, I used ford red high temp engine paint, under five dollars.
I sanded them down with coarse paper, careful the metal edges are sharp.
I taped off what I didn’t want painted on the caliper and wrapped a plastic bag around the rotors. (make sure vx has been sitting for a while, them rotors get hot!)
I always do two mist coats first, the calipers tend to want to bubble if you don’t. Then I put on two thick coats. Have some black paint ready to cover some of the overspray and to make some rust disappear.

As I was doing the calipers, I did take the stickers off the center hub caps. I used a razor knife backwards to lift up the lip of the sticker all the way around (careful the knife can scratch the caps) then sprayed them with carb cleaner(let them soak a little), it breaks the glue up very well.
Then peal them stickers off, spraying carb cleaner when needed. Have a big roll of paper towels handy. When the stickers are off, use WD40 to get them glossy.
Three stickers came off great, the last one had sun dried cracks all in it, pain to get off.

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/Vehicross_Black_g.jpg

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/Vehicross_Black_f.jpg

[etlsport]

looks really nice even up cloase! the front two cladding screws have little metal squares behind them, they might also be screwed a little into the padding, they should just unscrew like normal but be careful to catch the little metal piece, or the screws wont hold themselves in place when you go to put them back, i lost one of mine because i didnt know about it, ended up taking the cap from a 20oz coke bottle, cutting it down to the same size as the other one (there is a groove behind the cladding it fits into to prevent turning) and screwed through that, worked like a charm, the screw is firmly in place for about a month now..

[CrnCnn]

Well I guess I shouldn't try to sped my day off today on Using Armor-All?... Wasn't sure how good it would work.

Clint

Just bought a 1999 (Traded in a cavelier... phew much better)

[nfpgasmask]

CrnCnn, you should go to AutoZone or PepBoys and pick up a can of Meguires Exterior Trim Detailer:

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.com/product_g134_small.gif

I can't remember who suggested this product to me, but it does work really well on our cladding. I like it better than the Mother's Back To Black product...

Personally, I would not use Armor All on the cladding.

Bart





Well I guess I shouldn't try to sped my day off today on Using Armor-All?... Wasn't sure how good it would work.

Clint

Just bought a 1999 (Traded in a cavelier... phew much better)

[Knigh7s]

I really was planning on doing this little project. My only problem is that i have a nice crack around the passenger turnsignal and also a bad dent that was heatgunned and pushed out in the back. I wonder how hard it would be to get ahold of some new front and rear cladding....

Anyways, that really looks sweet! "lightly smoked sidemarkers and turnsignals would also look awsome!

Now i wonder how that would look on a Kaiser Silver?

[technocoy]

this is the first cladding job i have seen that i REALLY want to think about doing... Looks great!

My only concern is that I used something very similar some years ago on an old jettas trim and within a year it was looking worse than it had before and had some flaking... Just keep an eye on it.

I'm not 100% on the bolts yet but they are growing on me... It's good to see because i had though about trying to find some stainless ones.

My brother does line-X or something similar and I'm wondering if you used the thin version of the stuff in black if it would get somewhere close to this. I think I would just trust the liner to last a more.

Looks friggin great though, man.

Thanks for the write up too.

Technocoy

[Mark Miller]

Still holding up great, I live on a dirt road also.
Something else you can do before you use the wax remover would to use a Scotch Brite pad and rub down the cladding.



My only concern is that I used something very similar some years ago on an old jettas trim and within a year it was looking worse than it had before and had some flaking... Just keep an eye on it.
Technocoy

They also make an adhesion spray, like bulldog, which can be sprayed before the paint.

[Whaleboy]

I think this is a wonderfully simple idea. Bulldog specifically states it works on polypropylene, which is what our cladding is made of.

Lightly sand the surface. Clean really well with the remover or Acetone (I would imagine), clean again, apply Bulldog then the paint!

It's enough to actually make me wanna try it. I am SICK AND TIRED of putting back to black on every weekend. It's the only thing that keeps me from just going to a car wash and having someone else do it. cause they use crap like turtlewax. And in Texas heat it dries out in days.

[vxDAKINECHICvx]

Look amazzzzzing! I have wanted to do that with my ebony since I got it, but am afraid of the paint chipping or ending up looking awful in the end. Want to come and paint it for me?! :p I don't know if I will be able to build up the guts to try it. May come out pretty awful for me.... :rolleyes:
Thanks for the pictures and the post on how to do it though! You rock!

[Dare2Dream]

Dang, this looks amazing!!! :thumbup:

[Maugan_VX]

is the cladding still holding up well?

[Bantan]

Thats hot!!! :)

[Mark Miller]

I had one spot on the front on the slick part of the tag mount area.
That would be my fault for not preping it well enough.
I'm still very happy with the results, would do it again.
I'll keep you guys posted with any problems with it.

Here are two pics from last week when I did the painted on skid plate mod.
I was chicken to do it any higher. The hook is going back black.

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/VehicrossFront2.jpg

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/VehicrossFront.jpg



My biggest problem now is the Love Bug Suicide Rate Is On An All Time High!

[Maugan_VX]

ok, well it still looks good, and thats convinced me. I was going to go for a rhino-lining alternative, but this looks better even if it wont hide my gouges and scrapes from wheelin.

[E-ZooZoo One]

...The hook is going back black.
Why? - you can hardly see it.
(says the guy with Day-Glow Safety Orange tow hooks on his Rodeo :bgwo: :laugho: )

[Mark Miller]

Why? - you can hardly see it.
(says the guy with Day-Glow Safety Orange tow hooks on his Rodeo :bgwo: :laugho: )
There's an idea, how about the hook the same red as my calipers.
If I don't like it, I can paint it. ;)
(race cars use the red loop hooks)

Maugan_VX
If you have a lot of the "son of gun" type products on your cladding, go over it several times with the prep all. A buddy of mine said he had problems like technocoy did on one of his cars, in the same breath same guy said he never had a problem with his other car that he did that had no products used on it over a year.

[Joe_Black]

My biggest problem now is the Love Bug Suicide Rate Is On An All Time High!
Excellent! That means our relocation program is working well. I can actually count the splats this year! :p

[onebadtrooper]

Hey thanks for posting this... Smiley posted this over on 4x4wire, so I tried it on my moms vx. It looks great!!!!!
I don't post much over here, but I do lurk form time to time...
here is a link with pics.....

Thanks again
_chris..

vx repaint pics.... (http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=926375&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1)

[Veritech Jedi]

Anyone try this on the hood insert to match the cladding? I wonder if it might cover the minor nicks and chips the insert gets. Just curious for opinions on this from people who have messed with their insert.

[onebadtrooper]

Yeah I did the insert also, it turned out pretty good. Its harder to get an even coat on it because its not textured. I'll try to get some better pics....

[etlsport]

if youve got some guts and confidence in your ability to paint, you could always sand down the hood insert some to give it texture (maybe 400-600 grit)... just keep in mind once you do that theres no going back

[onebadtrooper]

Here is the only picture I have of the hood insert at the moment. When this was taken I didn't have the front clip repainted yet....

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c317/onebadtrooper/vehi-cross%20repaint/Picture079.jpg

[Mark Miller]

onebadtrooper that made a big difference, Looks Great!
Go ahead post the pics here.

I did paint the tow hook red like the calipers, looks cool.

O/T:
I rode by some kids yesterday, I heard a kid say "Now that's a Gangsta Jeep" lol.

[crager34]

I would love to see a Kaiser painted up, before I make the leap. I think it would look great, but just not 100% yet. Anyone done theirs yet that can post a pic?

[tbigity]

my bride and I are looking into our first house...should close in a month or so. The first project, blacken up proty's cladding with some of my boy mark's duplicolor magic. I will have to keep you posted with everything that goes down. If any other prots want to do it, I could be the guiney(sp) pig.

Mark, can I steal your cladding bolt idea? Methinks yeller would scream on a prot with black cladding.

[IndianaVX]

there are pics somewhere of a proton with painted clading screws, but i cant find it. i have painted one screw to try to live with it, and decide, which i havent yet.

[tbigity]

perhaps i can be of asistance then when mine gets done.

i cant wait, i think it will look hotter than ever. I am also going to have done/try the hodo insert. It is glossy now and I would like to restore it to its original glare-reducing self.

[rowhard]

Very nice, am thinking it would look real good on the new Dragon Green paint job I am doing. One thing though, I would highly recommend that you use a wax remover, or paint surface cleaner BEFORE you rub it adown with a scotchbrite pad. That way, you don't work any silcone into the cladding making paint adhesion bad.

[thedutchguy]

How's the paint holding up?
It's been a while now.
What are your climate conditions?

[WILLY]

hey how does it hold up hitting it with the power washer at the car wash.

[Mark Miller]

Still holding up great.

I made it through the Love Bug Suicides of 2006.
I pressure wash it about once a week. I don't get the nozzel too close...

I live on a dirt road, .75 mile to my house.
Before I painted the cladding it sucked being on a dirt road because the dust would stick to the product on the cladding.

Only had the problem at the front tag that I didn't prep well, only took a minute to fix. I thought I would have had some problems with it, but really haven't.

tbigity: I think that would look great, if it doesn't work out you can paint them back.

I will post some update pics soon. The red tow hook looks cool.


Joe_Black: The love bugs were the worst I've seen in this area.
I was working with state officials to have them extradited back down, but I'll be relocating near you next year, so they can stay here.

[tbigity]

I agree...I also have some proton yellow front/rear skidplates on order from ron. This should look hot with the cladding being a starker contrast. I figured if it went south, just shoot some rhino liner on it (have some friends in the biz that will do a profesh job like they did on my colorado). Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? After all, that is why I am driving my dream car now!

I am hoping the black cladding will look hot with my new exhaust too. Just had some quad tipped 2" chrome pipes attached to some new flows. They stick out just about 2" farther than stock and look hot under the dark colored cladding. Thanks so much for posting this mark. It jump started my modding :-)

[mrlegoman]

Awesome! I'm surprised it has held up as well as it has. It was my understanding there wasn't a paint out there that would adhere properly to the cladding.

[Solitude]

well// its now been another month or so.. wonder how the progress is going with the new painted cladding... was considering line-x myself//but dang... that looks
too good not to try for the money...

[PHO2GR4]

That painted cladding looks effin' awesome. Nice work. Very very nice work.

[TEN36VX]

I really liked how Mark's cladding paint looked so I did it for myself a couple weekends ago. I got a little sloppy in a few spots but nothing I cant live with. I however only used 4 1/2 cans of paint. That left me with some touch up paint for the future. While I was at it I painted the cladding screws silver for contrast and rebadged her as a Lotus. Started getting comments (more than ussual) the next morning.

This weekend I used some of the left over paint to coat the hood insert, which turned out fabulous. Prep'ed it with Bulldog. I also tested the paint's durability with a little off-roading. It held up good. Only a few scrapes on the front piece but nothing so bad that I had to get a can out and cover it right away (you only really see it in direct sunlight).

Next paint project is the wiper arms and re-chrome the pillar badges, redden the callipers...

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/thumbs/claddingpaint1.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/claddingpaint1.jpg)
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/thumbs/claddingpaint2.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/claddingpaint2.jpg)
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/thumbs/insertpaint.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/insertpaint.jpg)

[morgan-tec]

Another great option is the Krylon Fusion paint made to bond directly to plactic.

[WormGod]

Another great option is the Krylon Fusion paint made to bond directly to plactic.

+1

Good stuff. I used it to paint my modded XBox 360, hahaha.

[Petos]

Hey, jsut came across at this link at the Russian VX site... nice......

http://www.auto.vl.ru/sales/?id=1089117

[WormGod]

Hey, jsut came across at this link at the Russian VX site... nice......

http://www.auto.vl.ru/sales/?id=1089117

I hate murals on cars. It's good looking airbrush work, but on an automobile it just looks.... eh. Never understood why people do that. Keep that sort of work limited to spare tire covers and license plates (to really show off your trailer park pride, hahaha).

[Mark Miller]

Paint still holding up good...

It just couldn't stop the 11 point deer.

http://markalexandermiller.com/VXDeer.jpg

[ZEUS]

OUCH!!! Sorry to see this happened! What's next?

[etlsport]

oof! im sorry!! looks like your hooked up to a towstrap.. the vx not run anymore?

[k4tmc]

OH NO!!! I hope the deer suffered the ultimate punishment for it's deed.

Have you submitted that photo from your original 8/29 post for the calendar?

Henry

[nfpgasmask]

Definitely! Your totaled VX needs to be immortalized in the 2007 Calender!

You should submit those first 2 photos from this thread!

Bart


OH NO!!! I hope the deer suffered the ultimate punishment for it's deed.

Have you submitted that photo from your original 8/29 post for the calendar?

Henry

[CrnCnn]

:(

[Mark Miller]

I'm thinking of having a get together,
I will be serving deer. ;)

It happened 3 hours ago, and the deer is already at the butcher.


I did drive it up on the trailer.
I will not be able to tell until morning how bad the damage is.
It is bad... but it is fixable.
I don't think she'll be totaled.

Those other pics have been so cool on the other thread I didn't even think about my pics for the calander.
http://www.markalexandermiller.com/VehicrossBlack.jpg

[PHO2GR4]

Hi Mark,

I am SO sorry about what happened to your VX! Why couldn't it have been hit by a Jeep or a 4-Runner or any other run-of-the-mill SUVs out there?!?

The VX is too rare to be wasted on a deer!

Oh well...at least you tenderized it before eating!

Keep us updated on your baby. And let us know if the deer tastes like cladding paint.

[biju]

Terribly sorry man. That 'after' pic looks nasty. May the VX Gods shine down upon you and get your ride up and running like new - speedily.

-biju.

[k4tmc]

Mark,

By all means submit those two pictures. I especially like the one above. The only thing missing is some ducks or geese on the lake and some flowering azelias, which would make for a great springtime (March - May) calendar photo. :cool:

My drive to work puts me in a protected area where deer are multiplying like rabbits. Someone hits one at least on a weekly basis. I have had a few close calls myself. :mad:

Good luck in getting the VX back in shape.

Henry

[Ldub]

That's just a gosh darn shame...sorry for your loss, that pic ought to make us all "deer paranoid" for a good long while.
I am so bummed for you after seeing that. :(
I can still remember how I felt when I tangled with a tree a couple yrs. ago...not good.
Hope you're back on the road soon.

[etlsport]

anyone tried those deer warners you can get from autoparts stores that mount to your bumper and are supposed to make some kind of terrible noise to ward off deer? looks like the two holes in our bumper on either side of the licence plate holder would make a good mounting spot for them (if you dont mind the hideous look of cheap plastic)

[k4tmc]

Etlsport,

Well...here in NC, everyone says those devices don't work. Now...they may work on some deer in other parts of the country or world.

Henry

[ZEUS]

anyone tried those deer warners you can get from autoparts stores that mount to your bumper and are supposed to make some kind of terrible noise to ward off deer? looks like the two holes in our bumper on either side of the licence plate holder would make a good mounting spot for them (if you dont mind the hideous look of cheap plastic)

I put those in the spot you described days after buying my VX - they kind of match the grill and don't look bad. I drove 35 by some antelope near the road and watched them as I approached... A few looked up to see what that noise was but they didn't move otherwise. Any other time I have come up to animals on the road I haven't noticed a reaction at all... other than my own anyway!

[Chopper]

Florida deer must all be listening to I-pods

[Mark Miller]

Started Painting My Cladding On My New VX!

Here is a comparison pic of the side painted and the rear not.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/VXsilverPainting.jpg

[JHarris1385]

Looks good. Looks like this is something for me to add to the list of things to do soon, since the weather is warming up here in Indiana.

[CrnCnn]

looks nice. I hope to do mine soon.

[Chopper]

Just a tip... if you guys are gonna do this,#1 pull the cladding off the vehicle (the paint will better "wrap" around the edges, and prevent future lifting or peeling) #2 get a cleaner (like ''scuff stuff"or pre-clean) clean all of it, all the way around, and allow to dry thoroughly #3 scuff it up a bit with 380 or 400 paper ( pay attention to edges-screw holes. scuff everywhere #4 use good paint(SEM trim and bumper) consider an adhesion promoter (Bulldog) Several thinner coats are much better than a couple of heavy ones. Allow maximum drying time before reassembly Schedule a whole weekeend, don't be in a hurry. Follow all these steps, and you will enjoy a professional, long lasting, upgrade. Wayne

[Mark Miller]

I did this one a bit different than before.

I did pull the front nose cladding off, but not the rest.

I washed and
then used prep paint grease wax remover,
scuffed with scotch brite pads,
then again used the paint prep grease/wax remover,
then I used an aderhison promoter primmer (3 coats)
then about three coats of the bumper coating.
I'm letting it cure for about 3 days.

Painted the cladding bolts silver. Looks very cool.

I'm working on the inside too. I replaced them rear speakers and added a sub to the back. Just need to button inside back up.

[onebadtrooper]

My moms is still holding up great.about 6 months now.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c317/onebadtrooper/vehi-cross%20repaint/Picture085.jpg

[tysamigo]

Wow, the pics look great. A few Q's, beware that I don't know much about paint and almost feel like I should find someone who can help me with this or do it for me, but:

If a shopping cart or something similar hits this cladding after it's painted, will that area need to be touched up?

Are there any disadvantages to having the cladding painted?

I think painting the cladding on a Proton would be a big improvement and look great.

[Mark Miller]

If the paint gets bumped off, yes it will need to be touched up.

Here she is:

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/SilverVX%20030a.jpg

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/SilverVX%20033a.jpg

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/SilverVX%20012a.jpg

[rowhard]

Deer whistles:, maybe (knock on wood) things just don't happen to me, but I have had them on the VX and my truck and had never had a problem with deer. Now watch, tomorrow morning a herd of deer and elk will fall on me from a great height. I mounted them right where etlsport mentioned. They blend right in and their is room for the PIAA 2100 series driving lights in the same hole.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/IMG_0001-2.JPG (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG_0001-2.JPG)

[biju]

http://www.markalexandermiller.com/SilverVX%20012a.jpg
2008 Cal. candidate!! :smack::smack:

-biju

[JHarris1385]

where did you get the honeycomb grill?

[Knigh7s]

where did you get the honeycomb grill?
Looks to be the stock grill, just painted. I could be wrong. The one from VXConcepts has a small honeycomb pattern.

@Mark Miller
Your knew VX is looking pretty nice!

[CrnCnn]

Hey Mark,

Did you paint your hood insert too? I really need to redo all my cladding and the insert. Hopefully in a month or two.

[Mark Miller]

The grill is just painted.

When I get the chance I'm painting the mirror housings and the hood insert( satin black).

[ZEUS]

Mr. Miller, thank you for the inspiration. I am going to paint my cladding! BUT I am going for Dupli-Color's bed coating on the cladding for a slightly more "aggressive" look. Later, I am going to use the bumper paint for the mirrors, hood insert, grill, roof rails and wing, and also, the half moon. Who knows, I might even paint the cladding bolts silver! Wish me luck, I am off to the store to get stuff! :)

[Ascinder]

Just be careful with that Bedliner paint ZEUS, I am sure you have seen the post where someone did theirs with the roller type bedliner and it looks like gravity took effect. They had kind of an uneven coating with sags and ripples and such. I know others have done it and it looks great though. IMHO it looks awesome and I think I will do mine sooner or later.

[ZEUS]

I think you mean SPAZZ, who spray-coated his entire VX with LineX. It looks a lot better in person than it does on screen - the screen adds 5 pounds ya know! I tested the look of the DupliColor bedliner on my trailer and I think it is going to look great on the trailer AND the cladding. I pulled the front bumper last night so I could do a better job on it. I will test it on the backside first though.

[Ascinder]

the screen adds 5 pounds ya know

LOL!!! Yeah, I know, I did the Duplicolor? bedliner on my truck's bed about 8 years ago with the rattlecan version and it worked out great. I also recently used some on my spare FAL rifle magazines to add some grip. I just wasn't so sure about the roll-on/spray-on approach since some people had commented about SPAZZ's pics at the time. Good luck man, can't wait to see how it turns out!

[SilverBullet75]

It's been almost a year or so now...
How is the bumper paint holding up???
thanks,
---JIM---

[tomdietrying]

I just painted a Line-X bro (bra) :) Thursday. I liked it so much I took it back Saturday and had the front cladding done. It looks really good IMO. I want to take some pics after I get a good cleaning on it. I'll do it this weekend.
Peace.
Tom
012009

[TexVeX]

Are those pics in your gallery tom? I'll go check when I am done reading. I have been away from the forums, hardly being online at all for a while But I have been browsing and searching today. Have I missed any north Texas get togethers? I should give someone my contact phone number in case I am not online when stuff happens locally.

[Spyder]

LOL....Here is the update: 8 years later on the painting of the cladding. The paint on the cladding lasted about 3-4 years. I painted it again and it lasted 3-4 years. Now in 2014 I painted it again......
I also painted the door handles and roof rack.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/1vx3.jpg
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/vxspeirparkJPG.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VoI3KLq9NLE/VGL5ZsbzcmI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/nPMY1ZBhcKc/w715-h534-no/image.jpg