Converting to the 'Black' pack

Crispin Glover

Crispin Glover

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Hi, how easy/hard, cheap/expensive is it to change the chrome strips around the two front grilles and around the side windows to gloss black?

I want to keep my car stock but I love the Black pack on the new A4s, think it makes them feel modern and sporty.

3976ED30-6699-42C7-A1E4-C07598F0FC46_zpsdts69rot.jpg
 
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Doing a bit of googling I have seen other cars like the one above but without the chrome trim around the windows on the side, think this might have been an option
 
Grills are easy to do but on a saloon some of your crome is pop riveted on but you could mask around it and paint it
 
There is a black optic pack you can get from Audi, but it is expensive.

I would vinyl wrap the grills and then either use plastidip on the door frames or spend a lot longer and wrap those too.

Headlights look 100% better blacked out inside with lens left alone...........I would not tint/fly eye the lenses as it does not look as good in my opinion.
 
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Old photo, but give you the idea of the vinyl wrap grills and blacked out frames in the headlights:
13_zpsoj5iuvpz.jpg
 
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I've done this, or 85% of it.

If you're comfortable drilling out the rivets for the chrome around the windows it's easy, the really tough ones are the horizontal strips along the doors.

You can remove them without damage if you take your entire door and window frame apart (no thanks!). The easier option is to pry them off (which destroys them) and buy new ones. Paint them, then they'll clip into place.

The grills are easy enough to pry apart. The rear bumper chrome is also another pry-off job but expect a couple of the tabs to snap in the process and refit with some double sided 3M tape.

I removed all my chrome aside from the door strips, had it painted gloss black and reinstalled. The door strips I wrapped in gloss black vinyl as a temporary measure but looked so good I just kept them as they were.
 
I like the chime on my Aykoya silver colour, but gues it blends in more than a darker colour
 
Mike.M said:
I like the chime on my Aykoya silver colour, but gues it blends in more than a darker colour
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My akoya came from factory with full black less the grills that I have changed for gen black s4 ones and it works
 
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is there a guide to blacking out the headlights?

and how much was the s4 bumper grills 60fast? i've been offered a brand new bumper cheap but its bare....
 
Visa_broke said:
is there a guide to blacking out the headlights?

and how much was the s4 bumper grills 60fast? i've been offered a brand new bumper cheap but its bare....
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From memory I think the grills were around £380 for both and the side ones are silly cheap sure they were under £20 if you don't go for the bumper I would be interested
 
I saw a Passat yesterday and thought it looked half decent,then it dawned on me that it been de-chromed as well and looked great.
 
60fast said:
From memory I think the grills were around £380 for both and the side ones are silly cheap sure they were under £20 if you don't go for the bumper I would be interested
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I have the upper grill, I need the lower still. Do you have the part numbers for the side grills?

I'll let you know about the bumper, only thing is its in america. I'm waiting to hear back about it for mine, i've been offered a couple over there now
 
Visa_broke said:
I have the upper grill, I need the lower still. Do you have the part numbers for the side grills?

I'll let you know about the bumper, only thing is its in america. I'm waiting to hear back about it for mine, i've been offered a couple over there now
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You want the part number for the lower black/anthracite grill same as I have on mine
 
60fast said:
My akoya came from factory with full black less the grills that I have changed for gen black s4 ones and it works
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What a lovely looking B6 Avant! Everything is looks spot on. Maybe gloss black wing mirrors too?
 
60fast said:
I had the grills off today a wrote the part numbers down at work I'll post them tomorrow
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Thanks, my cars going into audi in the morning to have the allignment checked and aircon regassed so would be a good time to ask them for prices
 
60fast said:
8eo807681b for n/s
8eo807682b for o/s
Typo
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Thanks, i'll check with audi and see if they are still available. The guy with the brand new s4 bumper is getting me a quote to send it to me so thats one step closer.
 
Visa_broke said:
Thanks, i'll check with audi and see if they are still available. The guy with the brand new s4 bumper is getting me a quote to send it to me so thats one step closer.
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Not 100% but I think the bottom centre grill is unique to the s4 bumper too
 
Visa_broke said:
is there a guide to blacking out the headlights?

and how much was the s4 bumper grills 60fast? i've been offered a brand new bumper cheap but its bare....
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And I'm sure you will find a guide on here for the headlights but I will say I won't be splitting another set in a hurry.
And the fog lights are different but u can mod the ones you have to fit
 
60fast said:
And I'm sure you will find a guide on here for the headlights but I will say I won't be splitting another set in a hurry.
And the fog lights are different but u can mod the ones you have to fit
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Yes i've heard the grill is different (and from what i've seen it will actually be costing me more for the grill than the bumper)

i've also seen on one site that someone mentioned the wings might be different but i've yet to find any solid proof of that.
 
Visa_broke said:
Yes i've heard the grill is different (and from what i've seen it will actually be costing me more for the grill than the bumper)


i've also seen on one site that someone mentioned the wings might be different but i've yet to find any solid proof of that.
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No wings are same no problems there
 
60fast said:
No wings are same no problems there
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Thats good to hear

My car (as far as I can tell/know as the previous owner decided to remove the white label in the trunk) is dolphin gray so once the bumper etc is here I want to do a custom rear then look into tidying up some bits in black
 
Is plasti-dip easy to apply and can you get it in high gloss black?
 
When we bought ours secondhand it came with the black pack, I'd see others driving around with the chrome and feel they were the optional bits and thought ours was cheaper. I actually prefer the black look now, I've changed my grills to black and the roof rails are black too now. Also updated the headlights to the black inside plastics version. Just need to sort the D.A polisher out now.
 
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