How to Repair Marred Bumper Finish?

[GaryR53]

I put a scratch in the plastic coating on my rear bumper and, since it's not paint, but a plastic film, I'm wondering what kind of touch-up kit I can use on it. Any suggestions?

Gary

[GaryR53]

No, this is not clear coat. The rear bumper isn't painted. it's coated with a body-color plastic skin. It can be peeled right off, like rubber. Clear coat is, by definition, a clear coating and it's more like paint than this material. Since this stuff is not paint, a paint color touch up kit is useless. The "scratch" I refer to isn't actually a scratch at all. It's a small area in which the rubber-like coating has been peeled away from the bumper. So, I need some way to repair this without dissolving the plastic film.

Gary

[detailstation]

After reading that you'll need to get a bodyshops advice!

[Oyveychris]

I read somewhere that the body and bumpers are "painted" using a new technology that insures the finish matches up...Are you sure it's not paint?

[GaryR53]

Well, Chris, I can pick up a little tiny "flap" of whatever the stuff is and pull it up and look underneath it. It's not adhered to the surface underneath, which appears to be actually painted or primed and is undamaged. I imagine that if I leave it alone for long enough, it may begin to peel further, now that it's started. So far, it hasn't. But, it looks and feels more like a flexible film than a paint surface. If it is paint, the closest analogy I can come to is that it's like latex house paint or acrylic artist's paint, which forms a rubbery skin that can be peeled away from whatever surface it's applied to. If that's true, then the only way to repair it would be to apply a little of the same stuff and smooth it out, I guess. An enamel paint touch-up kit would probably just dissolve it. I've seen this sort of material on car bumpers before and, when it peels away in large patches, it's not a pretty sight.

Gary

[digitalputty]

That is very weird. Zoomer has a nice scratch on him I put in when backing up ... backed into metal railing. but .... his paint isnt peeling. 0_o ... could your car perhaps been damaged prior to you owning it (dealer) and they *fixed* it with this rubbery stuff?

[GaryR53]

I don't think so, Stewart. It's a brand new '06, for one thing, and, like I said, I've seen this before, for many years, in fact. Bumpers are coated with a plastic, not painted. I suppose this is so they can flex without the finish being damaged (to a point, anyway). I was taking a mountain bike out of the bug when the sprocket evidently dragged across my bumper. It was in flawless condition until then. So far, the rip in the film hasn't expanded, even in triple-digit heat and rain. Hopefully, that will remain the case. It's not really noticeable unless you're standing right behind the car.

Gary

[digitalputty]

... weird.

Perhaps posting a picture would help?

[Smileybug]

I've got some scratches in my bumper and its definately not peeling...so I dunno.

[GaryR53]

Well, I just tried shooting a picture of it, but my digital zoom couldn't get it in focus.

Anyway, I had another look at it and it doesn't look like what I thought it was at first; i.e., I now believe it's just paint, though a rather thick coat of it, and it's not as flexible as I thought, either. So, based on what I just saw, I probably can use a paint touch-up kit, afterall.

Thanks for your responses, everyone, especially DigitalPutty. If you hadn't suggested shooting a pic of it, I might have gone on assuming the wrong thing about it. Now, anyone know where I can find a touch-up kit for Platinum Gray?

Gary