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A Painter's Advice Wanted R33 Gtr Bar

OstrichFace2010
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OstrichFace2010 Enthusiast

OstrichFace2010

Posted
Posted

Hi SAU Gents,

After nearly 12 months of hunting down a Genuine Series 3 R33 GTR front bar, I finally found one!

My 97' GTR is KR4 colour (dark silver), the bumper I have obtained is white, paint is in pretty good nik, but I want to strip the paint and start a new. Now I know not to use paint stripper as this can distort the shape of the plastic, and I really couldn't be bothered rubbing it right back. However, my question is this; Could I get this professionally sand blasted without damaging the pastic underneath.

Also would you guys suggest applying the paint in this procedure in an above 25 deg low humidity enviroment;

1./ A good etch primer

2./ Lightly rub back with 500 grit

3./ Apply high fill primer

4./ Lightly rub back with 280 grit finishing with 1200 grit

5./ Leave primer to fully dry out 24 - 48 hours

6./ Apply base coat (colour)

7./ Dry out 4 hours

8./ Apply top coat clear

Of course with all paint applications I will add a plastic additive given the fact this is plastic and will flex from time to time.

Also, whats good quality paint, Standox? I am pretty sure the paint is 2pak not acrylic? Correct me if i am wrong...

I have painted a few cars in my time, but never really done plastic bumpers.

Eperienced advice will be greatly appreciated!

Regards, Jason

OstrichFace2010 Enthusiast

OstrichFace2010

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Hi SAU Gents,

After nearly 12 months of hunting down a Genuine Series 3 R33 GTR front bar, I finally found one!

My 97' GTR is KR4 colour (dark silver), the bumper I have obtained is white, paint is in pretty good nik, but I want to strip the paint and start a new. Now I know not to use paint stripper as this can distort the shape of the plastic, and I really couldn't be bothered rubbing it right back. However, my question is this; Could I get this professionally sand blasted without damaging the pastic underneath.

Also would you guys suggest applying the paint in this procedure in an above 25 deg low humidity enviroment;

1./ A good etch primer

2./ Lightly rub back with 500 grit

3./ Apply high fill primer

4./ Lightly rub back with 280 grit finishing with 1200 grit

5./ Leave primer to fully dry out 24 - 48 hours

6./ Apply base coat (colour)

7./ Dry out 4 hours

8./ Apply top coat clear

Of course with all paint applications I will add a plastic additive given the fact this is plastic and will flex from time to time.

Also, whats good quality paint, Standox? I am pretty sure the paint is 2pak not acrylic? Correct me if i am wrong...

I have painted a few cars in my time, but never really done plastic bumpers.

Eperienced advice will be greatly appreciated!

Regards, Jason

BUMP Anybody?

Hanaldo Grand Master

Hanaldo

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hi SAU Gents,

After nearly 12 months of hunting down a Genuine Series 3 R33 GTR front bar, I finally found one!

My 97' GTR is KR4 colour (dark silver), the bumper I have obtained is white, paint is in pretty good nik, but I want to strip the paint and start a new. Now I know not to use paint stripper as this can distort the shape of the plastic, and I really couldn't be bothered rubbing it right back. However, my question is this; Could I get this professionally sand blasted without damaging the pastic underneath.

Also would you guys suggest applying the paint in this procedure in an above 25 deg low humidity enviroment;

1./ A good etch primer

2./ Lightly rub back with 500 grit

3./ Apply high fill primer

4./ Lightly rub back with 280 grit finishing with 1200 grit

5./ Leave primer to fully dry out 24 - 48 hours

6./ Apply base coat (colour)

7./ Dry out 4 hours

8./ Apply top coat clear

Of course with all paint applications I will add a plastic additive given the fact this is plastic and will flex from time to time.

Also, whats good quality paint, Standox? I am pretty sure the paint is 2pak not acrylic? Correct me if i am wrong...

I have painted a few cars in my time, but never really done plastic bumpers.

Eperienced advice will be greatly appreciated!

Regards, Jason

First off, if you can't be bothered rubbing it back then I wouldn't bother painting it at all, get someone to do it professionally. Spray painting isn't something you should rush :D

Ok, considering it has already been painted, you don't need primer. If it has any scratches or dents that you want to fix then get some filler, filler acts as primer so you don't need to prime it again. If you are filling it, sand the bumper back with 240 grit, then spray on the filler. Once that has dried, sand most of it back with the 240 until you start to wear through to the paint underneath. Then go over it with 400 grit until it is all completely smooth. Make sure it is perfect, the paint won't hide anything.

Now you apply the base coat. Do not wait for it to dry before you apply the clear coat. You should apply the clear coat within 15 minutes, otherwise they will not chemically bond and the clear coat will peel off.

If you hit it perfectly straight out of the gun, then there shouldn't be any need to sand it back. Just buff it with some cutting compound to bring it up really smooth, and you're done :) Don't wax or polish the paint for 30 days, the paint really needs to set before you do.

*EDIT* Also, if you are painting in this cold weather, you need to warm the bumper up. You shouldn't paint anything that is under 22 degrees, otherwise the paint will not shine and will come out matte. Just get a heat lamp or stick the bumper over a heater until you can feel that it is quite warm to the touch. Don't forget to wipe it down before you spray it, get rid of any dust and grease from your skin if you touched it.

Edited by Hanaldo
OstrichFace2010 Enthusiast

OstrichFace2010

Posted
  • Author
Posted
First off, if you can't be bothered rubbing it back then I wouldn't bother painting it at all, get someone to do it professionally. Spray painting isn't something you should rush :happy:

Ok, considering it has already been painted, you don't need primer. If it has any scratches or dents that you want to fix then get some filler, filler acts as primer so you don't need to prime it again. If you are filling it, sand the bumper back with 240 grit, then spray on the filler. Once that has dried, sand most of it back with the 240 until you start to wear through to the paint underneath. Then go over it with 400 grit until it is all completely smooth. Make sure it is perfect, the paint won't hide anything.

Now you apply the base coat. Do not wait for it to dry before you apply the clear coat. You should apply the clear coat within 15 minutes, otherwise they will not chemically bond and the clear coat will peel off.

If you hit it perfectly straight out of the gun, then there shouldn't be any need to sand it back. Just buff it with some cutting compound to bring it up really smooth, and you're done :blush: Don't wax or polish the paint for 30 days, the paint really needs to set before you do.

*EDIT* Also, if you are painting in this cold weather, you need to warm the bumper up. You shouldn't paint anything that is under 22 degrees, otherwise the paint will not shine and will come out matte. Just get a heat lamp or stick the bumper over a heater until you can feel that it is quite warm to the touch. Don't forget to wipe it down before you spray it, get rid of any dust and grease from your skin if you touched it.

Hi Mate,

Autually I can be bothered rubbing it back, after all took me 12 months to find it.

Will definately take your advice on board mate, just got to work out how I can make an almost dust free environment in my garage. Might make up a plastic sheet room in my garage and seal it off!

Thanks a heap mate!

toffy Veteran

toffy

Posted
Posted
Hi Mate,

Autually I can be bothered rubbing it back, after all took me 12 months to find it.

Will definately take your advice on board mate, just got to work out how I can make an almost dust free environment in my garage. Might make up a plastic sheet room in my garage and seal it off!

Thanks a heap mate!

why the hell do you want to rub all the white paint off? and what are you planning on painting it with? . if the white paint isn't cracked or scratched through to the plastic , don't waste your time :/ , if your worried about the silver chipping off and white coming through , that only happens if you don't face it back properly :D (i.e make sure you get in all the little corners etc , even if only with scotchbrite) , facing off to paint , i always use 600 to start and go over it with 800 (painting 2k) kr4 is a prick of a colour if your not expirienced with painting (have you ever seen a silver car that looks kinda splotchy= bad painter=looks shit) .

OstrichFace2010 Enthusiast

OstrichFace2010

Posted
  • Author
Posted
why the hell do you want to rub all the white paint off? and what are you planning on painting it with? . if the white paint isn't cracked or scratched through to the plastic , don't waste your time ;) , if your worried about the silver chipping off and white coming through , that only happens if you don't face it back properly :P (i.e make sure you get in all the little corners etc , even if only with scotchbrite) , facing off to paint , i always use 600 to start and go over it with 800 (painting 2k) kr4 is a prick of a colour if your not expirienced with painting (have you ever seen a silver car that looks kinda splotchy= bad painter=looks shit) .

Will be a challenge painting the KR4 thats for sure, but willing to give it ago! Have painted my old VS dunnydore years ago and it was a silver metallic, I paint matched it pretty well from memory and could not tell the difference. So will see how I go, might even put up some before and after shots, so you guys see how I go. Thanks for your advice also mate!

Hanaldo Grand Master

Hanaldo

Posted
Posted
-0.6 deg this morning..

that's not cold.. its bloody freezing!

literally! ;)

Lol yeh, I recommend not painting on days as cold as this. Really ruins your coat.

Hi Mate,

Autually I can be bothered rubbing it back, after all took me 12 months to find it.

Will definately take your advice on board mate, just got to work out how I can make an almost dust free environment in my garage. Might make up a plastic sheet room in my garage and seal it off!

Thanks a heap mate!

A good way of stopping a lot of dust is to make your whole garage damp. You don't need to soak the place, just lightly damp so that all the dust is weighed down and won't go flying around. Careful with this method though because moisture really isn't good for paint either... Also use your spray gun to spray some air around to blow off the majority of the dust from the bumper, and then use a clean cloth and lightly spray it with paint (not much, just so the cloth is sticky), and rub the bumper down with that. Should get rid of most of the dust.

Post some pictures up when you're done mate, keen to see how you go :P

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