noodle9527

I have a 2018 Q7 in Samurai Grey, lately I've been regretting the decision of not getting the black optics package (didn't think it was worth it at the time and like the 20inch wheels better) and with my wife's car in the shop for coating I asked them the price for chrome delete for the grille and window trim.

I've done some more research since then into the topic and I can see 3 options:

-Vinyl wrap: which shouldn't require taking the parts off so it'd be the safest option but this shop mentioned a price of $700-900
-Buy and replace the grille: new ones from various audi dealers are around $520, but not sure how much the installation would be at the dealer?
-Repaint the grille: not sure how this works out cost wise as I haven't asked anywhere about it.

Anyone has gone through with a change like this and what would you recommend?

Eric@BDWheels

I've mentioned this before on another post. If you really want to save money and have 2-3 hours to kill on the weekend, you can DIY with Plasti-Dip. These days they have so many different finishes from matte, to satin, to gloss, you can almost achieve any finish you would like. A majority of the car community frowns on plasti-dip but I think it's a totally viable option when applied correctly. I had done a chrome delete on an IS200t I had years back and I had no issues with chipping, peeling etc in the two years of daily driving it.

billm0066

I see almost all positive things about Plastidip. People dip their exotic cars with it. Its the same route I would go.

Daniel Torres

I am actually in the process of blacking out all of my chrome on the Q7, and will try and upload a video when I am done. In my opinion, you should go with Vinyl wrap, here is why. Every single Car/ Truck that I have owned I blacked out the chrome, on the first 3 vehicles I used plasti-dip mainly because I was intimidated by the wrapping, once I tried it and realized it's not that hard I never went back to Plasti-dip unless its the emblems but even then they are not that expensive on eBay. Plasti-dip is good don't get me wrong but you will have to redo the prosses in about 2 years maybe less depending on how often you wash your car if you plasti-dip your front grill it will look good for about 1 month, why? Because at 65+ mph those bugs and little road rocks will chip away that dip faster than you can peel it off and that stuff peels of fast. My front grill I am going to update it to the RS look and figure out how to install myself LLTeK replacement RS grills for Audi Q7 All of my wrappings I have bought from https://www.metrorestyling.com/Black...p-s/354457.htm all of the emblems I got from eBay, so far I have spent less than $200 I will post the final numbers when I am done though so you can have a better idea and upload some pictures later today when I get home. Hope this helps.

billm0066

You can buy that grill from ebay for like half that price. Please shop around.

Daniel Torres

Yes and I have gone that route for my A4 and S4 and both faded in less than a year. I have heard good things about lltek so I'm hoping that for the extra $200 I'm spending I get better quality than the made in China ones.

Use to be glossy black. Also notice the crash bar that I Plasti-dipped.

I have had the wrap on my front grill foe almost 2 years and still looks good. Does not chip like plasti-dip.

Daniel Torres

Before wrapping


Before wrap

After wrapping. Bottom white just trying out samples.

After wrapping, The side marker uses a special vinyl it's called luxe light wrap metro style sells it as well.

noodle9527

Thanks a lot! This is really helpful, let me know how did the grille replacement go, that's the first thing I want to do. I'm not super against have chrome trims unless I can blackout the grille.

noodle9527

Thanks for the suggestion! I looked into it and seems like a good option. Only worried about if the grille is going to be able to keep up its appearances with all the stuff hitting it all the time.

Kanwar Yuvraj Singh

what you did is exactly what I am planning on doing. Chrome delete window trim and whiten out the silver door sill (?, not sure what it is called). What did you use on the doors to do that? Do you by any chance have the after pictures of the doors?