Painting rubber bumpers
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,876
Likes: 39
From: cincinnati ohio
Cruise-In V Veteran
Painting rubber bumpers
I am getting ready to install new bumper covers on my 75 vert.The front is a GM replacement and the rear is a flexi unit.My question is should I paint them installed on the car or trial fit them and then remove for paint?Does the flexi unit require a flex agent in the paint like the urethane originals did?
Thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,084
Likes: 786
From: Lebanon Township New Jersey
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (jlsru75)
I don't know if the aftermarket piece requires flex agent like the factory urethane part. But you should definitely paint them before you put them on the car. You will save yourself a lot of masking and get better paint coverage. Good luck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (jlsru75)
i would paint them on the car, because you will probably scratch them up when installing. Also the bumpers may have to be slightly contorted when bolted to the body to get a perfect fit. If painted first this could cause the paint to crack when you flex them to get them on.
If you have them painted in the new urethane enamels, a flex agent is not required because the paint is so flexible to begin with.
what did that GM front cover cost?
[Modified by turtlevette, 11:23 AM 1/25/2004]
[Modified by turtlevette, 11:35 AM 1/25/2004]
If you have them painted in the new urethane enamels, a flex agent is not required because the paint is so flexible to begin with.
what did that GM front cover cost?
[Modified by turtlevette, 11:23 AM 1/25/2004]
[Modified by turtlevette, 11:35 AM 1/25/2004]
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,876
Likes: 39
From: cincinnati ohio
Cruise-In V Veteran
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (turtlevette)
turtlevette,
I bought the urethane bumper about 3 years ago for around 500 dollars.I have a friend that works at a GM dealership and that was his cost on the bumper.The actual price is a little over 600 I think.
I bought the urethane bumper about 3 years ago for around 500 dollars.I have a friend that works at a GM dealership and that was his cost on the bumper.The actual price is a little over 600 I think.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 21,427
Likes: 456
From: Massillon,Ohio USA
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Cruise-In VI Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (jlsru75)
Wayne, I had the Eckler's '74 rear painted "OFF the car", but this $597 '73/'74 front is so damn "floppy", I'm going to have it painted "on the car", but just very loosely. I'm going to have it "pulled away" from the body about a 1/4" of an inch. I have the original retaining studs and they'll let you pull it out about that far loosened up "all most all the way".
ps, talked to you for a good while down at McDorman's at the NCRS meet(if that was you, I think :lol: ). I had my Silver '68 coupe judged down there in Sept.
ps, talked to you for a good while down at McDorman's at the NCRS meet(if that was you, I think :lol: ). I had my Silver '68 coupe judged down there in Sept.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: cheltenham victoria
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (jlsru75)
Hey there, Well i have a body shop here in Australia and i am currently repairing Cali 1.My advise to you would be to paint the bumpers off the car. A trial fit is always a good idea.Also put the flex additive in the paint it helps with the smaller stone chips and prevents a hell of a lot of them as well. Put the flex add in the primer you use as well. Prep work starts from the bottom up. Paint these off the car is best because the paint will cover the join between the body and the bumpper and its not a good thing because in time this will crack. Have fun
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,876
Likes: 39
From: cincinnati ohio
Cruise-In V Veteran
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (jason_c)
Thanks guy for the help.I think I will do a trial fit and see how it goes from there.
Paul,
I would enjoy to be able to talk vettes with you sometime but it was not me you talked to at McDormans.I wasn't there.
Paul,
I would enjoy to be able to talk vettes with you sometime but it was not me you talked to at McDormans.I wasn't there.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
Re: Painting rubber bumpers (jlsru75)
Another vote for painting them off the car, but don't even think about painting until you trial fit them. In fact, make sure you can easily install them and make sure that all the lines in the body match up. I did a flexi front and urethane rear last year. The flexi was from Ecklers and went on smooth and fit like a glove. The urethane rear was a different story...it was not wide enough, so I had to do some bondo fiberglass work to make it 1/2" wider...it also needed a little work to blend the body lines to flow like the original did.
Especially in this weather you will need to warm up the garage to at least 80 degrees and keep good cirulation of air to dry the paint properly (and to keep from fainting). One bit of advice is to make sure that the undercoat is COMPLETELY dry before applying the base coats...I didn't let mine dry and now it appears to look like the paint is oxidized due to the undercoat shrinking when it dried and seperating the base coat in lots of hairline cracks. Oh well...at least it's painted right?
Especially in this weather you will need to warm up the garage to at least 80 degrees and keep good cirulation of air to dry the paint properly (and to keep from fainting). One bit of advice is to make sure that the undercoat is COMPLETELY dry before applying the base coats...I didn't let mine dry and now it appears to look like the paint is oxidized due to the undercoat shrinking when it dried and seperating the base coat in lots of hairline cracks. Oh well...at least it's painted right?
