Bumper Damage

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taliano120

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I guess some piece of sh** tagged my rear bumper while I was parked on the street at work.

Any ideas on how to repair the plastic trim?- it's of the 'orange peel' type.

I was thinking to just touch-up the chipped paint. Any quality solutions?

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The white paint on the black trim seems like it would cleanup with some APC.

On to the paint, you will need to get some touchup paint - you can see the black pastic. Fill it in, sand it down and then compound and polish the spot.

I can see a thin white scratch past and before the missing paint spot and that just looks like a surface mark. Should be able to polish out that small line out...but I would way until you get the touchup paint on and then polish the entire section.
 
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Thanks, but what is APC?

For the touch-up, should I go to the dealer for the factory paint or get something along the lines of Dr. Colorchip?

Can you be more specific regarding the sanding, compounding & polishing? I have never done a repair like this before.
 
APC = all purpose cleaner.

Ive never delt with touchup paint other than that of dr color chip. And with that, I am quite satisfied with the color match.
 
I agree with Timaishu. Dr Color Chip gives you everything you need in bottles. Dealerships usually only give you the paint and no clear if you get touchup from them - normal have to ask for the clear.

Dr. ColorChip Paint Chip Repair, dr. color chip, repair paint chips, touch-up paint, Doctor Color-Chip Paint Chip Repair

Okay for steps and products.

Here are a few links from the great member Ricky who's done some great right ups. Please read these over as they will give you a better knowledge of what you need and must do.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/42801-vandalism-key-scratch-repair.html
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/43535-key-repair-step-step-procedure.html

For products I have done scratch repair with...

-2500 or 3000 wet sand paper
Meguiars 2500 Grit Sand Paper Single Sheets
Meguiars 3000 Grit Sand Paper Single Sheets

-Yellow LC Flat Pad with 105 Meguiars Ultra-Cut Compound
Yellow Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad
Meguiars Mirror Glaze #105 Ultra-Cut Compound 32 oz. New D.A. Version

-Oragne LC Flat Pad with 205 Meguiars Finishing Polish
Orange Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad
Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish, final polish, Meguiars polishes, car polish, 205 FP

I then follow with one of the below depending on how what each one finish on your paint (this can change because of ClearCoat hardness)

-White LC Flat Pad with 205 Meguiars Finishing Polish
White Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad
Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish, final polish, Meguiars polishes, car polish, 205 FP

OR

-White LC Plate Pad or Black LC Flat Pad with Menzerna PO85RD (PO85RD I think, leaves a smoother cut than 205)
White Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad OR
Black Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Foam Pad
with
Menzerna Polish PO85RD, Mernzerna 85rd, Menzerna finish po85rd
 
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Colorchip does not come with clear. Just the paint, sealact, nitrile glove, cloth piece and a few brushes.
 
I'm certain the plastic can be fixed with a handheld torch. The key is to go very very very very slow and apply the minimum amount of heat to get the results you want. I've fixed a large number of textured plastic pieces with this method and when all was said and done, the repairs were more often than not completely undetectable. Make sure you tape off the painted areas with some sort of heat absorbing barrier to keep the heat off the paint. Also, when applying the heat, do it while holding the tool at a 45 degree angle. In doing so, you're not concentrating the heat to a minute area, but rather allowing the heat to spread. Honestly, your damage isn't that bad. I would guestimate that it could be fixed in 5 to 10 minutes.
 
X6StringerX said:
I'm certain the plastic can be fixed with a handheld torch. The key is to go very very very very slow and apply the minimum amount of heat to get the results you want. I've fixed a large number of textured plastic pieces with this method and when all was said and done, the repairs were more often than not completely undetectable.
Click to expand...

Holy cow the guy's never even used touchup paint and you want him to take a torch to the trim?? I agree heat would likely fix that but how about an electric heat gun?
 
I had actually included heat gun in my post and then edited it back out because of the location of the damage. A handheld torch is better in his situation because of the damage's proximity to a painted panel. With a torch, he can be much more precise and still keep the painted areas nice and cool.

EDIT: I'm not talking a cutting torch here. I'm talking a small, $30 handheld torch you can get from an auto parts store that use over-the-counter butane.
 
I will just put my two cents in with the heat gun. First, I believe from what I see, APC and a good scrubbing will remove the white transfer paint.

Second, I've seen what a heat gun or torch can do - It sometimes makes these lower bumber plastic brittle and can crack over time...I've seen it happen to cars brought in for work.

Yes, they do look normal once your done, most of the time, but i've experianced different...

"Start with the least aggressive option first" - many detailers abide by this rule.
 
X6StringerX said:
I'm not talking a cutting torch here. I'm talking a small, $30 handheld torch you can get from an auto parts store that use over-the-counter butane.
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand but Newb who's never done touchup and doesn't know what APC is + torch somehow doesn't seem like the best advice.

DealerDetailer said:
I will just put my two cents in with the heat gun. First, I believe from what I see, APC and a good scrubbing will remove the white transfer paint.
Click to expand...

Looking at it again I would have to agree. Should def be the first step.
 
I can see where you guys are coming from. However, I don't think an APC is going to fix it because to my eyes, it doesn't appear to be white paint transfer. I believe the actual plastic is scuffed, which is why I recommended heat. With that being said, DD makes a valid point as far as brittle plastic goes. Some plastic pieces can't be repaired and should simply be replaced. Specifically, pieces that are under stress should just be replaced. A chin spoiler would be a good example because they're constantly fighting the wind. The piece in question here is located directly above the exhaust and has undoubtedly went through many hot/cold cycles. No longer than the heat would need to be applied to make the repair, it will likely have no seen affect on the brittleness of the piece. My official recommendation would be as follows:

Try an APC just to make sure. If it works, stop. If it doesn't work, you have three choices. Live with the damage, replace the part, or try my torch method.
 
Outstanding points X6StringerX!

taliano120, you've got some great tips so far. Let us know if you have any other questions.
 
Thanks to everyone for the fixes.

I have done touch-ups before, but nothing this severe before. I'm going to get a Dr. ColorChip kit & see where that takes me.

The plastic trim, to me, seems marred in one area, but some places, just white paint. At this point, I'm not considering replacing the part because of the cost. I don't usually use APC on my vehicles because I never have to, so is a Simple Green type product suggested, or something milder?

Again, thanks to all. I will post 'after' photos as I complete the repairs.
 
As far as All Purpose Cleaners go, what's everyone using?

Optimum, Blackfire, Einszett?
 
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