thanks for the quick reply adam, ill defo bear this in mind. I have a feeling i will have to spell it out to the bodyshop, i live on an island with 60k people, there aint alot of show cars around

regards

Jamie

 

I know how it is...and believe me, even where we are, finding a body shop that truly knows what their doing, and ensures the car is perfect BEFORE it leaves (vs having a customer come back later to tell them where its not perfect) is rare as well. That's why I just do it myself now lol.

If you/they have any questions, let me know...it really is quite easy to adjust it so that it fits tightly.

Another suggestion BTW, in case they don't know, is to leave the bumper in the sun for a few hours before you test fit it. This will help the bumper go back to it's original shape, free of any slight creases/bending that can occur during transit. From there, it's straightforward. Obviously test fit it before any paint or prep is done, and from there, just make sure they take the necessary precautions when prepping it for paint, as you would do on any urethane piece.

Here is what I did on mine - the exact products will vary by the paint system you use, but this gives you a good general idea as every manufacturer has the equivalent product. We happen to use the DuPont Chroma Premier System for our stuff.

1. After bumper has been allowed to sit in the sun, bring it inside to work on - room temperature, 60 + degrees is recommended

2. scuff the bumper fully with grey Scotchbright

3. clean fully using a prep solvent that is safe for plastics. We use DuPont's 2319. Let it air dry. Here you are cleaning off any oils that happen as a result of any molding process, as well as fingerprints, dirt, etc that can accumulate.

4. Prime with a urethane safe primer - we use DuPont 4004. Once the primer has cured, go over it with 400 grit paper

5. Wash the bumper with a mild mild soap and water...wash it thoroughly. Clean it again with 2319

6. Apply your base/clear. Again, we use DuPont's Chroma premier. Each manufacturer has a variety of products within a given "system" for different temperatures, humidity ranges, booth types, or open air use. Follow recommendations on pressure by the manufacturer for dry times, etc.

7. Wet sand with 1000 grit, wash with mild soap and water, then 1500, mild soap and water, then 2000, then mild soap and water. This gets rid of any minor runs, dirt, etc etc.

Allow it to dry per manufacturers recommendation. Once full cured (usually 1-4 weeks or so, depending on system) you can have it fully polished out with a machine, and wax as needed, or apply clear bra.

 

Wow thanks for that adam. Ill definetly mention all the main things to be concerned with with this bumper. I actually just attempted a repair on the car myself, using some 'Kuro Black' Holts DUplicolour paint (not sure if you have that in the US) , but its acrylic paint and supposed to be a great colour match, well. . .it wasnt. . my car is a Black JDM and apparently the colour is the same as SuperBlack/Kuro but the new paint is actually 'lighter' in colour than the original paintwork! At first i thoguht it was because i didnt laquer it (i didnt think it had laquer) , though after laquering it, the colour is still out, so its into the proper body shop for all the work to be done in a few weeks time. Lets hope that they do a good job.

I can see a little bit of prep work that needs to be done to the bumper where the mold has left some indentation in the surface but ill assume they will make sure they take care of these before they prime etc etc

Pics when its done!

Jamie