Some quick paint prep questions

[BigFurryWhale]

So I got a new late model valence, bumper, and is lip that need repainting, and I just have a few quick questions. I will be prepping the pieces myself then taking them to a shop for paint.

For the valence, I want to get rid of the rubberized textury stuff under the paint. What techniques should I use to get rid of that stuff and to get the valence ready for paint?

For the plastic bumper, the original paint color appears to be red, but it was repainted black and now the black paint is peeling. What should I do to prep this for paint?

What should I do, if anything, with the is lip to prepare it for paint? (it's brand new).

[Tavern Gnome]

The valance- To get that rubbery texture coat off, I would probably start with Aircraft Stripper. Once you get all of the paint and texture off, DA sand it with 80 grit, then 180, then 320. 320 grit in bare metal should be ready to etch then paint.

The bumper- Without seeing how bad the newer paint job is, its tough to tell you what to do. I'd probably DA back all of the peeling paint and get a nice stepped transition between the layers. Probably start with 180 on the peeling stuff then 320 the entire bumper. After you have gotten all of the issues out with 320, move to a 600-800 grit wet sanding paper. Some gray scotchbrite with Sandfix or Final Sand will mellow out the wet sanding scratches and clean the bumper as well.

The Lip- If the lip is new and has a primer on it, just lightly sand out any imperfections from the factory and hit it with scotchbrite. Should be plenty.

Good luck!

[mrsleeve]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

what he said. The best aircraft coating remover I have ever used is called Talstrip-2

[ddavidv]

If at all possible, and to save yourself a lot of work, I'd see if I could find a media blast company near you. Stripping the IS dam is not going to be fun with all the crevices it has. You may be surprised how inexpensive it can be. They'll need to use a fairly soft media. If not, the chemical stripper is the best choice.

[ACHTUNG]

^^^^Yeah, I'd have someone media blast it.

[BigFurryWhale]

The valance- To get that rubbery texture coat off, I would probably start with Aircraft Stripper. Once you get all of the paint and texture off, DA sand it with 80 grit, then 180, then 320. 320 grit in bare metal should be ready to etch then paint.

The bumper- Without seeing how bad the newer paint job is, its tough to tell you what to do. I'd probably DA back all of the peeling paint and get a nice stepped transition between the layers. Probably start with 180 on the peeling stuff then 320 the entire bumper. After you have gotten all of the issues out with 320, move to a 600-800 grit wet sanding paper. Some gray scotchbrite with Sandfix or Final Sand will mellow out the wet sanding scratches and clean the bumper as well.

The Lip- If the lip is new and has a primer on it, just lightly sand out any imperfections from the factory and hit it with scotchbrite. Should be plenty.

Good luck!

Hey, thanks for that, very informative. Pardon my ignorance though, but what does DA sand mean? And also, Should I be priming the valence/bumper after sanding? Or just take them straight to paint after sanding and everything

Where can I get aircraft stripper?

[Tavern Gnome]

You are welcome. I should have been more clear when I said DA. DA sanders are "dual action", I believe? They spin and vibrate. Any electric or air powered sander will work. You shouldn't need to prime the valance unless you are planning to leave the bare metal exposed for a while. If it is going to sit, you need to spray etch first. The bumper shouldn't need primer either. Being that it is black, you can get away with quite a bit. If you run into any really funky stuff while sanding the bumper, like someone's old body filler, then I'd go ahead and seal it up with some primer. You should be able to get Aircraft Stripper at most autobody supply stores. Hope that helped! Best of luck.

[Tavern Gnome]

Oh, and please be careful with the stripper. That shit will burn the hell out of you if you get it on you. Have lots of rubber gloves and running water handy.

[BigFurryWhale]

Hey Thanks again for that. I forgot to mention all of this stuff will be painted alpine white. I can't wait to get my car looking normal again lol.

[ddavidv]

Those gloves for the paint stripper....make sure they are compatible. The last ones I tried to use were not impervious, and I burned my hands even with them on!

[Tavern Gnome]

Those gloves for the paint stripper....make sure they are compatible. The last ones I tried to use were not impervious, and I burned my hands even with them on!

I always use 3 pairs at a time :D