Toyota Corolla DIY

Okay. Can’t really stand too much chrome on the car. Did when I had the PT Cruiser, but not the Corolla. SO, I like the look the XRS has with the matching body color grill. Instead of buying one or looking for one, I just made my own…..sort of.

Items needed:
1 or 2 small flat head screwdrivers (maybe more depending on your dexterity)
1 Phillips Screwdriver
240 Grit sand paper.
Laquer Thinner (maybe)
Primer, (YOUR Color) Paint, Clear coat.
A LOT OF TIME and PATIENCE…

Started out undoing the stock grill….very easy if you have taken it off before. Just three screw need to be undone on top and un-do the four clips on the bottom, back side of the grill. Then your car will look like this…

After taking the grill off, you’ll need to pry, work, unclip the chrome part of the grill. It IS made of plastic so if you get TOO pissed off it will break. BE CAREFUL. This is where that TIME factor comes in. Don’t rush it. Use the small flat head screw driver to “unclip” the chrome part of the grill.


Work from the bottom to the top. It is much easier to take the bottom six or eight off FIRST. THEN the sides. Then the top clips which are the most difficult. After you have the unclipped, you’ll have something that looks like a 2003 gill…but with some holes in it.

Now the fun part. Take your 240 grit sand paper and scuff your nicely chromed grill. YES, you’ll ruin your nice stock grill. Don’t worry, you’re going to paint it anyway. Even though the stupid A$$ can says to sand with 400 grit and just paint without primer, I used 240 to get more off, and then primed it with simple the usual touch up paint primer. Then you get this…

Spray one or two LIGHT coats, FIRST. Don’t spray it all on at once. That’s where you get the drips and runs. After you get the first coat, THEN get a good coat to cover the entire chrome portion.

After about ten minutes, or when it’s dry to the touch, spray your paint on….in the same manner as the primer. A light coat or two, and then good coats to cover the grill. Even though my color said I didn’t need any clear coat afterwards, I did so anyway to get a better look. THIS is what it looks like afterwards…

After at LEAST three or four hours, or when it is completely dry (weather conditions will affect this), you can put the grill back together and reinstall it. I, however, was doing some driving and didn’t feel like scratching it just yet and waiting about 2 days before I put the newly painted portion in.

THIS is what it looks like now.

VIOLA!!! XRS GRILL!!!