I want to respray my rear bumper becoz the paint is all cracked and large strips are worn off so what is the best way the respray it?

Sounds like its best to start from scratch.

If you know how to strip the paint with chemical strippers, it'll be the best way.

Might be an idea to get a pro to lay the paint too, for say $100-150.


Last time I did DIY on my rear bumper, spent over $100 on spraycans & materials.
Job looked good but heck that's a lot of work.

(yeah, then the bro borrowed the car and somebody rear-ended him :doubt: )

Sounds like its best to start from scratch.

If you know how to strip the paint with chemical strippers, it'll be the best way.

I agree with both points but I just wanted to say that YEARS ago my second car had a major respray done to it before I bought it and it looked schmick... really nice job... a year later before I knew it I had crows feet coming up everywhere and the paint fell off in chunks... why? the chemical stripper had not been removed properly and leeched up and through the paint again... very costly and bloody annoying. So yeah, make sure it is free of the paint remover prior to priming.

will do

magnette, what materials did u use to respray?

I'll be honest, your probably better off sanding it back to remove the cracks and such.
I know its alot of work but worth it in the end.

Always use a block!!! when sanding or you will get fingerprints in your work.

You will need to plastic prime it if you take it too far back, and it's good to prime it over that again.
I would hire a large compressor and a low pressure high volume gun to spray it up.
Buy your paint in bulk, will save you money, and if your other bumper is looking messed up you could do that as well, while your at it, colour code the mirrors and front and rear garnish if not already done.

Try and spray it in a shed undercover and wet down the floor before spraying, also use wax remover before sanding and after to remove any grease and such.

If spraying a non metallic colour then its pretty easy, the trouble comes with metallics, you dont want a line effect, with metallics you spray more liberal and not in lines to break it up, try and keep the paint wet as you go.

With the clear coat put heaps on it but in stages, dont make it run, then when it is dry give it a wet sand with 1500 grit paper and polish it to a shine.


EDIT: I just looked at your profile, your car is white, that is the easiest colour to do and hides the most mistakes.

yeh my friend knows all about the actual respraying part so ill show him what u said and see what he thinks hell prob think urs is a better way. either that or the same. anywho what is front and rear garnish??

You know the thing that says magna on it that sits in your boot, about 50cm long.
And the front grille.

oh, thanks

i was lucky in that someone scratched my rear bumper and i made them pay. was about $250 for repair (had a little tear near one of the joins) and respray.

If the paint has cracked right to the base, sanding it back won't be easy.

Paint prep is always the hardest bit, takes a lot of work!


Painting plastic also needs quite a bit of skill.
If starting from scratch, you gotta have the right primers.
Colour & clear coats... to do it right you sometimes gotta add elasticisers to the paint
otherwise the paint dries too hard and doesn't flex with the plastic. Can't be too thick too.



magnette, what materials did u use to respray?

My last attempt at painting TN wagon's rear bumper... took the whole thing off the car.

This was only a patch job where scruffs went thru to black plastic base.
Small cracks at the corners which were reinforced with aluminium bits & screws
(hey, I'm a DIY duffer) then patched over with plastic bumper putty - good stuff.

Misted some sanding primer on just as a foundation; quick sand.

Painted the whole thing with Duplicolor rattlecans... think I needed 6 (sml) color cans.
Then followed by 1 1/2 large cans of clearcoat.


Throughout the process degrease everything constantly with Wax & Grease solvent.
After patching & sanding putty I gave it a soaping in the bathtub too.



Materials bought retail at Autobarn/KMart/Repco etc.
Only trouble with little Duplicolor cans, usually each store only has 1-2 of each colour
so to do a big job you'll have to go around to a few shops to buy out all their stock.
Cost $10 a can; $15 for the large clearcoat cans.

Getting a custom mix at Autobarn would have cost about $60 for 250ml anyway,
plus there's the hassle of getting a spraygun and the cleaning afterwards.