[fourdoorz]

Hey guys. I am finally going to get around to fixing the rust and respraying my car over the next month. What I was wondering was about the bumper covers. Can I just clean and paint them or do I need special paint? Or can I paint them at all? ha. I wasnt sure if I needed to do anything special with them or not. I tried to do a quick search but I couldnt seem to find an answer. If you guys could lend me some insight it would be greatly appriciated. Thanks

 

[hpjunkie]

sand em n paint em will be fine!

 

[rude_ideas]

sand em n paint em will be fine!

you need to add a flex agent to the paint for the bumpers and skirts or the paint will crack

 

[hpjunkie]

sand em n paint em will be fine!

you need to add a flex agent to the paint for the bumpers and skirts or the paint will crack

i've never had that problem never used a flex agent either!!

 

[psquare75]

sand em n paint em will be fine!

you need to add a flex agent to the paint for the bumpers and skirts or the paint will crack

X2

After a few months or year w/o it, you'll start seeing small cracks in the paint.

 

[hpjunkie]

sand em n paint em will be fine!

you need to add a flex agent to the paint for the bumpers and skirts or the paint will crack

X2

After a few months or year w/o it, you'll start seeing small cracks in the paint.

huh really? honestly i've never ran into that problem i use dupont paint products painted my old Z the onlt time the paint cracked on the bumper was after i hit a deer lol! But better safe than sorry (not argueing just never ran into that prob)

 

[fourdoorz]

Hmm.. anything you guys could recommend to add as the flex agent? I'm not sure if I will go to the trouble of adding it or not. Afterall, this is only a $500 beater

 

[hpjunkie]

Hmm.. anything you guys could recommend to add as the flex agent? I'm not sure if I will go to the trouble of adding it or not. Afterall, this is only a $500 beater

If you want to use a flex agent just go and buy it for the brand of paint your useing any autobody supply shop should carry it or at least where you bought the paint!

 

[SuperDave]

they didn't use a flex agent on my bumpers, they're cracked pretty good after 7 years.

 

[hpjunkie]

they didn't use a flex agent on my bumpers, they're cracked pretty good after 7 years.

ah yea that sux guess it's just luck in my case maby lol

 

[blackwidowz24]

You really don't need a flex agent. As long as you pre clean it really good. I always use a Plastic Prep, and then when I go to mix the paint I put a little bit of fish eye reducer in with it. I've sprayed alot of plastics in the body shop and I havent had any troubles. When spraying Plastics your going to run into the problems of fish eyein more than anything, even if you clean it the best you could its usually still there!!! Most generally when the paint cracks its due to the paint/clear being to thick, not using the right supplies (using different brands), filler being to thick, not pre cleaning good enough, or just plain car accidents.

 

[hpjunkie]

You really don't need a flex agent. As long as you pre clean it really good. I always use a Plastic Prep, and then when I go to mix the paint I put a little bit of fish eye reducer in with it. I've sprayed alot of plastics in the body shop and I havent had any troubles. When spraying Plastics your going to run into the problems of fish eyein more than anything, even if you clean it the best you could its usually still there!!! Most generally when the paint cracks its due to the paint/clear being to thick, not using the right supplies (using different brands), filler being to thick, not pre cleaning good enough, or just plain car accidents.

thank you didn't think you really needed a flex agent :wink:

 

[wite89z24]

ive never used a flex either.

 

[noahkenny]

All the flex agent does is if you paint all your plastic pieces off the car it gives you a couple days of a little more flex in the paint to reinstall the parts but after a little while it still gets as hard as the rest of the paint. Ive never had any trouble not using it. But if you do any body repair on the plastic parts you do need to use the plastic body filler ( epoxy ) and not bondo.

 

[andystepper]

in all honestly, who all works at an autobody shop besides me? you NEED a flex agent when spraying on to urethane(and yes the Z bumpers are). clean with hot soapy water and give a light coat of plastic prep and an adhesion promoter. without the flex agent if say someone leans on your bumper you will all of a sudden notice small hairline cracks. it also all depends on what your paint is that your using. if your just using a spray bomb, than don't even bother because it will look like shit either way. but if your using a reputable paint company they will insist to use a flex agent.

 

[blackwidowz24]

in all honestly, who all works at an autobody shop besides me? you NEED a flex agent when spraying on to urethane(and yes the Z bumpers are). clean with hot soapy water and give a light coat of plastic prep and an adhesion promoter. without the flex agent if say someone leans on your bumper you will all of a sudden notice small hairline cracks. it also all depends on what your paint is that your using. if your just using a spray bomb, than don't even bother because it will look like shit either way. but if your using a reputable paint company they will insist to use a flex agent.

Bro, I'm not saying I'm the best because I'm not but I have 7 years in the body business. Went to school for it and graduated. Even got my Ase Certification in Structural/Non-Structural, and also Painting and Refinishing. Yes it's always best to use a flex agent but you really don't have to. Without using a flex agent means that you can't right away as soon as it cures you can't flex it, (henceforth FLEX AGENT) But let it harden and be careful and you won't have any problems. Like I said get you a real good Plastic Prep, and Fish Eye Reducer and your set. Usually when someone has there car repainted they're not going to lean all over it anyways.

 

[pezed]

ermm... maybe my common sense is broken today, but wouldnt it more likely crack after it had hardened completly?

Use flex agent, i've seen what happens when you dont.. it will crack up even if you dont bump into anything or anyone even touches it.. the urethane flexes during normal driving, especially at highway speeds it flops around alot more than you might think.

 

[joelallenclear]

Now this is a debate.

Do we... or don't we? I've always heard that you need a flex additive in person.

 

[psquare75]

I don't see why you WOULDN'T use it

cheap insurance, IMO.

 

[blackwidowz24]

Like I said....it's always best to use it but you don't have to In the autobody industry there are tons of shortcuts, either you do or don't. If you really want to get technical on FLEX agent then your suppose to use it for primer to but most people don't. Flex agent is just for saftey measures. Like I said, I hardly ever use it and nobody has complained yet. The first thing that I actually sprayed was a plastic bumper and the teacher was explaining adhesion promotor, and the proper ways of cleaning plastics, and also how to identify a plastic. And I know for a fact that the bumper hasn't cracked yet. Now I've been working for a major bodyshop here where I live and they don't use it either. I guess it depends I guess, I know what Flex agent does but the only additive that I use is Fish Eye Reducer. The Body Shop that I work at has been around for over 20yrs and Walter said that they haven't had any problems yet. So I guess, it's up to you whether you use it or not. When it starts crackin I'll use it, untill then I won't. :wink: