Ok, I have searched and searched and searched and cannot find how to do this anywhere!!! I tried looking and just cannot see what is holding the grill into place and how to take it off. Do you have to take off bumper, also if you could please point me in the right direction.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....33#post3526033
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....14#post2618114

 

There's a how to in this thread near the end too. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ighlight=grill

 

Thanks guys, that really helped me out a lot, I will have to take it out tomorrow, I am going to paint it black and leave the Nissan emblem chrome.

 

Sweet I love the way that looks.

But if I may offer a suggestion ...

If you get the black chrome emblem it would really bring it all together! The original chrome emblem is too bright after the grill is painted black IMO

http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...Category_Code=

It may fit on the 5th Gen, another method is to use a light coat of black tint spray to make it appear black chrome.

Best of luck!

 

Well I painted it and I love it!!! It flows great with the car, oh and thanks Jess for the suggestion, it would look sweet it's just not in my budget to spend that on an emblem, that's why my last few mods have been little DIY's. Check my sig for a pic of it.

 

I like the way it looks on a dark car.


Another cheap DIY project on a dark car is to remove the window trim and paint the chrome black. It's a little more involved than the grill project but it really smoothes out the look of a dark colored car.


Also debadging, swapping out the chrome tails for 00/02 SE tails and painting the keyhole and muffler black.

 

^

Very nice! Looks good.

To the OP: There's always a cheap can of $2 window tint at the local hobby store It'll appear to be hyper black / chrome black once you're done.

 

a black grill is a must on a black maxima

 

Hope you primed the grille before you painted it...I didn't b/c I had this "no priming necessary" plastic spray paint, but failed to consider that road debris would be hitting the grille at speeds of 120mph at times.

2 chips in the paint already, gonna re-do it one of these days...

 

 

nice sooner when you leaving for korea.

 

i used about 5 layers of black paint and 3 layers of clear coat. i just drove 1300 miles from VA to OK and it still looks great.

 

Wow,long trip.Most Ive ever driven was about 10 hrs straight.Just stopping for food ,gas and pee breaks.

 

which type of paint did you use? any certain kind. have a link for them?

 

i still like the Ti grille, but maybe with black pearl emblem, and some subtle dark silver mesh behind it. . .I've seen like one person on here ever have it like that.

 

 

thanks. what if you shot the (mach 1?) lip with that paint to match. think it would flow a little better.

 

Is the 2001 Max grill always permenantly attached to the bumper?? My maxima was in an accident about 4 years ago, and the new grill is literally molded onto the bumper.. what is up with that??

 

It flows fine the way it is but i agree, it would look better painted.

 

the 00/01 grill is different and is part of the whole bumper.

 

the lip is really on there to protect everything else past it (LTB, etc) and the lower edge gets hit a lot (curbs, speed bumps, etc). its very bendable and doesnt crack. if i painted it, the paint would crack and chip every time it bent.

 

After a light sanding I used a coat of primer and several coats of satin black Rustoleum outdoor furniture paint for metal furniture. It's very tough and made to handle the weather. I dusted the final coats on to get a rough but even texture like the black part of a plastic bumper. That lets you get a very even texture like it came from the factory that way. Several thousand miles including some 5 hour interstate trips and no chips.

 

is this how you remove it?