Paint Question

Billabong089

Registered User
My back bumper and some of the plastic ground effects have fine crack lines ( in the paint ) to it, its tough to describe.. but how can I hide them or get rid of them? I was told compound and all that crap.
 
The bumpers are a plastic that is flexible. The cracks are likely from bumping things, or freeze-thaw, where the bumper was more flexible than the paint.

If the cracks are not actually in the plastic, but just in the paint surface, you would have to simply touch up the paint. Though cracks could likely occur there again. You may want to take the easy of flexing of the paint into consideration when you choose a paint to use.

I've never painted a car so I'm not sure what all your options could be.

If the cracks are in the bumper, there are repair kits at shops to fill cracks and seal them up. So you would need to do that.
 
What you are seeing is commonly referred to as "spider cracking" and there's really not much you can do about it besides repaint. No amount of buffing will help.

Mike nailed it, it's due to the lack of flex agent (elastomer) in the paint. Parts that are flexible, like the urethane bumpers, must have that additive in the paint or the paint will be too brittle to move with the part when an impact or movement occurs.

Most expensive (higher-end) paints are elastomeric right out of the can, less expensive paints aren't , and you need to buy an additive for them when you spray the bumpers and GFX. The factory paint does have some, but it can only give to a certain degree. Good luck.
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what's the name of the additive to use? I assume you only need to add it to the paint to be used on the bumpers? is this correct

Thanks,
Jeff
 
I've got a crack in my rear bumper thats widening. I'd like to fix it soon, can you tell me more about the kits for repair of them? Thanks a bunch.
-Tom
 
Jeff, the answer for you is yes, only need to add it to the paint you spray on the bumper. It's simply called a "flex agent" or " flex additive" but it's also called an elastomer by the paint companies.

If you were to buy high-line DuPont, PPG, Sikkens paint etc. you wouldn't need to buy the additive, it's already in there, and you can spray an entire car with it -steel and urethane.

Tom;

Check this link to 3M structural adhesives. Look into 3M automix plastic and bumper repair. Their stuff is very effective. Cheers guys.

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/...us_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html
 
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