Front bumper coating?

My '86 has a peeling front bumper coating. I'm sure it'll come of with a rough scotch type pad or sandpaper.

But what is it that I buy to recoat. Seems vinyl-y, or rubberized?

Also the frame around the back slider is black but worn off in places. It's a very thin paint? I guess it doesn't really matter on an oldy but original would be nice.

I think it's just paint. I'd sand it down to scuff it then wipe it down with acetone and use "bumper" paint for the parts store.

I painted mine a couple years ago, without the acetone wash, and it worked pretty well. This summer I plan to redo it with the acetone wash, it should hold up better.

Another option is plasti-dip. It comes in spray cans now.

I painted my bumper, bumper ends and lower grille a few months ago. I used Krylon Fusion (made to adhere to plastics), no primer or sanding.


So while contemplating getting a black upper grille for mine, last Saturday I decided on a whim to paint the upper grille the same way. I had decided to make the headlight surrounds black. It seems to me - from looking at the underside- that the grille was originally a dark gray.



I painted the letters over with a brush, some automotive touch-up paint will work, those come with a small brush.

Thanks Dan W. I have to sand off what ever's there because it's kinda looks like skin after a bad sunburn, all peeling and yuck.

Nice looking truck Cusser. I hope my front end looks that clean when I'm done.

I just completed work on Mrs. Mazduh's car, took 3 hours + a trip to NAPA for some vac hose I accidentally ripped. Found out I can't trust my mechanic. He apparently only changed the three front plugs when he did the 60k service. I know because there was no electrode left in the back three. Been putting up with a slightly lumpy idle for 50K since. It finally showed a code for a misfire in the back bank.

While at NAPA the guy showed me some spray cans of black bumper coating. Maybe I'll do that in the morning. I still have some adhesion promoter from when I painted the side kick panels in the car.

It's Modelo time, the knees are done for today. Pics on the morrow.

Wow, that sucks. That's why I always ask for the old parts.

Don't forget the Acetone, it will remove and grease etc. You can get a gallon for cheap at Lowes.

Mine is coated in rust, i sand and paint each year, but during winter it turns to rust. My old truck was like this and my dads. I gave up and got a chrome bumper to install in the spring.

Mine is already chrome on the uppers, its the lower valance and corners, both made out of plastic.

I'll be buggered if I can figure out how to get those corners off. I got one middle #12 bolt, and one screw off the low brace. The rest are hidden, and the bolt heads are round so no grip from outside. Feeling pretty duuf!

Take the entire bumper off as a unit, then it will be straightforward. Take the upper grill off. Four big bolts, and I think the corners also attach to the body.

Got it off. Thanks. Four hours total and not much progress. I can't clean up the peeling rubber enough to get a clean surface. Might have to throw it back on and just buy new.

Frustrated as heck. Spent an hour wire brushing the rust off the back side of the chrome upper. Made in Taiwan. Hmmm. Treated it with rust mort, primed and painted.

Then I knocked off a hardened 1/8 rubber vacuum cap that was brittle. Can't find where. Now the trucks idling rough and slow at 500 rpm.

Hey are your bumper ends steel too? Or are they vinyl / plastic? Ebay has a pair that say they are steel without molding holes. (what ever that means).

Well it's a new day and I can read again!

Thanks Dan W. for the acetone suggestion. I bought a gallon, and some '00' fine steel wool and just wetted down an area and rubbed until I got a pasty puddle ,and then wiped it down with a rag.

I may even get it back together today.