I'm going to attempt the bumper repair myself so any hints, tips and suggestions will be most welcome.
What sort of filler do I need to source? P40 and P38 are listed (on ebay) as being perfect for metal but what about plastic?
What about colour matching? What colour primer should I use? The paint code (KJA) refers to the main body colour which is metallic, yet the bumper, mirrors etc, are not metallic.
Plastic bumper repair
Moderator: RichardW
- Old-Guy
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Mike, depending on how serious the damage is; gentle but thorough heating with a hot-air gun will allow a lot of distortion to 'self-heal'.
For the benefit of other readers, the sooner you try this treatment after the 'incident' the better the results. I backed into a very solid (waist-high) steel post putting a neat crimp in the Xantia's bumper. I left it for several months before I saw a friend in the trade very successfully removing a big dent in a bumper this way. Because of the delay, I wasn't 100% successful, but it is a lot better than it was. Gentle heat can also remove 'hazing' from black plastic bumpers and similar items.
Obviously, for more serious repairs, any filler must be flexible, and the bumper in the region of the repair will need to be thoroughly de-waxed to remove all traces of polish if the filler and paint are to get decent adhesion.
For the benefit of other readers, the sooner you try this treatment after the 'incident' the better the results. I backed into a very solid (waist-high) steel post putting a neat crimp in the Xantia's bumper. I left it for several months before I saw a friend in the trade very successfully removing a big dent in a bumper this way. Because of the delay, I wasn't 100% successful, but it is a lot better than it was. Gentle heat can also remove 'hazing' from black plastic bumpers and similar items.
Obviously, for more serious repairs, any filler must be flexible, and the bumper in the region of the repair will need to be thoroughly de-waxed to remove all traces of polish if the filler and paint are to get decent adhesion.
2011 Grand C4 Picasso VTR+ 1.6HDi in Kyanos Blue
1995 Xantia Estate SX 1.9TD in Vert Vega "The Green Lady" - after 11 years now owned by XanTom
1998 Xantia 2.1 VXD Estate in Mauritius Blue - R.I.P. (terminal tin-worm)
1995 Xantia Estate SX 1.9TD in Vert Vega "The Green Lady" - after 11 years now owned by XanTom
1998 Xantia 2.1 VXD Estate in Mauritius Blue - R.I.P. (terminal tin-worm)
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Thanks for that tip, Old-Guy. I know heat brings back the black gloss on trim as I used that technique to great effect last year.
However, finding reasonably priced materials (paint and plastic filler in particular) is proving difficult for me so I'm likely to change my mind again and book it into a bodyshop.
However, finding reasonably priced materials (paint and plastic filler in particular) is proving difficult for me so I'm likely to change my mind again and book it into a bodyshop.
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you can get the paint made up for you by a good paint/panel supplier shop by code and sample.but id get some two pack lacquar to finish it brush it on few coats it dries quick then flat it with 1000 paper before last coat then polish it with compound after to get a fine finish and a tough one
xantia 19td estate 96-7