How to remove grill slats, after minor disaster?

[robt350c]

Tripple bugger.... Feel a lot sick.

Spent the day yesterday tidying up various bits on my Rapide S, made a lovely job of removing the scratches and swirls from the interior piano black trim bits.

Thought I'd have a go with some autosol metal polish starting with a bit of a tidy of the front grill. First disaster, stood on new full tube without the cap on...



Second, decided to speed up the process and get out my dremmel... All was going fine until the polishing head flew off and high speed spinning metal impacted the grill slat...

Finally, ok thinks me, that's not too bad a mark I'll just polish it out... Was going great, marks pretty much gone, thought I'd just give it a bit more.... And that's when I discovered it's an anodised coating...



Damage is on top slat, just off central to the right and spot on where it catches the light...



Gutted does not adequately describe my feelings!

So how to go about fixing? I've seen a place in Birmingham (I'm in Warrington) recommended on the forum (badger anodising), but how do I get the grill/slats out and back in without more damage... I've seen lots of videos around vantages and db9's but none on the rapide s.

Is it possible to just pull the slats out in situ without full grill removal (have seen some people suggest this)?

If not and I have to take out the grill and fully disassemble, has anyone done this on a rapide s? And also, any tips (other than a tape measure..) for reassembling precisely so that everything lines up with the fixings and slat alignment in the bumper?

Help!

[robt350c]

Or alternatively could I touch it up with something to make less obvious?

[Riddochg]

I feel your pain! I once snapped the head off a spark plug on my TVR Tuscan when tightening without a torque wrench...

I have a Vantage and have replaced the grill myself not sure if Rapide is the same.

On the vantage the slats can be eased out, they just clip into the plastic uprights. Start at one end and see if you can ease it out. If that works there you go.

Other way to do it is to remove the full grill assembly. Open the bonnet and look down behind the grill if you can. The plastic uprights that hold the slats are bolted into a frame. If you can see them a screwdriver between the slats from the front will get them out, then the whole grill assembly lifts out. At least that's how it works on the vantage. Good luck!

[robt350c]

Thanks for the info, the pain has subsided a bit and I'm just not looking at it for the moment...

Will give it a go easing the slats out, there's much talk about snapping the plastic bits so will be extra careful. I'll likely leave it for a few months till less hassle travelling about etc. to get re-anondised.

[darreni]

Is it possible to remove the individual slat, turn it upside down & the refit?

[JonnyCJ]

Aleo plating in Liverpool are also very good at unplating and replating stuff. John the owner is an Everton fan, so get him on the subject of footy and he'll do you a good deal :-)

I would take out the whole grille and carefully ! it's easy to scratch the aperture and with your current luck.....

Incidentally, your first pic reminds me of Baconsarney after his trip to the garden centre !

Edited by JonnyCJ on Monday 8th March 11:08

[robt350c]

darreni said:

Is it possible to remove the individual slat, turn it upside down & the refit?

Now that would make it a lot less noticeable, does anyone know it fhis is possible?

[robt350c]

JonnyCJ said:

Aleo plating in Liverpool are also very good at unplating and replating stuff. John the owner is an Everton fan, so get him on the subject of footy and he'll do you a good deal :-)

I would take out the whole grille and carefully ! it's easy to scratch the aperture and with your current luck.....

Incidentally, your first pic reminds me of Baconsarney after his trip to the garden centre !

Edited by JonnyCJ on Monday 8th March 11:08

Thanks, will look into the Aleo plating place, a lot closer than Birmingham...

[robt350c]

robt350c said:

darreni said:

Is it possible to remove the individual slat, turn it upside down & the refit?

Now that would make it a lot less noticeable, does anyone know it fhis is possible?

Scratch that idea, just checked and unfortunately is different underneath.....

[Kestrel68]

I would caution against trying to "ease" out one of the slats. While I can't speak definitively about the Rapide S grill, the grill slats on the Virage - which appears to be much the same with the solid slats - are affixed (riveted, it would appear) to the uprights from behind. As a result, removing an individual slat will likely require removal of the grill and drilling out of the rivet.

I am looking at options to refinish the clouded lacquer on my grill but it does appear to be a somewhat complicated process...

[LTP]

Kestrel68 said:

I would caution against trying to "ease" out one of the slats. While I can't speak definitively about the Rapide S grill, the grill slats on the Virage - which appears to be much the same with the solid slats - are affixed (riveted, it would appear) to the uprights from behind. As a result, removing an individual slat will likely require removal of the grill and drilling out of the rivet.

I think different grilles and vanes for various models over time used different attachment techniques. My Vantage certainly looks like they push into the plastic uprights and have a "barb" section on the underside to help retention. There may be a mechanical fix somewhere but I couldn't see one from a casual inspection. I believe the new generation cars have vanes that attach from the back with screws, and the extruded sections have a groove to the screw to engage into.

Aston are one of the few, if not the only car that use metal vanes and still meet the latest pedestrian safety legislation. Most others are into chromed plastic

[AMV12VS]

Hi robt350c, what did you use to remove the scratches/swirls from the piano black trim? I'm looking to buff up the centre console trim on my Vantage but don't fancy risking the trial and error with random products.

Thanks

[sirmarcus]

AMV12VS said:

Hi robt350c, what did you use to remove the scratches/swirls from the piano black trim? I'm looking to buff up the centre console trim on my Vantage but don't fancy risking the trial and error with random products.

Thanks

+1 for this - I'm looking to do the same on my DB9 but don't want to use something which makes it worse.

Good luck with the grille - once your heart rate settles back down i'm sure you'll sort it.

[Bazziz]

+ 1 from me too, very keen to know what best product to use on piano black trim. Have tried meguiars scratch x on a small section but seemed to make no difference. Currently debating whether to treat myself and have it all converted to carbon via ECPS.

[robt350c]

Bazziz said:

+ 1 from me too, very keen to know what best product to use on piano black trim. Have tried meguiars scratch x on a small section but seemed to make no difference. Currently debating whether to treat myself and have it all converted to carbon via ECPS.

I'd almost forgotten about the grill till this came up again :-) I left it as it was in the end as nobody but me could even spot in.

On the black trim front (not sure if yours is the same as the rapide trim), I started with least aggressive, autogylm srp which did not very much so moved up in abrasiveness of polishes through menzerna 2000, 1000 and finally very aggressive 400. It seemed to be as hard as marble but using the 400 followed by 2000 really brought it back to a clear glossy black finish.

Goes without saying though, be careful!!!!!

[GTRene]

a world problem :-)
but... I feel your pain.

maybe if you still want it a little bit better? you can apply some matt clear coat on the now shiny spot?

[Bazziz]

robt350c said:

Bazziz said:

+ 1 from me too, very keen to know what best product to use on piano black trim. Have tried meguiars scratch x on a small section but seemed to make no difference. Currently debating whether to treat myself and have it all converted to carbon via ECPS.

I'd almost forgotten about the grill till this came up again :-) I left it as it was in the end as nobody but me could even spot in.

On the black trim front (not sure if yours is the same as the rapide trim), I started with least aggressive, autogylm srp which did not very much so moved up in abrasiveness of polishes through menzerna 2000, 1000 and finally very aggressive 400. It seemed to be as hard as marble but using the 400 followed by 2000 really brought it back to a clear glossy black finish.

Goes without saying though, be careful!!!!!

Many thanks for the response, did you remove the centre console panels from the car or do it all in situ?

[robt350c]

Bazziz said:

Many thanks for the response, did you remove the centre console panels from the car or do it all in situ?

Did it all in situ, just masked it off including the button labels.