Achieving "brushed" look on e90 grills

///AV_330i · 09-15-2009, 09:46 PM

Okay so i know it may sound kind of crazy initially, but I was thinking that in order to make the e90 grills look like brushed aluminum rather than chrome, I could take steel wool and scratch them in one direction, taking away their shine. Was also considering this the the window trim, to make it look more like that of the coupes and match the finish on the 335 tailpipes. Dumb or not really?

S65V8 · 09-15-2009, 10:03 PM

don't do it. it won't come out even.

///AV_330i · 09-15-2009, 10:15 PM

Just to give you an idea of what it would look like. this was a picture from a DIY thread about painting the grills black

iheartsole · 09-15-2009, 11:31 PM

looks alright. any pics installed

JoeyBananaz18 · 09-15-2009, 11:42 PM

do it. id love to see how this turns out.

BMWPower06 · 09-15-2009, 11:48 PM

DO IT!! I wanna see this!!

Craig@SupremePower · 09-16-2009, 12:30 AM

gonna be tough to make it look right...

MuchMoore · 09-16-2009, 12:44 AM

You might be better off painting them silver and then flat clearing.

XPO186 · 09-16-2009, 12:45 AM

I've done it... Actually I think it looks great. It looks better than the brushed aluminum trim IMO. Do a search... someone else on the forum has already done it.

Also, make sure to just use a regular scotch brite pad... not steel wool. Take your time, and make sure to go in one direction only

XPO186 · 09-16-2009, 12:58 AM

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122927

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...41&postcount=1

///AV_330i · 09-16-2009, 02:42 AM

Just did it

Couldnt sleep so I just turned my garage lights on...
only thing im not wild about is that i scuffed the chrome slats too, and now they are less noticible (making it look more like a 325/328 grill) so i may go to home depot and get some stainless steel tape, that might take care of it.

._. · 09-16-2009, 08:53 AM

The slats being plastic can also be given the brushed Al affect? Or does it just sand it off?

///AV_330i · 09-16-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r45t4m4n

The slats being plastic can also be given the brushed Al affect? Or does it just sand it off?

You can if you want, but they have muchhhhh less room to sand then the other 2 pieces, so if you want to sand then dont do more than one or two passes with the sandpaper. Or you can just leave them chrome

ak335 · 09-17-2009, 07:16 PM

Picsss

///AV_330i · 09-17-2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ak335

Picsss

Get it back tomorrow dealers fixing the bumper. Will do. Next us is spacers

09-15-2009, 09:46 PM	#1
///AV_330i Lieutenant 47 Rep 455 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia iTrader: (1)	Achieving "brushed" look on e90 grills Okay so i know it may sound kind of crazy initially, but I was thinking that in order to make the e90 grills look like brushed aluminum rather than chrome, I could take steel wool and scratch them in one direction, taking away their shine. Was also considering this the the window trim, to make it look more like that of the coupes and match the finish on the 335 tailpipes. Dumb or not really?
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09-15-2009, 10:03 PM	#2
S65V8 _ 808 Rep 3,160 Posts Drives: ... Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (10)	don't do it. it won't come out even.
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09-15-2009, 10:15 PM	#3
///AV_330i Lieutenant 47 Rep 455 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia iTrader: (1)	Just to give you an idea of what it would look like. this was a picture from a DIY thread about painting the grills black Attached Images
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09-15-2009, 11:31 PM	#4
iheartsole Brigadier General 85 Rep 4,929 Posts Drives: 08 335i coupe Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Diego iTrader: (2)	looks alright. any pics installed
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09-15-2009, 11:42 PM	#5
JoeyBananaz18 Brigadier General 398 Rep 4,084 Posts Drives: metrocard Join Date: May 2009 Location: Whitestone, NY iTrader: (3)	do it. id love to see how this turns out. __________________ 7/18/09- I pick up my baby- 2009 E92 335i Xdrive, Space Gray over Coral Red. Premium Pkg, Cold Weather Pkg, M-Sport Pkg, 193Ms, Gloss Black grills, Custom Gloss Black Mirrors, Performance shift and E-brake boot, M3 spoiler, Euro fog switch, gloss black interior tim, Coco-Mats (red/black), H&R coilovers, 19'' Alufelgen SF-71s......
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09-15-2009, 11:48 PM	#6
BMWPower06 A^M=G is nothing w/o the Power of ///M 171 Rep 1,816 Posts Drives: ///M5 & ///M3 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Washington D.C. iTrader: (0)	DO IT!! I wanna see this!! __________________ Indianapolis Red BMW ///M5
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09-16-2009, 12:30 AM	#7
Craig@SupremePower G.O.A.T.! 1000 Rep 74,998 Posts Drives: '18 GMC Yukon XL Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (14)	gonna be tough to make it look right...
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09-16-2009, 12:44 AM	#8
MuchMoore Colonel 82 Rep 2,325 Posts Drives: 08 E90 335i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: CenFla iTrader: (28)	You might be better off painting them silver and then flat clearing. __________________ \| Andrew \| M Technik \| BMW Performance \| BBS \| Forge \| V1 \| LUX \| Bilstein \| Precision-Sport \|
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09-16-2009, 12:45 AM	#9
XPO186 Colonel 128 Rep 2,740 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: May 2007 Location: Albany, NY iTrader: (19)	I've done it... Actually I think it looks great. It looks better than the brushed aluminum trim IMO. Do a search... someone else on the forum has already done it. Also, make sure to just use a regular scotch brite pad... not steel wool. Take your time, and make sure to go in one direction only __________________
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09-16-2009, 12:58 AM	#10
XPO186 Colonel 128 Rep 2,740 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: May 2007 Location: Albany, NY iTrader: (19)	http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122927 http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...41&postcount=1 __________________
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09-16-2009, 02:42 AM	#11
///AV_330i Lieutenant 47 Rep 455 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i sport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia iTrader: (1)	Just did it Couldnt sleep so I just turned my garage lights on... only thing im not wild about is that i scuffed the chrome slats too, and now they are less noticible (making it look more like a 325/328 grill) so i may go to home depot and get some stainless steel tape, that might take care of it.
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09-16-2009, 08:53 AM	#12
._. Colonel 74 Rep 2,353 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Miami iTrader: (15)	The slats being plastic can also be given the brushed Al affect? Or does it just sand it off?
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09-17-2009, 07:16 PM	#14
ak335 Lieutenant Colonel 117 Rep 1,564 Posts Drives: Cayman S Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Northern Va iTrader: (3)	Picsss __________________
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