painted bumpers

[jr.fester]

need new skins for the fester. what kinda prep is required to the plastic in order to paint them and actually get the paint to stick.

[sipderdoc]

I do not know if it is the right way but I use spray paint ... as are black and use of Stok, black matte

[jr.fester]

i wanna colour code my bumpers red to match my car. but the last bumpers on my vw i painted with just spray bomb was flaking off after 2 wks

[MONSOON]

Theres a couple threads on this. And in almost every instance they say the key is alot of prep work and using sort of flex additive in the paint.

[deathegg]

Yes I would agree that prep is most important. I painted my bumpers with spray bombs about 5 YEARS ago, and only recently, because of the hot California sun, are they starting to fade.
I cleaned and de-greased the bumpers, then sanded them with a medium grade sandpaper, degreased them again, primed it, then painted it (base coat/clear coat).

The paint has never chipped or flaked off, but is now fading, but that is after 5 years. Not bad.

[geezerstiva]

you could go to a jy and look for some painted ones. dunno if they are any easier to paint because they are already painted?

[festivaWES]

Adhesion promoter.

[hytekredneck]

What wes said. You can pick this up at walmart.

[bravekozak]

only one good way

There is only one good way to paint plastic.
There are two main types of plastics used in car bumpers.
TPO (thermo plastic olefin) for gasoline resistance
RIM (reaction injection molded) where isocyanate is mixed in just at the instant prior to filling the mold.

Normal colors are yellow for RIM and grey for TPO.

TPO is heat sensitive and can be reground and melted again.
You cannot overheat during the paint drying cycle or the bumper will deflect and lose its shape.

RIM on the other hand is almost indestructible ( and not very environmentally friendly).
You could bury it for a couple of thousand years and it would look the same if you dug it up.

The paint you need is a non-skinning, acid-catalyzed heat cured flexible polymer.
I used to be a tech service rep at an OEM bumper painting plant for six months.

[geezerstiva]

There is only one good way to paint plastic.
There are two main types of plastics used in car bumpers.
TPO (thermo plastic olefin) for gasoline resistance
RIM (reaction injection molded) where isocyanate is mixed in just at the instant prior to filling the mold.

Normal colors are yellow for RIM and grey for TPO.

TPO is heat sensitive and can be reground and melted again.
You cannot overheat during the paint drying cycle or the bumper will deflect and lose its shape.

RIM on the other hand is almost indestructible ( and not very environmentally friendly).
You could bury it for a couple of thousand years and it would look the same if you dug it up.

The paint you need is a non-skinning, acid-catalyzed heat cured flexible polymer.
I used to be a tech service rep at an OEM bumper painting plant for six months.

meaning... what exactly? :lol:

[bravekozak]

special paint

The proper paint for plastic is an isocyanate, which requires special breathing protection and also a very large oven for the bumpers to cure in. I believe the activation temperature for the polymer is 140F. You can't go too much over this temperature if you are painting TPO which is the material that the Festiva bumpers are made from. Good luck getting the paint. I believe that only Dupont, Bee and PPG manufacture OEM paint for plastic car bumpers.

[cubstiva1]

you could go to a jy and look for some painted ones. dunno if they are any easier to paint because they are already painted?

this is what i plan to do, i'm getting some from festyboy

Adhesion promoter.

i think this will also work, but like said above degrease, degrease, degrease. idk about sanding plastics, sometimes the sanding marks might show through. and if you can get some "flex" in your paint it will help it to not crack so easily. love to see your finished product and the process you go though to get your paint on.

[bravekozak]

no primer

There is no primer on raw TPO. If a bumper is already painted, then you would have to sand it all over to prvide good adhesion. It has to be very clean.

[cubstiva1]

There is no primer on raw TPO. If a bumper is already painted, then you would have to sand it all over to prvide good adhesion. It has to be very clean.

true, but sanding raw plastic?

[AJ]

I just painted my festy last week and also painted the bumpers to match. By the way Im a Auto Collision & Refinishing Instructor at a local high school.
Every time your going to paint plastic parts its recommended to wash them with soap and water first.
Apply Wax & Grease remover
Then scuff with a red scotch brite
( Orilleys Auto Parts usually carries these products)
Wax & Grease remove
Then Apply Bulldog Adhesion Promoter( Its for plastic parts)
After that you can apply a primer if needed or sealer then paint and clear.

Bulldog Adhesion Promoter is the key to painting plastics, I use this on all plastics and never had a problem.