What material to use in repairing a hole in a plastic bumper

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 5:46 pm
I have a 1993 Ford Probe, the front bumper of which unfortunately got damaged by a truck's hitch (please see the attached photos). The bumper is plastic, and I decided to try to repair it myself, by using some kind of "caulk" or "putty"-like material to patch the hole, then sand it and have it painted, but I am not sure what type of "caulk" I should use. I used caulk for some other projects, where after the material dried out I could sand and paint it, but with this project I would really need some help in selecting the right material.
I would be grateful if someone in this forum of experts could recommend some materials, particularly from Home Depot or Lowe's. Thanking you.
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:30 pm
That's not a trivial repair, and really nothing you ought to be trying to fix with supplies from a hardware store.

Might be tough to find something that old at a salvage yard but you might get lucky and find a clean bumper that way.



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PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:39 pm
Thank you for your quick reply. I know it would be better if professionals did it, but the two body shops I asked would not touch it. I will still try to do it myself, since I have no other choice except leaving it as it is, which is an eye sore. Would you have any suggestions regarding the type of filler which would stick well to the plastic? Thanking you.

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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:55 am
The problem is that just about anything you could get from a Home Depot or Lowes is just, in very short order, going to pop loose with heat and cold cycling. I went on www.car-parts.com and did find some bumper covers in the $100 range. Clean one up, mount it, do a little prep. and a local body shop should shoot it at a decent price.
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 5:17 pm
You are not going to find any shop that will want to fix that gash
Your best tool at this point is your check book.
Have a shop find you a used bumper cover and have them fix it and paint it.
Call your insurance for a list of approved by them shops in your area.



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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 6:11 pm
Thank you.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 3:05 am
Meh, we do repairs like that all the time.

You'll need a proper two pack bumper repair compound. Terokal 9225 is what we use.

Heat gun to straighten up the plastic and get out the worst of any dents. Clean and P80 the back, well beyond the repair area. Use mesh to support the filler and fill in two or three layers. Rough sand any high spots and fill the face with any decent filler. 30-45 minutes repair time. Sand and paint.

Much cheaper than a new bar and generally cheaper than a used one
Chris

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