Black Is Back, GoodBye Chrome. NeW PiCs
07-24-2009, 07:15 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 535
Ok so my project to get rid of chrome is coming along. So far the wheels have gone from stock 18's to sport 19's and painted k51 color code which is a very dark grey. Next on my list was pushing out the rear wheels just a little so installed H & R's 5mm spacers, no need to put in bigger studs. Then I replaced the chrome lug nuts with Nismo 34mm LugNuts, and replaced the Plastic air valve stem with Nismo Valve Stem. Next I wanted to get rid of the awful Chrome and give this car a sporty look. So we painted the door handles black and the push botton Silver Grey, the trimming on the front bumper grille recieved black replacing any chrome, the window lining recieved also a SilverGrey color, the rear and front emblems also recieved Silver Grey and as well as the chrome piece under the rear emblem. Next we installed Stillens front lip and rear upper wing. Last thing was getting the Rear taillights painted to give it that smoked look. Next thing on the list is Eibach springs, which hopefull will be in by the end of this week or early next week (Cmon Josh tell those people to get those springs rolling already). So thats it for now here are some pics, any compliments or negative remarks are welcomed. Not all of us have the same taste, so I don't expect all of you to like what I did. I know most of you are into the 22's and the chrome, just not my style.
08-06-2009, 06:40 PM
#48
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Miami
Posts: 209
Orginally I was going to paint it black, and this one piece really had me thinking, I only painted it carbon grey because I wanted to continue the scheme i was doing with black and carbon grey, I really like the way it looks but also wished i would of just done it black, I think it would of looked better in black, but yea if anyone could photochop it to black that would be great, if it looks good enough who knows maybe i'll go back to the shop and get it painted black. Thanx for removing the emblem, looks good like that as well.
09-11-2009, 04:13 AM
#55
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 23
Love the car!
I've spent the past couple months debating which car to get to replace my '06 G35 Coupe. I kicked around a TON of ideas, but ultimately settled on purchasing a Nissan/Infiniti product.
To make a long story short, I happened upon these message boards and the pictures of THIS car played a big part in convincing me to proceed with a Maxima purchase (I'm picking my '09 SV Precision Gray up tomorrow morning). Of course, 0% financing for 60 months doesn't hurt either!!
One thing I will say is that I DESPISE chrome. All I can think about when I see chrome are the cheap car accessories that they sell in the automotive aisle at Wal-Mart. For this reason, I had practically written off the idea of buying a Maxima.
I have done some limited research into how to correctly paint chrome, and will get the trim-work painted (around windows/grill/that big fat rear piece) at a friend's body shop.
The only parts that make me nervous are the door handles. Being that I live in Weston, FL (just west of Fort Lauderdale), I may get the door handles done by the shop that you used in Miami (if you would recommend their work).
Anyway, here's something I found on the web about painting chrome. Thought I'd share the info for anyone interested:
"Since I build and paint custom motorcycles almost exclusively, I can tell you that I have excellent luck with this formula....All things considered, ie, no rust, pitting, peeling of chrome or such.
1) sand with 180 grit on a dual action sander. this seems like a coarse grit, but you are sanding metal, not paint or primer,it is not going that deep. Make sure that the whole thing looks flat and dull and ugly. Use a sander if possible to give the cross hatch sand pattern. A linear sand scratch feels rough, but look at the sand cuts in a microscope to see that they are smooth cuts in the same direction. Paint will not stick very well to this.
2)Clean off with thinner to remove dust and oils from your hands etc.
3) Etch prime area to be painted. I use Sherwin Williams GBP etch in a spray can. It's killer!
4) Prime with good urethane primer.
5)Sand with 400 or finer paper up to 800 prior to the painting process. Due to the new high solids paints these days, finer scratches are ok, the paint will stick to them.
6) Shoot a good coat of sealer on and then paint.
I have never had a single panel of painted chrome come back to me for chipping or peeling. You won't go wrong if this procedure is followed. I gave you the body shop fix for all this... if you do not have access to the tools and materials I mentioned, have a body shop get to the etch prime stage. The rest can be done with rattle cans and hand sanding. If you really want this to look good and last, spend the money and do it right. Good luck! I hope this helps."
Cheers, and thanks again for posting up these inspiring pictures!
I've spent the past couple months debating which car to get to replace my '06 G35 Coupe. I kicked around a TON of ideas, but ultimately settled on purchasing a Nissan/Infiniti product.
To make a long story short, I happened upon these message boards and the pictures of THIS car played a big part in convincing me to proceed with a Maxima purchase (I'm picking my '09 SV Precision Gray up tomorrow morning). Of course, 0% financing for 60 months doesn't hurt either!!
One thing I will say is that I DESPISE chrome. All I can think about when I see chrome are the cheap car accessories that they sell in the automotive aisle at Wal-Mart. For this reason, I had practically written off the idea of buying a Maxima.
I have done some limited research into how to correctly paint chrome, and will get the trim-work painted (around windows/grill/that big fat rear piece) at a friend's body shop.
The only parts that make me nervous are the door handles. Being that I live in Weston, FL (just west of Fort Lauderdale), I may get the door handles done by the shop that you used in Miami (if you would recommend their work).
Anyway, here's something I found on the web about painting chrome. Thought I'd share the info for anyone interested:
"Since I build and paint custom motorcycles almost exclusively, I can tell you that I have excellent luck with this formula....All things considered, ie, no rust, pitting, peeling of chrome or such.
1) sand with 180 grit on a dual action sander. this seems like a coarse grit, but you are sanding metal, not paint or primer,it is not going that deep. Make sure that the whole thing looks flat and dull and ugly. Use a sander if possible to give the cross hatch sand pattern. A linear sand scratch feels rough, but look at the sand cuts in a microscope to see that they are smooth cuts in the same direction. Paint will not stick very well to this.
2)Clean off with thinner to remove dust and oils from your hands etc.
3) Etch prime area to be painted. I use Sherwin Williams GBP etch in a spray can. It's killer!
4) Prime with good urethane primer.
5)Sand with 400 or finer paper up to 800 prior to the painting process. Due to the new high solids paints these days, finer scratches are ok, the paint will stick to them.
6) Shoot a good coat of sealer on and then paint.
I have never had a single panel of painted chrome come back to me for chipping or peeling. You won't go wrong if this procedure is followed. I gave you the body shop fix for all this... if you do not have access to the tools and materials I mentioned, have a body shop get to the etch prime stage. The rest can be done with rattle cans and hand sanding. If you really want this to look good and last, spend the money and do it right. Good luck! I hope this helps."
Cheers, and thanks again for posting up these inspiring pictures!
09-11-2009, 05:34 AM
#57
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Miami
Posts: 209
Here's are some recent NeW PiCs. I highly recommend Miami Chassidy. So fR ive had no problem or chipping from any of the parts they painted over the chrome. Also im very happy to hear i helped u in ur decision to buy the max.
09-12-2009, 02:11 PM
#61
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Miami
Posts: 209
If chrome is for you then go for it. I think chrome makes the car to flashy and reminds me of the cheap chrome pieces people add to there cars to make there cars stand out. Everytime i see chrome it reminds me when i go to Pepboys and see all the chrome add ons. Thanx for the feedback though.
09-12-2009, 03:02 PM
#63
If chrome is for you then go for it. I think chrome makes the car to flashy and reminds me of the cheap chrome pieces people add to there cars to make there cars stand out. Everytime i see chrome it reminds me when i go to Pepboys and see all the chrome add ons. Thanx for the feedback though.
09-13-2009, 02:29 PM
#64
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 23
Well, due to some last minute decisions, I ended up with a Super Black '09 SV with the Technology Package (26 miles on it!). They already had a moonroof wind-deflector installed, and I can't decide if I should leave it on or remove it.
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
09-13-2009, 07:40 PM
#65
Well, due to some last minute decisions, I ended up with a Super Black '09 SV with the Technology Package (26 miles on it!). They already had a moonroof wind-deflector installed, and I can't decide if I should leave it on or remove it.
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
Hey, if you can get rid of the roof deflector, do it. Take it off. Why? Take a look at all BMWs, Benz, Lexus, Audis, they do not put deflectors on their cars. Keeping it classy. I admire your 09s without a deflector. My 08 has a deflector, don't really like it, but its ok.
I don't know if you guys have noticed, but the rear of the Benz C300 looks kind of similar to rear of the 09 Max.
09-13-2009, 08:08 PM
#66
Well, due to some last minute decisions, I ended up with a Super Black '09 SV with the Technology Package (26 miles on it!). They already had a moonroof wind-deflector installed, and I can't decide if I should leave it on or remove it.
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
09-14-2009, 07:50 PM
#68
MaxDOuT - What can I say, bro? You have taken this thing to another level. Some here want you to black out everything.
All black is great, but has been done by so many folks over the years. It is nice to see some artistic variation, which you have done with the gray accents.
I think that is a classy touch, and truly makes your car unique. Many folks are enamoured with 22" wheels and tires.
I agree 22" wheels and tires look fine, but if a car is to be really driven on the open road, roads with potholes, twisting driveways
with drain gullies at the entrance, etc, 19" wheels and tires have many advantages over 22" wheels and tires.
If I see your car on the roadway, you better believe I will notice. You will know it is me going by if you see me gaping at your car with my jaw on my chest.
All black is great, but has been done by so many folks over the years. It is nice to see some artistic variation, which you have done with the gray accents.
I think that is a classy touch, and truly makes your car unique. Many folks are enamoured with 22" wheels and tires.
I agree 22" wheels and tires look fine, but if a car is to be really driven on the open road, roads with potholes, twisting driveways
with drain gullies at the entrance, etc, 19" wheels and tires have many advantages over 22" wheels and tires.
If I see your car on the roadway, you better believe I will notice. You will know it is me going by if you see me gaping at your car with my jaw on my chest.
^ my thoughts exactly especially the jaw on my chest part.
09-19-2009, 03:54 PM
#75
09-19-2009, 08:46 PM
#76
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Yonkers, NY
Posts: 502
i have two questions for you....are your rims painted wet black?
and how did you gray out the chrome window trim? because my painter said no matter what if he paints it (since its stainless steel) it will always chip
and how did you gray out the chrome window trim? because my painter said no matter what if he paints it (since its stainless steel) it will always chip
09-20-2009, 07:29 AM
#77
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Miami
Posts: 209
The rims are a Wet Dark Grey/Black and the trimmings I'm not sure how the shop did it but they had the car for 5 or 6days so my guess is they Sanded down the trimmings to its bear and then painted it, it would be the only way for the paint to stay. If anyone paints over chrome then yes the paint will chip. Its been over 3 months and no paint chipping yet.
09-22-2009, 09:42 PM
#79
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: South Florida
Posts: 113
Well, due to some last minute decisions, I ended up with a Super Black '09 SV with the Technology Package (26 miles on it!). They already had a moonroof wind-deflector installed, and I can't decide if I should leave it on or remove it.
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
I'm getting the windows tinted tomorrow. Looking to have the Eibach's installed within a week or two.
After that, I'll have the Stillen lip put on, still debating on the roof spoiler.
I've decided to choose a nice '19 rim (I'm looking at some cool Tenzo multi-spokes in Titanium gray) and then get the chrome finished to match the rims. Not in a hurry to do this, I'll wait for a "deal".
I'm not looking for any performance mods, the car has plenty of power already! Wouldn't mind replacing the exhaust tips at some point with some that look a bit beefier (think G35 Coupe).
***I have put less than 100 miles on the car, and the "Service Engine Soon" light came on today...I tightened the gas cap, which was tight already. Now I'm crossing my fingers.
Did anyone else experience this?
Cheers!
1. If you're replacing your rims, then you're better off going with 20's. The tires for 19's cost more due to the odd size, and the cost difference for the rims between the 19's and 20's is usually negligible.
2. I had the SES light twice. The first time they had to replace the evaporator. The second time I was the gas cap. When the problem is gas cap related it can take upto 3 days for the system to reset after tightening the cap.
Good luck with you rim selection & the SES light.
