Plastic bumper repair

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 29 Jun 2010, 11:24

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.

Unread post by **Old-Guy** » 29 Jun 2010, 12:17

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.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 29 Jun 2010, 14:50

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.

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 29 Jun 2010, 21:33

Can you not remove the bumper complete, detach the corner cover, then clean/refit the bumper? As the covers and trim click in from outside, you won't need to remove it a second time.

A good panel shop can readily match the colour using both the code and your old cover as a sample.

dieseldoggy · Unread post by **dieseldoggy** » 01 Jul 2010, 18:13

i asked edwards@billericay about one for you other day and thinks the one he has is correct colour.plus will try and have a chat if i can fid him someone that i know who does plastic repairs/welding.

dieseldoggy · Unread post by **dieseldoggy** » 01 Jul 2010, 18:17

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

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 01 Jul 2010, 18:49

Sorry, I forgot to update this thread. I've gone off the DIY idea and booked it into a shop to let the pro's do it.