spiderwebbing paint
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 377
Likes: 10
From: Chicago IL
spiderwebbing paint
A 1985 which was already repainted about 15 years ago due to somebody rear ending me. The other day, I noticed a bunch of new spiderweb cracks in the paint on the rear bumper. Does anyone have any tricks to reduce the appearance of the spiderwebbing? My car is white. Thanks.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 1
From: sd
Other than removing the bumper yourself and taking it to a body shop to have them repaint, No. Removing the bumpers on an 85 are not all that hard and saved me about $600 in labor. Just finished up this week and the car is getting buffed out in the morning. Spiderwebbing in the paint was one of the problems on my rear bumper.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,518
Likes: 19
Originally Posted by goldeneye_vet
Other than removing the bumper yourself and taking it to a body shop to have them repaint, No. Removing the bumpers on an 85 are not all that hard and saved me about $600 in labor. Just finished up this week and the car is getting buffed out in the morning. Spiderwebbing in the paint was one of the problems on my rear bumper.
Not hard but time consuming. I did the same thing. Took them off and reinstalled them myself and saved a bundle.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 377
Likes: 10
From: Chicago IL
thanks, just wondering what does it run $$$ to have the bumper redone (if I R&R the bumper myself) and what special paint additives (flex agents) should I look for so it doesn't happen again? thanks
Racer
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 483
Likes: 0
From: Hurricane Alley FLorida
I see no reason for removing your rear bumper, unless you are going to change colors. I paint all my own cars, boats etc.
Day 1 Remove hardware, clean & DEWAX, sand to primer coat.
Day 2 Mask, prime and paint.
Day 3 Wet sand with flat stick and buff, install hardware.
Done and out the door. Maybe $75 materials. This assumes no body work required.
Day 1 Remove hardware, clean & DEWAX, sand to primer coat.
Day 2 Mask, prime and paint.
Day 3 Wet sand with flat stick and buff, install hardware.
Done and out the door. Maybe $75 materials. This assumes no body work required.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Iowa
If a good urethane is used there will not be any "flex agents" like in the old days. As long as the surface is clean and properly prepared the paint will hold on well. I would make sure that top quality paint is used; the cheap stuff does not hold up well at all. I have been painting vette's for over 5 years so if you have any more questions feel free to PM me and I will get back to you with the specific information you need. Good luck and for comparison I charge around $450 to make it look new again more or less depending on the customer's wishes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 1
From: sd
$450 sounds about right. That's what mine was or close to in fact. For both bumpers to get reshot was $700 and I put in my own labor to put them back on. As far as not having to remove the bumper to do the job...you're right. You don't have to but with mine the circles for the tail lights were peeling clear coat and the seem around the rear had some other problems so off they came and went to paint. I think by the time I get done with the car I'll pretty much have dismantled every square inch in a few years. The FSM was of little help on this job and most of this is done by feel and you will FEEL every minute of it when you are removing and replacing these bumpers.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
$450 sounds like way too much for just repainting a bumper. My friend repainted his '98 Mustang GT himself and spent around $1100 on the whole car. Its a very good paint job, probably better than the factory paint on a vette. I dont remember which brand of paint he used though.
It is true that more expensive paint will look better and last much longer. I only wish I knew that before I paid $500 to have my other car repainted. A year later, its already peeling away. Not as shiny either.
It is true that more expensive paint will look better and last much longer. I only wish I knew that before I paid $500 to have my other car repainted. A year later, its already peeling away. Not as shiny either.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Iowa
A pint of Dupont paint will cost you $40 not to mention the basemaker and the primer, clear, catalyst and other materials that all go into the job. Sure with the lowest quality AU base clear system the cost will be low, around what you friend spent; but when you have the possibility of the job coming back with an angry customer you can not risk using them (not to say they will not work). Not mention having me tear the thing down, do all the prep and block work, and then paint it; yes you end up with a good sized bill. But you do end up with a flawless bumper that matches up and will last much longer than the original. The main difference of my job versus your friends is you have to pay me for my time; he did not pay himself for his!
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Originally Posted by Deakins
A pint of Dupont paint will cost you $40 not to mention the basemaker and the primer, clear, catalyst and other materials that all go into the job. Sure with the lowest quality AU base clear system the cost will be low, around what you friend spent; but when you have the possibility of the job coming back with an angry customer you can not risk using them (not to say they will not work). Not mention having me tear the thing down, do all the prep and block work, and then paint it; yes you end up with a good sized bill. But you do end up with a flawless bumper that matches up and will last much longer than the original. The main difference of my job versus your friends is you have to pay me for my time; he did not pay himself for his!
I'm not knocking DIY painters; there are some excellent DIY-ers here on CF, and elsewhere. I've personally seen their work and some of it does hold up very well for many years.
But generally, a pro painter knows the tricks, pitfalls, techniques, products to avoid, products to use, combinations of things that will and won't work, etc. That's just knowledge. Then there's technical application ability. I have watched (in full suit) pro painters. It'd take me years to do it.
Some people are born to be Michael Jordan, not me. That's the truth.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,488
Likes: 1,352
Originally Posted by Deakins
If a good urethane is used there will not be any "flex agents" like in the old days. As long as the surface is clean and properly prepared the paint will hold on well. I would make sure that top quality paint is used; the cheap stuff does not hold up well at all. I have been painting vette's for over 5 years so if you have any more questions feel free to PM me and I will get back to you with the specific information you need. Good luck and for comparison I charge around $450 to make it look new again more or less depending on the customer's wishes.
That's also a good price $450.00 plus it will actually be the right color. A white car has several different formulas for the same color. Prime, and then more yellow than prime, more gray than prime etc. etc. If you go and buy a pint of paint, and a pint of clear then hardnener and reducer for both you're going to spend at least $100.00 if you buy garbage paint 
Racer
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 296
Likes: 0
From: columbia sc
Originally Posted by 1quik91
I see no reason for removing your rear bumper, unless you are going to change colors. I paint all my own cars, boats etc.
Day 1 Remove hardware, clean & DEWAX, sand to primer coat.
Day 2 Mask, prime and paint.
Day 3 Wet sand with flat stick and buff, install hardware.
Done and out the door. Maybe $75 materials. This assumes no body work required.
Day 1 Remove hardware, clean & DEWAX, sand to primer coat.
Day 2 Mask, prime and paint.
Day 3 Wet sand with flat stick and buff, install hardware.
Done and out the door. Maybe $75 materials. This assumes no body work required.
*oh and lets not mention the drips, heavy spots, lack of proper drying time in the open with all sorts of debris falling into paint cause you dont have a clean environment, and the lack of shine due to the fact that the paint is not buffed at all or inproperly cause that would require more tools and supply.
Last edited by dnut24; Aug 22, 2006 at 08:52 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,723
Likes: 11
From: Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada
I repainted both of my bumpers this spring due to fading and spider web cracks. I went down to a paint shop and they mixed my exact color. It cost me about $100cdn per bumper, for 3 coats of primer, 3 coats of paint and 6 coats of clear coat. I sanded it all down by hand. Each bumper took about 3 days. I posted a pic of the bumpers awhile back because they turned out great!
