[Will]

You really don't want to glass bead plastic. Try walnut shells or plastic bead if they really need to be blasted.

I have successfully repainted grilles in the past by doing nothing more than thoroughly cleaning/degreasing them then shooting paint. Of course, the grilles were in good condition and the factory paint was still adhering very well. If the paint that's on them is flaking/peeling or badly chipped then obviously it should be stripped to look best.

[Anselcop]

I just re-painted both of my grills for a non-hideaway head light system for a 69 GTO. I put both grills in the dishwasher for about 10 minutes to clean any dirt and grime off of them (Do not use the dry cycle). Since the original paint was not chipping off, I just sanded the entire painted surface with 600 grit sandpaper. I used silver dupli-color paint and it matched the original fairly close. For the black, I used Krylon semi-gloss and it matched exactly. If you need the paint numbers from spray cans, let me know!!

Dan