Bumper Paint

Modern cars have very flexible painted surfaces stretched across the bumper surfaces which are specially designed to withstand minor impacts with impunity. The idea is that a vehicle's bumpers will absorb many of the minor impacts routinely encountered in parking lots and during everyday driving without being damaged. Unfortunately, the bumper paint is ultimately damaged, marred or scraped off when the bumper absorbs too great of an impact.

The bumper paint used on modern flexible bumpers is unique and is designed to be applied on flexible surfaces. The paint is specifically designed to be fully cured but still flex to a much greater degree than the paints which are applied to the much more rigid surfaces such as metal and high-impact plastic. The reason for these unique qualities is the existence of a chemical flex agent in bumper paint.

When procuring primer and paint products to be used for bumpers it is important to purchase and utilize products which are specifically designed for this specialized application. These paints are chemically designed for adhesion to plastic surfaces. The paint formulas are essentially the same as the materials which are sprayed onto non-flexible surfaces, but will include additives to give the paint its flexible qualities. Therefore, bumper paint is somewhat more expensive when purchased.

Bumpers are painted in basically the same manner as the rest of the vehicle. For new bumpers, the surface must be somewhat more thoroughly cleaned using specific products to remove any traces of the mold release agents which are applied inside the molds used when the plastic parts are manufactured. Presence of such mold release agents will negatively affect adhesion of the paint to the plastic surfaces. The bumper's surface must be thoroughly chemically cleaned to remove any waxes, oil, road film, mold release agents or fingerprints so the bumper paint will adhere properly. Primers or sealants are sprayed first, followed by the basecoat paint and finally topped with clearcoat, all of which contain the flex agent. After fully curing, the flexible bumper paints may be buffed and waxed in the same manner as any other automotive paints.

Bumper Repair

As vehicles have developed over the past century, bumpers have evolved greatly. Older vehicles had very rudimentary steel bumpers which were rigidly mounted to the vehicle's frame. When the bumper was solidly struck it would either damage the object which was struck or was damaged itself. This design remained fairly constant for several decades, even as bumpers evolved from simple pieces of steel beams into very highly-styled chrome-plated monstrosities. Approximately forty years ago, some bumpers began to be designed and manufactured from various energy-absorbing plastics and were more integrated into styling of the vehicle.

Today's bumpers for cars, SUV's, mini-vans, cross-overs and even many pickup trucks have reached the point where they are barely recognizable as bumpers but appear to simply be an integrated part of the overall vehicle. The energy-absorbing steel bumper superstructures are designed to be lightweight yet meet very stringent guidelines for absorbing impacts in the case of an accident. However, those superstructures are completely hidden from view by highly styled soft plastic bumper covers which allow for the flowing front and rear treatments on modern vehicles.

However, these soft plastic bumper covers are very susceptible to being damaged by fairly modest impacts which occur on a daily basis and which are simply part of typical driving. Stones, rocks and other road debris are typically hurled at them from other vehicles. They get impacted by objects such as the bumpers or swinging doors of other vehicles, shopping carts, and parking barriers. Rear bumpers are often used to rest objects which are being lifted into or out of the cargo areas. All of these daily occurrences can result in unsightly damage to bumpers.

But when damage occurs, a bumper repair can be quickly and inexpensively performed by a trained technician, often done in the vehicle owner's driveway or garage. Your vehicle's bumpers are designed to absorb the bumps and bruises of everyday driving, but a bumper repair can quickly restore the vehicle's appearance and value, without a time-consuming wait or expensive repair bill.