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  #1  
Old 01-27-2008, 07:44 PM
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Prepping plastics for paint?

Anybody who has painted their SVX....

How do I prep the lower plastic cladding, mirrors, and bumpers for paint? It seems odd to "sand it down to the primer" like I'm doing for all the metal since there doesn't appear to be any primer. It is just a scuff, spray with a flex agent/bonding agent, paint deal?

My latest plan is to use Bulldog Flexible bumper paint stripper. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Mat
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  #2  
Old 01-27-2008, 10:57 PM
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This is a question that I need an answer 2 as well.
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Old 01-27-2008, 11:47 PM
lilbrudder lilbrudder is offline
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are you going to a Single stage paint or sticking with twin?
anyway... bumper primer/sealer(optional, but recomended if drastically changing color or have repair work), scuff, prep, premote/flex, and paint. mind the temp variables for your products if they are off or mismatched you could get cracking. it's not necessary sand off the oem paint and i don't recomend it either because you'll likely end up with flat spots and ripples/demples in end.
are you doing repair work at all?(cracks/breaks)
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Old 01-27-2008, 11:52 PM
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SEM has a good line of plastic painting products, which you can find at a auto body supply store, or a parts store that carries body and paint supplies. I've used their products before, and they work excellent, they have a complete line, from primers and surface activators, and cleaners, to plastic repair adhesives, as well as filler specifically for repairing damaged plastics.
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Old 01-28-2008, 12:32 AM
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Ahem, Ill step in here

Question 1:
Are the plastic parts new or used?
If they are new, the procedure is simple, but the materials needed are application specific. If they are used, you have a TON of work ahead of you

IF they are new, you need a special cleaning agent to remove the mold release from the part. Mold release is what keeps the plastic parts from sticking to the mold they are made in. Its also super good at preventing paint from sticking. My reccomendation: start the process by flambe'ing the part with a small propane torch, then, use a special cleaning agent in conjunction with a scuff pad (Please, contact your local autobody supply store for specific details on the products they offer) to not only clean, but fully scuff the surface of the part. Dont forget the corners! youll know its done when it has NO shiney spots. Flambe it again for good measure, then spray with a flex agent. From there, you should be able to seal it, and base/clear it

IF the part is used, foret everything I just said
firstly, assess the condion of the part. Look REAL close at them stone chips, scratches, ect. if it is a bumper, check the paint for spider web like cracks, which indicate hitting things like parking posts and whatnot. Run your hand along theese areas and feel for high spots

Step one: heat gun and push down any high spots. If this doesnt work, get a new part. It isnt worth repainting the car an having a lumpy mess
Step two: bust out some sand paper. Genral rule of thumb, use 400 grit. If it's 3m paper (it likely will be) note that A and P are diffrent ratings. 400a is what yu want...400p is oing to be way too fine. Easy way to make sure you got it right, the a grit is black on yellowish paper, P is grey on brown
If theres alot of chips and damage, you'll likely want to go down to 220 grit to make sanding go faster. after getting it MOSTLY down, finish with 400. When sanding, use loooong strokes and a block to avoid making waves. Dont sand just one spot out. Remember, your not digging the chips out, your lowering everything around them to their level.

Odds are, by the time your part is sanded CORRECTLY, youll be looking at a mostly bare plastic part. If there are NO break throughs, skip the next step

clean the part with a rag and some rubbing alchohol. guess what you have to do? Nope, dont worry about special plastic cleaners, silly. the part has paint on it, so the mold relese has obviously been taken care of. *note, if the part you have needed to be repainted because most of the paint flaked off,then yes, clean it as per my first paragraph*
All you gotta do is spray the exposed plastic elements with the flexible primer adhesion promoter stuff (Once again, ask your body shop equipment supply company for specifics about the products youll be using)

Now your ready for primer. Odds are, some of the scratches and whatnot went slightly into the plastic...so your going to want to lay the primer on thick. for example, I had parts that were pretty rough...still had a few scraches and whatnot..I layed on 4 HEAVY coats of high build primer.

No, you cant use primer from a rattle can

BUT, after primer, youll want to dust on a very thin layer of spray pint, any color that stands out from the primer. See next step

Next step:after primer, your ready for finishing sanding. Once again, you'll be using 400 grit, a block, and long strokes. This time time though, the object is to get every bit of texture out of that primer you just bombed on. you'll notice how much better fresh primer sands than 15 year old paint as well. Wet sand the part in question untill all the spray paint you dusted on is gone. Yes, look at the part on a microscopic level to find imperfections, otherwise they WILL show. Also, and this is just to be an absolute perfectionist, finish the sanding off with 600 grit (Or 400p, which is acually abou the same as 700a...um, nevermind,ignore this, its just causing confusion)

now the part is ready to be sealed, then base / clear

if you have any questions involving anything related to anything having to do with anything about bodywork, but only regarding your specific project, shoot me a pm anyime between 9am and 11:37 pm on monday -thursday, 10:03 am - 10:05 am on fridays, and anytime saturdays, with free texting and roaming on sundays

-Eric
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Old 01-29-2008, 11:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by It's Just Eric View Post
then spray with a flex agent. From there, you should be able to seal it, and base/clear it
You'll also need to add the flex agent to the paint you will be painting the bumper with. As for the primer, SEM makes a good plastic primer that is flexible, Last time I looked they even had it in a spray can. If you don't add a flex agent to the paint, once the paint cures, any flexing of the part will cause the paint to crack. (Look at the nose of a 3rd gen Camaro and you'll see what I mean)
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  #7  
Old 01-29-2008, 11:17 PM
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the spray can version of sem's flexable primer is watery....
and like I said, if the part is used, your going to want to pound it to death with primer. your just not going to get enough build from a spray can
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Old 01-30-2008, 08:54 AM
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Thanks for the tips, guys. Sanding is a b!#&@ but it's what makes everything look good in the end. Well worth the time. I'll get to sanding down the plastic soon.

Is there any easy way to remove the side cladding. If I recall correctly, it seems like the chances of me breaking all the clips = 99.9%.

If I paint it on the car, is there any way to avoid the paint filling the small gap between the side cladding and the metal? Seems like I need that gap since the plastic expands/contracts differently.
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Time for my very own long list of mods:
92 SVX LS-L - Ebony Pearl - 2002 WRX 5MT trans w/STi gearset (rebuilt & installed myself ) - BMW E46 HID retrofit - Kenwood Headunit - Phoenix Gold 75x4 RMS amp - Alpine Type R 6.5" front components - Alpine Type R 6x9 3way rear speakers - 18"x9" Rota G-Force wheels w/225/40ZR18 Toyo T1R's - Mychailo's custom springs - Urethane front & rear sway bar bushings - KC exhaust (2.5" dual magnaflow) - Escaine seat swap - Removed Spoiler

I don't care if Subaru says it's STI...it will always be STi to me
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  #9  
Old 02-01-2008, 07:02 AM
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You may take your side cladding off - I recommend it. I painted my doors this past summer.

I had about 50% of the clips break. You can get them through your local Subie dealer, but they're big bucks (I payed just under $3 per clip!!) Part number 91017pa020. I had another number that I got on the board over the summer from a member, but it ended up being the wrong clip.

To get the cladding off, you pull the door panel, then peel back (Carefully!) the plastic lining on the door, then look through the door to find 4 studs w/nuts on them. Those what have to be removed. Take then off, then pull the top till the clips pop, then slide it down.

Good luck. Here are of when I did it.
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