Hi Guys,

Working on a bumper cover on a winter car that I will flip in the spring. Not looking for show results but want it nice. Once I get it to the paint stage I am capable but am at a loss how to repair this first. Not sure why some of the plastic is protruding and is not able to be pushed back in to make it smooth. I know the easy way (and I would do it if I was going to keep it) is just to get a clean used one from the wrecker's--trying to keep costs to a minimun and, I'd like to gain a new skill in the process. Thoughts??

The pieces of plastic that protrude have been pushed out when the bar was forced back against the reinforcing bar underneath.

So, first remove the bar from the car and then, using a heat gun, gently heat the flaps of plastic until you can reshape them to roughly where they were originally.

Now repair. I use the Henkel Teroson system. Not the cheapest, but fast and gives a reliable repair. You can spend days researching what kind of plastic is in the bar and then get specific repair materials for that plastic, then weld and repair. Or you can use PU9225. I've done thousands of bar repairs and haven't come across one on which this system didn't work. Even works on the high talc bars that Ford and BMW used.

There is a step-by-step of the repair process here.

The bar that you have pictured should be a really fast repair. Less than an hour to have it ready for paint, including removal.

I used to use their cleaner and plastic primer but found that Prepsol works just as well as the cleaner and just about any adhesion promoter will work for their primer (and the nozzle won't clog up like theirs does). Sand to P80, though, to get best mechanical adhesion, only reducing to P180 around the edges. Instead of glass fibre mat you can use fibreglass fly screen mesh - much easier to work with, won't stick in your skin and much cheaper. 1m of mesh lasted me about 10 years. You can use their filler, if you like but a skim of normal body filler on the outside works just fine if you've brought the substrate plastic up to almost the correct level. The system does need the applicator gun though but this isn't that expensive and you'll get your money back hundreds of times with good, fast repairs.

NFT5 wrote:The pieces of plastic that protrude have been pushed out when the bar was forced back against the reinforcing bar underneath.

So, first remove the bar from the car and then, using a heat gun, gently heat the flaps of plastic until you can reshape them to roughly where they were originally.

Now repair. I use the Henkel Teroson system. Not the cheapest, but fast and gives a reliable repair. You can spend days researching what kind of plastic is in the bar and then get specific repair materials for that plastic, then weld and repair. Or you can use PU9225. I've done thousands of bar repairs and haven't come across one on which this system didn't work. Even works on the high talc bars that Ford and BMW used.

There is a step-by-step of the repair process here.

The bar that you have pictured should be a really fast repair. Less than an hour to have it ready for paint, including removal.

I used to use their cleaner and plastic primer but found that Prepsol works just as well as the cleaner and just about any adhesion promoter will work for their primer (and the nozzle won't clog up like theirs does). Sand to P80, though, to get best mechanical adhesion, only reducing to P180 around the edges. Instead of glass fibre mat you can use fibreglass fly screen mesh - much easier to work with, won't stick in your skin and much cheaper. 1m of mesh lasted me about 10 years. You can use their filler, if you like but a skim of normal body filler on the outside works just fine if you've brought the substrate plastic up to almost the correct level. The system does need the applicator gun though but this isn't that expensive and you'll get your money back hundreds of times with good, fast repairs.

Thanks Chris--exactly the info I was looking for!!

No wuckas, mate.

Leave ya money on the frig.