Painting Bumpers

[levymetal]

Hey everyone
It has come a time when my bumpers are half the shade they are supposed to be (well, rear anyway), and the strips along the sides are all patchy and it looks horrible.

I was wondering if anyone has done this before, what's the best way to do it? At first I was going to use a spray gun with air compressor (sorry I don't know technical names for these types of painting). But then I thought, why not just use a pressure pack spray can?
I've never painted anything before in either way, I guess I have to do a few coats but which way would work the best?
I am going to take the bumpers off to do it, but not the strips along the side.
Oh and should I use a gloss paint or matte?

Here's a photo so you know what I mean!

[R0d]

if its going black you could probally get away with pressure packs, but if its body colour definately use a spray gun

[Tom_1569]

if you have access to a spray gun, then use it, the difference will be noticeable. Also lots of prep work, the right paint, and a good clear coat to.

[VLDavo]

your really gonna need to prep those bars properly... give em a good scrub down an some wax and grease remover before u start...

use a spray gun.. u will get a far better even coat then a pressure pack...probably be easier for u since u have never painted anything before...

also just paint them in a paint called (bumper bar black)

lol i also hope your gonna take em off to paint as u dont want a mist of black over spray on ya red paintwork lol

[levymetal]

Yeah I'm going dark grey so I'm sure there's a bumper bar grey paint too. The reason I'm not going black is because black and red just don't mix well :P. If it was a white car then I'd definitely go black!

[VLDavo]

i think black and red go together pretty good ... have u see the red vn with i think the numberplate is (stwlen) its got group a twin throttle bodies and has MSC performance up the side of it on fr simmons..

same as yours but with black bumpers

[azkwazere]

if your crap with a a spray gun then youll notice it lol...

im presssure pack king so thats how i did mine.

Prep work is key, good sand, got mine smoother than silk, then i primed it, 4 coats of paint and 2 of clear coat.... wait three days to dry and then cut and polish.

oh and use black, will be tougher that way.

aZk.

[SAMO-87]

I want to do the same to mine, paint bumpers, sillls and strips down the side of the car. Obviously the bumpers are coming off, but what about the strips down the side? Is it easier to just mask up and paint them and the sills together?

Cheers,
Sam

[levymetal]

Yeah I was going to just mask around for the strips, and sills I can't be bothered doing :P
I don't even know whether to try anymore. Might look better all faded than a blotchy paint job

[SAMO-87]

Haha, yer I was thinking the same thing. Wonder how much a decent spray painter would charge to do it...

[levymetal]

I did some quick photoshops with black bumpers... I think the only time it looks good black is with black boot garnish and black lights.
I have this funny feeling inside me that black would be easier to do though...


[removed, look down]

[jet_pilot]

i'll probly get ripped for this but anyway get a VP pre colour coded bumper's hahahaha......sorry ha to do it just stiring
nah man black is way tougher then then that milky cold earl grey that it is atm
lovin the ss rim's btw

[SAMO-87]

Yer I agree, black would be much easier and look better. Mine are the standard grey, they don't come up too bad, but I want them colour coded or black..

[levymetal]

nice photoshop job, looks way better than mine haha
if you find out how much it costs or if you do it yourself please tell me.. i don't think i'm game to try! plus i don't have enough time to let it all dry out, doubt it's legal to drive without bumpers even though they aren't part of structural integrity :P

cheers about the ss rims jet_pilot

[SAMO-87]

nice photoshop job, looks way better than mine haha
if you find out how much it costs or if you do it yourself please tell me.. i don't think i'm game to try! plus i don't have enough time to let it all dry out, doubt it's legal to drive without bumpers even though they aren't part of structural integrity :P

cheers about the ss rims jet_pilot

What Photoshop job? I painted the garnish, and cleaned the bumpers up. But they are grey.

Will find out soon how much to get it done.

[levymetal]

haha wow then that's a nice grey... not faded
i thought yours would be bad like mine too :P

[WhiteVS]

its not that hard to do mate, sand it all back to be nice and smooth, you could even leave the bumpers on and do it. Just mask everything back etc etc. Get some good black paint id just use a presssure pack because your only painting plastic.

[levymetal]

Would I want to use a matte or gloss paint? I'm thinking matte because it will hide imperfections in the plastic (stock bumper is matte anyway). Though gloss might be still the paint to use?

[mischa]

i need to paint the SS lips for mine. Want to paint them body color with the bumpers, but might just do them black to match bumpers already (lazy )

[padrickz88]

id use gloss looks so much better, and i was going to recommend to do your garnish aswell... thought about removing the trolley strips and badges?

this is mine from a while ago when i painted my bumpers and garnish... except mines a vp bumper but you get the idea and i done it with a spray gun, cant use pressure packs believe it or not....

[levymetal]

That looks good, I'm still undecided on whether to use pressure packs or spray gun!

I tried debadging the other day, paint on boot is way darker underneath so you could see where the badge was... unlucky, crappy fading paint. On the garnish, the paint came off under the badge so it was a much lighter colour where I took it off!
I put all the badges back on. If I painted garnish I could take off that badge, but the others must stay. No point cut and polishing because honestly I don't care that much about the paint, it's an old car and never going to be worth any money... I never even wash it. It just gets dirty the next day, and it looks the same from day 2 after wash as day 200...

[excalibur]

Yeah I'm going dark grey so I'm sure there's a bumper bar grey paint too. The reason I'm not going black is because black and red just don't mix well :P. If it was a white car then I'd definitely go black!

black and red look awesome together

[levymetal]

At least at the moment the bumper matches the garnish HAHA

[levymetal]

I did some half decent photoshop jobs this time, front and back with black bumpers, grill, and garnish. Still if anyone has photos of a red vn with black attach some, everyone thinks black is awesome but I still don't know...

[levymetal]

I decided I am going to use pressure packs, matte for bumpers (because they are a rough texture anyway), and gloss for garnish and grille. Should be doing it on Sunday if weather is right