Cracked paint on bumpers
#1
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Car: 1988 trans am GTA
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
Cracked paint on bumpers
both my bumpers have lots of cracked paint on them and im going to painting the car at some point (acutally doing a 2 tone and keeping the original white on top and the bottem half a pontiac silver that comes on the grand prix) I have all rust taken care of and epoxy primered but i hit a road block at the bumpers, they are cracked to all hell! i know i cant just prime them and paint them because the cracks will carry through the new paint, is there a paint stripper i can use on them? or will it damage the plastic? or will i have to bust out the hand sander for many hours of work?
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Car: 84 Trans AM (sold), 87 IROC, 09 C6
Engine: Lt1 in IROC
Transmission: 5 speeds
Axle/Gears: Moser 12 bolt tru tracker 3.42
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
the safest thing to do is to use an orbital sander with 80 grit to remove the paint, then follow up with 180 grit...and then primer. The paint stirpper will certainly take off the paint, but it might also blister or swell the underlying rubber. The bumper might have been previously repainted without flex additive, or the factory paint might just have been pushed around alittle too much over the years.
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Car: 1983 camaro Z28
Engine: 383 stroker
Axle/Gears: 4:10 full disk posi
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
get a stuff called low odor aircraft remover, i used it on my plastics and it works fine but dont get that crap on your hands you'll be burning like hell. also keep an eye on the plastics if you leave the stuff on for a long period of time cause it will start to eat the plastic but if you put it on leave it for a minute then take it off it will work fine.
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Car: 84 z28
Engine: 355
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: one wheel peel
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
just feather edge the chips out.....prime and go about your bussiness
#7
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Car: 1997 Grand Prix GTP (for now)
Engine: 3.8 sc
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
media blasting is not sand blasting. The method GM used (from my experience painting the cars at the dealer) was use aircraft stripper, the feather edging may work, but it also may not as the cracks are the paint loosing bond with the surface. Media blasting will work fine (you can strip a soda can with it and not damage the can) but is a bit expensive
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Car: 84 z28
Engine: 355
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: one wheel peel
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
we must have used different kinds of blasting media.....i did an aluminium intake with the black kind and it got all chewed up
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Car: 1987 IROC-Z Camaro
Engine: L98 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700-R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27 BW
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
There's all kinds of blasting media. Glass, Sand, Silicon Carbide (The black stuff), poly bead, aluminum oxide, walnut shell. Something for everything, from iron to aluminum to plastics. IIRC, silicon carbide is the harshest media you can blast with. No wonder it chunked up that intake.
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Car: 81z-28,89gta,91z-28 03 1500
Engine: 355,L98vette tpi,327
Transmission: TH350/700R4/700r4/4l80E
Axle/Gears: 3;73/3;27/2;73/3;73
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
I used SEM bumper strip on mine,worked out real nice.This stuff doesn't damage the plastic at all.Can be found at any automotive paint shop.You won't find it at walmart or discount auto parts.
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Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
can it be done or not, i am hearing all kinds of yes and no's I'm re-doing my rare 92' L98 Z-28 Heritage coupe and it has to look right, this is a one of less than 70 ever made, in 1992 they made 355 L98 Heitage z-28 coupes in 5 colors, do the math, more rare than a GNX
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Car: ►1989 IROC-Z≡ ◄
Engine: ►5.7 TPI◄
Transmission: Original Owner
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
Doing it right is to chemically or mechanically strip the entire piece of old paint (as posted by others). Why apply high dollar paint over the top of an iffy foundation ? It may or may not come back to haunt you. Do it right the first time and don't worry about it tomorrow.
#14
Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
![EEK!](https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/images/smilies/eek.gif)
![hmmm](https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/images/smilies/hmmmm.gif)
can it be done or not, i am hearing all kinds of yes and no's I'm re-doing my rare 92' L98 Z-28 Heritage coupe and it has to look right, this is a one of less than 70 ever made, in 1992 they made 355 L98 Heitage z-28 coupes in 5 colors, do the math, more rare than a GNX
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Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
i had a media blaster do the rear bumper and he had his helper do indtead of him and ruined it, I'm so pissed, he even ruined the small rear corner ground effect, pitted the **** out of it, what a bitch
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Re: Cracked paint on bumpers
i wish, but its a small hole in the wall joint, i guess i got what I deserved for trying to do it right, or perfect, i just made it worse
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