To paint a bumper, start by removing the plastic bumper cover and washing it thoroughly with degreaser and water. Then, wet sand any rough spots with 600 grit sandpaper. Wipe the bumper clean and dry it with a soft cloth, then spray on a base coat layer. After the base coat dries for 30 minutes, wet sand any new imperfections with 1500 grit sandpaper. Repeat the process of painting, drying, then sanding 1-2 more times.
Make sure to wipe the bumper with a clean tack cloth after sanding each new layer. Once the paint has full, even coverage, apply 1 layer of clear coat to seal in the base coat. After drying for 20 minutes, apply a 2nd layer of clear coat and let dry for another 20 minutes. Before reattaching your bumper, wait at least 6 hours for the paint to harden fully.
The more time the paint dries the more durable it will be, so waiting 24 hours is best. When the repair is completed, apply two wet coats of flexible part sealer. After drying for 30 minutes, the fascia is ready for priming and painting. Again, read the labels and follow the maker's recommendations for operator safety—this stuff can be very toxic if inhaled. Modern primers and basecoat/clearcoat paints are flexible enough to accommodate plastic bumpers without peeling or loss of adhesion.
Prime the fender with two coats of any two-part primer-surfacer, making sure to let the primer dry between coats. Once the primer has hardened, dry sand the repaired areas with 400-grit paper to level it and remove any imperfections. After a thorough cleaning, allow the plastic part to flash off for 15 to 30 minutes to release solvent and then continue with the repair. Apply an adhesion promoter before priming or sealing. Be sure the entire bumper cover has been completely abraded. This can be done during the original cleaning process with a scuff pad and scuffing agent to save time.
Re-clean the surface with plastic cleaner to remove residue. The front and rear plastic bumper covers are attached to the metal bumpers on the vehicle. Most plastic bumper covers are painted to match the color of the vehicle car body.
The front and rear bumper covers on a vehicle take a lot of abuse and are subjected to rock chips, shopping cart collisions, and "bumps" with other vehicles. When your bumper cover gets scratched, scraped, or gouged, you can repair the bumper yourself using the products and procedures outlined below. Before spraying the bumper with basecoat, wetsand it and gently wipe the area with a tack rag to remove dust, then spray according to the manufacturer's instructions. You may need to repeat this process two or three times to cover completely.
Once the base coat is dry , mix the clearcoat with hardener. Apply two medium clearcoats, allowing each to dry in between. After drying overnight, the fascia is ready to be reinstalled. Painting your car's plastic bumper cover is an easy way to give your car a facelift. Start by removing the bumper cover and washing it thoroughly. If you have any shallow scratches or cracks, fill and sand the damaged area.
Wipe the bumper cover down, then apply several coats of base coat, drying and sanding the paint between each layer. Add 2 layers of clear coat for extra shine and durability, then let the clear coat dry for 6 hours before driving or reattaching the bumper. Wash the entire bumper cover with a good cleaning solution to remove water-soluble contaminants. The use of a gray scuff pad and/or scuff agent will help to break up contaminants and start to abrade the surface at the same time.
Rinse thoroughly and dry the part off before repairing. Clean and scuff corners and crevices well for maximum adhesion. It's easy to clean and scuff the big flat parts; peeling usually occurs at the hard to get areas first. Bumper scratches and scuffs are unsightly, and alarmingly easy to get.
You don't have to cover your car with hard-to-remove bumper stickers to make it look better, however. Fixing damaged plastic bumpers involves grinding, sanding, sculpting and painting. But it's worth the effort for repairs that would cost less than your deductible. The use of a gray scuff pad will help to break up contaminants and start to abrade the surface at the same time. Rinse thoroughly and dry the part off before continuing. In addition, a scuffing agent should be used during the washing step.
Be sure to clean and scuff corners and crevices well for maximum adhesion. Make the necessary repair and featheredge the repair area, finishing with 400 to 600 grit. Finish sand the entire bumper cover with a 600 grit or finer. This can be done during the original cleaning process with a gray scuff pad to save time.
Final sand, scuff/sand the entire part with a gray or red scuff pad or 600 grit or finer sandpaper. Re-clean the surface with mild solvent cleaner to remove residue. To further clean the surface, TH5952 Fast Evaporating Solvent Cleaner may be used prior to refinishing. After applying any necessary undercoat, apply topcoat color according to the manufacturer's directions. Remember to keep film builds to a minimum to optimize performance.
Additional primer or sealer may not be necessary. When priming or sealing plastic bumper covers, it's important to keep film build to a minimum. Excessive coats of primer, sealer, color or clear will reduce flexibility and may cause premature paint failure.
When Jamie Lunn from Car Cosmetics took receipt of a black and red edition Fiesta, he could instantly see that it wasn't just the localised lacquer peeling that was the issue. Offering competitively priced services across all makes and models, owner Jamie Lunn often completes faultless work on cars which insurance companies want to write off. Here, he talks us through how to put the shine back into a poor quality paint job, including a localised SMART repair for peeling lacquer. After stripping the bumper cover, wash completely with a good cleaning solution to remove water-soluble contaminants. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry the part off before continuing.
This is just typically another excuse a manufacturer uses to try and get out of warrantying an issue. How the heck are you supposed to "note this during the or at the inspection" when it isn't apparent until after being driven with wind/rain and who knows what else hitting it?? I am familiar with paint fairly well, having worked in the auto parts field and selling paint to body shops and it's likely the problem is as your brother mentions. Anytime you paint plastic, fiberglass or even metal, you have to use the correct products UNDER the paint such as adhesion promoters, sealers, primers, etc. I won't get into the details because there are so many different types of paint (lacquer, enamel, base coat, etc.) which require different methods. I can tell you straight up, when paint peels like what's shown in your pictures, it isn't "normal" and is caused by poor paint techniques/products.
I'd raise a stink like none other with THOR and even threaten a lawsuit if necessary. To pay so much for a MH and have this happen so soon is UNACCEPTABLE, PERIOD. The bugs and dings are to be expected but not to have paint peeling like this. Just hope the rest of the MH doesn't do something similar. Years back, GM had a problem with the clear coat coming off some of their vehicles, they would warranty them IF you reported the problem.
Now your repair is finished, it's time to prime and paint the bumper. You'll need proper bumper primer and paint that is flexible enough for plastic, otherwise it may crack and flake. You will also need to apply a clearcoat over the finished paint to keep it in good condition and prevent more damage. Apply at least two coats of each, primer, paint and clearcoat, allowing to dry fully between coats.
Note that plastic bumper repair kits don't come with paint or finishes, but may contain primer. I used a damp cloth to get most of the dirt and dust off the area I needed to paint, and then I prepped for paint and primer using the surface prep solvent. I then taped off areas I didn't want oversprayed including the glass, weather stripping and roof rack rails, and I also let plenty of unmasked painted area to blend the paint. Once the primer had dried, I went over this area with a 600 grit sand paper to prepare for basecoat. It's for this reason that it's crucial you make sure your paint jobs aren't cracking and peeling the way so many do.
Car bumper touch up's are an easy DIY project to keep your car looking brand new. Just remember that this is not a great method for extensive paint damage. If your vehicle has severe paint damage we recommend bringing your car to a professional repainting service shop.
Not all paint repair jobs need an auto body shop, as there are things worth doing on your own. It is also worth noting that paint damage can lead to rust and corrosion eventually. Repair and restoration of a damaged bumper is never an easy task to deal with, but an extended auto warranty could always help with severe bumper damage on your vehicle.
Here is a step-by-step process of repairing bumper holes and peeling paint on Toyota Camry. It had a few very deep scratches on the front bumper below the right light, two holes from a license plate and a chipped paint on the back bumper. It would cost around $500 – $1,200 to get it fixed at the body shop. Fortunately, this kind of damage can be repaired at home for a fraction of the cost. Scuff up the remainder of the covers with grey scotch bright pads..
The sanded areas may need new base coat applied so primer the sanded areas, water sand your primer with 400... Once it's in place, lightly wetsand the painted surface with 1500-grit paper to remove dust particles and surface paint imperfections. Avoid sanding through the paint by staying away from creases and seams. When done, dry the fender and look for shiny areas, which indicate that more sanding is needed. To bring out the luster of the paint, use rubbing compound on the foam polishing pad of a rotary buffing machine, still avoiding creases and seams.
Get the final sheen using a fresh foam pad and polishing compound. The first step in repairing a plastic bumper cover is to understand the extent of the damage. If the scratches and scrapes on the bumper cover are not deep they should be easily removed with Rubbing Compound and/or light sanding.
Next, the painters will sand the entire panel free of clear coat and level the base coat to remove any oxidation and other damage. Typically, 400 to 600-grit sandpaper is used for this stage. If the paint is too far gone, they'll sand into the primer layer and use as rough as 220-grit, then sand their way up to get a finer surface. An illustration of what areas of a car's painted exterior can be safely polished/paint corrected, and what should be left to the professionals. The issue with correctly removing spot-damaged clear coat, is that for as simple as it sounds, the sanding process tends to be a painstakingly technical, tedious task. A solid understanding of paint conditions, sandpaper grit progression, and appropriate levels of applied force all must be weighed.
This is the stage of clear coat correction where most people will fuck-up and be forced to phone a friend, family member, or local body repair shop for assistance. There are many types of automotive paint defects. Some of are prone to merely damaging clear coat, while others go far deeper.
Next up, conduct a detailed inspection of the paint damage. If the clear coat is showing signs of peeling, then paint correction via the use of a polishing/cutting compound is probably out of the question. Any damage that goes beyond oxidation typically requires removing the top layer of clear coat with sandpaper. Repeat the painting, drying, and sanding process 1-2 more times.
Always wipe down the bumper cover with a clean tack cloth after sanding the new layer. Apply up to 3 coats total, or until the paint has full, even coverage. Remove the plastic bumper cover or mask it off with painter's tape. In order to keep from painting other parts of the car, you can either remove and paint the bumper separately or leave the bumper attached and carefully mask off the car body. Removing the bumper works best when you're repairing any scratches or cracks before repainting. Using a Chipex kit to repair paint chips and light scratches on your bumper is easier than you may think.
Chipex designed this to be an easy process that can be done at home in a short time, so don't be put off repairing them yourself. Find your color code using our handy paint code finder, then order the right size kit you'll need. Fortunately for your bruised bumper, plastic repair and refinishing materials are widely available and reasonably simple to use.
Fixing damaged plastic bumpers involves grinding, sanding, sculpting, and painting, but it's worth the effort for repairs that would cost less than your deductible. How to Repair Peeling Paint Using a scraper or 100-grit sandpaper, remove any loose, cracked, or peeling paint from the damaged area. Using a putty knife, apply a thin layer of patching material to the damaged area. Use 220-grit sandpaper to smooth the patched area and make it even with the surface. You would think that if any company wants to use plastic bumpers, they would expect a certain amount of flex and design their paints accordingly. Hitting a moderately deep pot hole or railroad track crossing, can rattle the false teeth out of the driver, much less jostle the hell out of the bumper as it flexes slightly.
I agree that the original paint job is to blame. The dealer should sub this out to a decent body shop for complete dismantling and repainting - possibly replacement. The fact that the OP waited for several flaws to be fixed during the delivery, indicates to me that this car has not been treated well between the factory and the dealer.
