"Chrome" around grill

I'm having a big problem with the fake chrome (on the plastic portion that runs around the grill) wrinkling up and looking bad, at least in my opinion. I was wondering what's the best way to fix this?

Do E.B. editions have an actual chrome/metal parts there instead of the (it appears to be) plastic that my 98 XLT has? Even if it's not chromed I'm sure I could find a place that'd do it... But I'd really rather not have another plastic part on the X It has enough already...

-Mook

 

[Bill Kemp]

As far as I know the only thing available is OEM and its all plastic. Ebay has replacement grills sometimes, plastic also.

 

[J. Kennedy]

After a fender bender, I had the body shop get a plain plastic one and spray it to match the body. It looks a million times better than the cheesy plastichrome.

You see them Ebay all the time real cheap. If I had to do it again, Id look for an ebay one in my body color.

 

[dustinscott80]

yeah, that's gonna be a pretty common problem on any explorer with a chrome grille shell. i've yet to find one that's not doing that. it always seems to happen right where the chrome meets the center painted part. only thing i've seen that works well for stopping it is to install a full billet insert so as to cut away the part where it occurs at.

 

[kfkodiak]

Mine was bubbled on the pass. side when I got it. Still is in fact.
Maybe I'll get it painted one of these days.

On a side note, ford is using this approach on the new ones too. My mom's '03 Limited has the same chromed plastic on the grille. Even the T-Birds are like this. Just cheap.

 

[BBQ_HotDogs]

Now I may be wrong, usually I am. But when I removed my chrome grill, the OEM on my EB was real. The E-Bay grill was much less than desireable. It looked good, but was not the same fit as the OEM either.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Mine isn't real chrome. It's plastichrome crap. It's starting to bubble around my driver's and passenger's side where the gaps between the hood and the fenders are.

 

[airforcemook]

You think Ford would do something about this, but nooooo heh

 

[Charlie's_93EB]

i've yet to find one that's not doing that. it always seems to happen right where the chrome meets the center painted part.

mine is doing just fine, i was thinking about painting mine black, but you can buy chorm spray paint