Painted bumpers-told not to do it!!

[sinned]

Originally Posted by Viperfreak2

Something just sounds fishy. I can see a Maaco guy saying, yeah no problem we can do it for $xxx.xx But when a representative of a competent body shop turns away business...

Repeat what was said to you to the managers / owners of the shops you talked to, then hand them a printed copy of the clear, concise statement sinned posted above and see which one he/she agrees with.

The only thing I would do differently is to DA the surface smooth first, then use a chemical wipe to etch/clean the plastic surface.

You are correct, I am missing a step. A good chemical wipe down after DA sanding is a very important step!

[nwilliams]

Originally Posted by KmanOz

Bwahahahaha and may I add, half the dosage !!!

I love what Iv done to my car .. Leave yours stock and be done with it.

Cheers

Since I apologized for coming off the wrong way on my post youre just asking me to reply with more bullshit. But I won't. Cause this will go nowhere.

And yeah...I I'll keep drinking espresso homie....peace.

[ard]

So do you guys plan on getting a clear bra installed to protect the painted bumper from getting chipped by road debris????

[MPowerFarmer]

Originally Posted by nwilliams

I went around to 3 high end bodywork places that specialize in fine cars. All three places do dealer work and one did a lot of Ferrari and Maserati work.

They all gave me the same feedback! They said that the type of plastic used for the bumpers (not the same as the quarter panels or aero kit) wouldn't hold the paint very well. The finish wouldn't be perfectly smooth like the rest of the body and wouldn't resist against chips and general wear and tear over a long period of time.

One even mentioned his fear of peeling or bubbling because of a self releasing agent in the plastic to prevent the trim from becoming dull after a while.

There's a lot of threads about painted bumpers but not a single discussion about how well the bumpers take paint and resistance to wear and tear.

I guess you guys are all about looks.....the actual homework of assessing whether this is a wise mod is irrelevant! Or..... I don't know how to use the search function! Then again....all the threads on lowered suspensions and spacers also make no mention of possible stress or damage to the car....warranty issues.....and ride quality.....so I guess it really is only about looks! F the rest..

Ok chief

[nwilliams]

Originally Posted by MPowerFarmer

Ok chief

Seriously...I post one thing that in hindsight came across the wrong way....I turn around and apologize for it and now the asshole comments just keep coming....I ain't coming back to this thread...so keep being pricks all you want.....chief...

[sinned]

Originally Posted by ard

So do you guys plan on getting a clear bra installed to protect the painted bumper from getting chipped by road debris????

Whether it is factory paint or a refinished surface, rock and stones will chip the paint. So if you want to protect the surface whether factory or not, it doesn't hurt to apply paint protection film.

[ard]

Originally Posted by nwilliams

Seriously...I post one thing that in hindsight came across the wrong way....I turn around and apologize for it and now the asshole comments just keep coming....I ain't coming back to this thread...so keep being pricks all you want.....chief...

You manned up early in the thread but apparently this community doesn't have the restraint nor maturity found elsewhere....these cheap shots my the latter posters just show a lack of character.

Originally Posted by sinned

Whether it is factory paint or a refinished surface, rock and stones will chip the paint. So if you want to protect the surface whether factory or not, it doesn't hurt to apply paint protection film.

Duh. My point is why paint stuff to worry about more paint? If I get a scratched bumper I can buy a new black skin for $400-500 and pop it on myself.. as opposed to a $1200 job for a skin+paint

A

[JCL]

I haven't painted any bumpers myself, but I have heard for years from bodyshops I trust that it is problematic painting bumpers and other plastic parts that flex. There is additional preparation required, there is special paint required, it often doesn't match as well as they would like, and then it chips anyways because it is in the path of rocks and debris. That is when the customer comes back and says it is the fault of the paint shop, so many would just prefer not doing it. I suspect that is the background to the story you got from the first three bodyshops.

If it is 15 year old Civic, fine, paint it. If it is a recent model, I wouldn't do it, but that is just me.

[hotrod2448]

Originally Posted by ard

You manned up early in the thread but apparently this community doesn't have the restraint nor maturity found elsewhere....these cheap shots my the latter posters just show a lack of character.

or their inability to read more than the first post before posting a reply.

[sinned]

Originally Posted by ard

Duh. My point is why paint stuff to worry about more paint? If I get a scratched bumper I can buy a new black skin for $400-500 and pop it on myself.. as opposed to a $1200 job for a skin+paint

A

Not everyone has the same taste, whether or not they paint it or not is their preference. Also, not everyone prepares for an event of an accident, you speak as if an accident is inevitable. Just to let you in on a secret, more people do not incur accidents than those who do. Lastly, once you get into an accident, you think that your replacement bumper comes painted? It is a flexible Polyurethane bumper just like the black pieces, and it also has to be finished by the bodyshop, just like the black trim we are talking about.

Also food for thought, who says your bumper is only going to be scratched in the area of the black trim, what if a shopping cart avoids the black trim and hits the side where there is paint, your argument of just replacing just the black skin for $400-$500 is null at that point. Also what about the new LCI 2011 X5 with painted bumpers, with your argument, everyone should be putting on a clear bra since it is painted and there is no black pieces.