BLACK part of bumpers/ fascia -question???

[artisticent]

My advice to anyone would be to go look at your bumpers carefully and check for physical damage to the plastic. If there is none, you can refresh the original black with lots of color sanding. Mine look better than perfect with no paint on the black part.

[Helirich]

My advice to anyone would be to go look at your bumpers carefully and check for physical damage to the plastic. If there is none, you can refresh the original black with lots of color sanding. Mine look better than perfect with no paint on the black part.

Yours looks fantastic! I may have a little warping due to heat, but no actually damage. What do you mean when you say "color sanding"?

[MrChocky]

My advice to anyone would be to go look at your bumpers carefully and check for physical damage to the plastic. If there is none, you can refresh the original black with lots of color sanding. Mine look better than perfect with no paint on the black part.

Well noted. On my driver DeLorean there is some fading, and if I ever decide to improve them, this is likely what I'll do.

However, the project is a different story. I've already painted the front spoiler with SEM trim black and also one of the rear rocker panels (that has a rough finish anyway). And both the front and back fascias have holes (front from license plate, rear from the bottom 7 studs being drilled and replaced by bolts), so these have to be filled, and probably painted over is the only good solution after filling. My experiments to date with both SEM trim black and rustoluem matte black is that if you do a reasonable job, you often can't even tell it's been painted, unless you are a stickler for such things.

Paint or no, the rear still needs a ton of prep. There were layers and layers of Hawaii registration stickers that have become part of the bumper itself, and whilst a little of the paint peeled off, most of it will be some serious work to remove, as well as fixing the blown out holes for the lights.

[David T]

To remove stickers try 3M trim adhesive removal spray. If that doesn't get it off you will have to sand it off!

[artisticent]

Yours looks fantastic! I may have a little warping due to heat, but no actually damage. What do you mean when you say "color sanding"?

Color sanding is the process of sanding a surface starting with a rougher grit and progressivly sanding the same surface with finer and finer until you're at a buffing stage. For example starting with 400 grit wet dry, then 600, then 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 then buff. I did this with all surfaces other than the stainless.

[Rich]

Color sanding is the process of sanding a surface starting with a rougher grit and progressivly sanding the same surface with finer and finer until you're at a buffing stage. For example starting with 400 grit wet dry, then 600, then 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 then buff. I did this with all surfaces other than the stainless.

I was unfamiliar with that term, too.

I endorse this process or a version of it for bringing dulled black sections of D fascias. I had an auto paint shop treat both of mine with just the buff job - no sanding - using paint polish on an orbital pad to restore the main black sections on ours which had become a bit dull. That was about 10 years ago. Both ends still look like new.

I top the black sections with a wipe of rubber and vinyl treatment about twice a year which has the benefit of keeping the bugs from sticking too badly to the one in front.

In case there are scratches or dings you'd want to start with some level of sanding, I guess.

[Helirich]

Color sanding is the process of sanding a surface starting with a rougher grit and progressivly sanding the same surface with finer and finer until you're at a buffing stage. For example starting with 400 grit wet dry, then 600, then 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 then buff. I did this with all surfaces other than the stainless.

That sounds like a plan. That's how we take scratches out of aircraft windows. (Plexiglass) except we end up with 4200 grit. I never knew they made that fine of grit. The first time you take sand paper to a $5,000 window, it's scary. How long has it lasted since you did it? Do you spray it with armor all or something similar?

[Michael]

For years the term was "wetsand". Color sanding is just the new twist to get people to fork over $2-4k to have their 6 figure exotic wetsanded.

[painterdave72]

remember color sanding was actually done on lacquer paint years ago.. between most every coat you would color sand then spray another coat etc......

[Michael]

remember color sanding was actually done on lacquer paint years ago.. between most every coat you would color sand then spray another coat etc......

I never sprayed single stage but yeah they would nib it out and lay down a progressively thinner coat(s). I sometimes do this with my clear coat if I have a lot of time and it's a surface hard to get into with a wheel.