Need Some Help And Advice

February 11, 2008

hey i just recently joined and in dire need of some help. i just purchased a KBD urethane front bumper body kit for my 00' celica and i don't know the first thing about painting it because i don't want to spend 250-500 dollars to have it done professionally, so i really need some help, besides i need a project to occupy myself with and i am told that i don't need to have it fitted like a fiberglass kit.

February 11, 2008

First things first, you need to take off your existing bumper, and do a trial fit of your new one, make sure it actually fits ok. Make any modifications as required to make it a good fit with the existing lines of the car. Usually, extra cutting, a bit of bending, and a few non-standard fixings are required on the cheaper end of body kits to make it a snug fit. Once you've got a good fit, put your old bumper back on.

Next is to take out any imperfections. If you've got any major knocks to the bumper, use a bit of filler to fill them in, and sand the filler down so its flush with the rest of the bumper. Don't worry about minor scratches, they will come out later. At this point make sure your bumper is clean. Some kind of strong alchohol based cleaner would be good. Any greasy residues on the bumper will prevent paint from sticking properly.

You now need to apply several layers of Primer paint. its best to do lots of thin layers rather than few thick layers. After each layer has dried, use wet and dry paper to smooth it off, taking out any bubbles, streaks, etc. Use a finer and finer paper on every couple of coats until you have a good layer of primer on there thats really smooth. Do your smoothing off well away from your painting area to stop dust from getting on your bumper.

Next, apply the colour you want. Again, lots of thin coats is better than few thick coats. After each coat allow it to dry, then smooth it off with very fine wet and dry paper, or a rubbing compound. Eventually you should have a fully painted bumper thats nice and smooth, with very silky paint work. Again, sand away from painting area.

Finally, a few layers of laquer, again lots of thin, rather than a few thick. You may want to smooth it, you may not. Up to you.

You'll need to think about your working conditions. Priming / Painting doesn't like humidity, dirt, dust or grease. You'll also probably be wise to get hold of a compressed air generator, and a sprayer to go with it. You can do it all with cans, but you'll be happier with the results from a compressed paint canister.

And above all, take your time with it. Its not gonna happen in a day if you are going to DIY and get a good job.

Thats a rough guide. If I were you, I'd read up on the internet a lot more before I embarked. Good luck!