How To Assess Repairs For Bumper Scratch

Fixing damaged plastic bumpers involves grinding, sanding, sculpting and painting. Simply it'south worth the try for repairs that would toll less than your deductible.

There oughta exist a law: If there's a post in a parking lot—whatever post—it should be high enough to see when y'all're bankroll up. Unfortunately, the law nosotros usually come across applied is Tater'southward, and the resulting body-impairment repairs will cost simply a few dollars less than your insurance deductible. And that's precisely the scenario nosotros were faced with after trying to maneuver our trusty Honda Civic out of a tight space in a crowded mall parking lot.

A lot of people would first try to do what you shouldn't: Head to the local machine parts store for some el cheapo body filler and a can of matching spray paint. Surprise! The technology of motorcar body parts has changed—and you'll demand a completely unlike array of supplies to repair painted plastic parts than you would utilize to repair sheetmetal. Fortunately, in that location are a number of companies making repair and refinishing materials for plastic bumpers, equally well as plastic fenders and door skins fabricated from canvass molding compound.

Scuff, clean and prep area with plastic prep solvent to remove clay and oil, and promote adhesion.

Bumper Mechanics

Today, the actual "bumper" role of a front or rear bumper is invisible. The part of the car's structure that'southward used for saving the vehicle'southward body from damage is well hidden behind a fairly large semirigid piece of painted plastic. This plastic covering is designed to deflect and deform easily when bumped. The theory goes that you tin can encounter it lightly and the plastic will pop dorsum into its original shape. However, really wallop it, especially with a hard or abrupt object, and the plastic volition abrade, cutting or tear.

Various carmakers use different methods of attaching these plastic bumper covers. Because they are held in identify with screws and tabs that fit into slots in the trunk sheetmetal, yous may have to do some hunting around for all the fastening points of a typical fascia.

On our damaged Civic, for example, there were screws behind metal caps about the trunk latch, as well every bit screws under the taillights and at the wheel wells. Once they were removed, we were able to slide the bumper'southward tabs off a number of slots in the rear quarter panels. Look for screws or bolts under the trunk rug between the wheel and the rear bumper. You may as well find fasteners subconscious beneath or behind the bumper fascia.

Grind a "V" into the dorsum of console to remove loose cloth and give more surface surface area for adhesion.

Fascia Facelift

You'll need a warm, dry out place to work considering the repair adhesives and fillers cure within a fairly narrow range of temperatures. If you have the fascia off the car, you tin can piece of work indoors—but not in the basement considering these chemicals can give off some pretty noxious fumes. Read the labels advisedly.

Not all plastic bumpers are made from the same stuff. But with the fascia removed, information technology's piece of cake to identify the type of plastic because it's stamped into the back side. Stamps of PP (polypropylene), PPO (polyphenylene oxide) and TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) point plastics that smear easily when footing or machine sanded. (Our Civic bumper is fabricated of polypropylene.) Stamps of PUR (polyurethane plastic rigid) and TPUR (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) are plastics that powder when ground or sanded.

The type of filler you use to repair the bumper depends on the plastic blazon, and there are many different manufacturers. Consult with the counterman at the auto paint store for the advisable products. While the specific brand y'all use isn't critical, it is important that yous stay with that same brand throughout the entire repair to exist sure the products are compatible.

Regardless of plastic type, prepping the fascia is the same: Brainstorm past slightly scuffing the damaged surface area and cleaning information technology with plastic surface cleaner. If the bumper is cut or torn through completely, make certain to scrub the inner and outer surfaces. Subsequently rinsing and letting the surface dry, wipe the area with prep solvent. When wiping with this material, become in merely 1 direction because going in two directions simply drags contaminants back into the repair.

Thoroughly mix equal amounts of hardener and repair adhesive on a piece of cardboard or newspaper.

Later the solvent has dried, sand the area past hand with 80-dust paper. Adjacent, you'll need to form a "Five" groove in the damaged area on the front and back sides of the fascia. The grooves let you to marshal the two edges more easily. They besides provide more surface area for the repair material to adhere to.

For plastic types that powder when sanded, cutting the grooves with a 24-grit disc on a sander. For plastics that smear when sanded, make the grooves using a cordless drill and a rotary file. This gives y'all greater control and slower speeds to reduce the chance of heat-generated smears.

Spread plastic filler over the repair. Don't slop it on heavily or you'll take more piece of work later on.

Repair tears and cuts from the back side of the fascia. If the cut or tear is large, you might have to align and then agree the edges of the repair with masking tape on the forepart of the fascia. Use self-stick fiberglass-repair tape to add structure to the cut or tear. Next, mix the agglutinative and utilise information technology over the tape with a body-filler squeegee. When the first layer of tape is in place, apply a 2nd layer and so the threads run at a ninety-degree angle to the starting time layer.

Once the cloth has hardened (in virtually 20 minutes), motion to the front of the fascia and remove any record (if practical). Next, using 80-grit sandpaper, remove any textile that has squeezed through, and sand any spots that are above the finished level of the fascia. Fill the cut or tear and any low spots in the forepart of the fascia with the appropriate repair textile, and squeegee information technology level. After it has hardened, sand everything level, offset with eighty-grit, then 120-grit, and and then apply a light skim coat of repair material to fill pits and surface imperfections, and to restore the original profile. So stop sand with wet 400-grit paper.

Sand and contour plastic body filler with 80- and 120-grit, then terminate with 400-grit waterproof sandpaper on a safety block. It will probably take two coats to restore contour properly.

PAINTING THE PLASTIC

When the repair is completed, apply 2 moisture coats of flexible function sealer. Later on drying for 30 minutes, the fascia is ready for priming and painting. Once more, read the labels and follow the maker'due south recommendations for operator condom—this stuff tin can be very toxic if inhaled. Modernistic primers and basecoat/clearcoat paints are flexible enough to accommodate plastic bumpers without peeling or loss of adhesion. Prime number the fender with ii 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 information technology and remove whatever imperfections.

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'south instructions. You may need to echo this process 2 or iii times to cover completely. Once the basecoat is dry (usually nearly 30 minutes), mix the clearcoat with hardener. Apply two medium clearcoats, assuasive each to dry in between.

After drying overnight, the fascia is set to be reinstalled. 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 await 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. Become the final sheen using a fresh foam pad and polishing compound.

Before spraying the bumper with basecoat, wetsand it and gently wipe the surface area with a tack rag to remove grit, then spray according to the manufacturer's instructions. You may need to repeat this process ii or three times to cover completely.