JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, does anyone know how to do bodywork on the ABS front and rear bumper covers?

I want to fill in the lettering in the back and fill in the side markers (using smaller ones), but don't have experience with this repair kit.
http://www.repaintsupply.com/pd_auto..._flexible.cfm#

Anyone know how flexible it is or if it will work for my intended use?

SVT THIS

iTrader: (27)

Any urethane body filler should be fine. No experience with the stuff in that link.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Do you think I could mold in a filler panel of ABS into the side marker holes and have it still flex some without it cracking? I've never worked with ABS panels.

MikeFbody

iTrader: (2)

not sure what would work, but the bumpers are not ABS. ABS is much more ridged. The bumpers are urethane I believe.

makes a big difference if you ask a body shop supply for the correct filler materials.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

So for the last several years on this forum I've heard the bumper covers being made of ABS and now your saying they are not and that they are actually made of urethane?

Who is right?

This is starting to get confusing.

If you've worked on the bumper covers, what type of filler did you use?

MikeFbody

iTrader: (2)

I know 100% that the bumber covers are not ABS. ABS is much more rigid. Your radio trim bezel is an abs plastic. Hard, not very flexible.

The bumpers are some sort of urethane based plastic, but I'm not sure the exact technical name.

Raven02TA

iTrader: (11)

Like this?

OLD PIC



New Pic

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Raven, yes, that is what I intend to do with the lettering. I haven't made up my mind about the grooves. I could fill them in as well, but the lines kind of flow well with the car. The side markers are driving me crazy. I'm definetly going to do something with them.

Mike, thanks for the heads up. Just goes to show my inexperience. I did some research and found a pretty cool site.
http://www.urethanesupply.com/

They show you how to identify what the material is here:
http://www.urethanesupply.com/smokesizzle.html

I've seen many exhuast pipes touching the bumper cover and no melting, so I'm sure it's urethane. I'll do the test just to make sure.

I think I'll get some bumper scraps from the junkyard to practice on. I can cut out filler panels later on if I fill in the side marker holes. I can then cut new, smaller marker holes in the repair panel to mount new LED lights/reflectors.

Can anyone point out the repair materials they used and any techniques? I'd really like to know if it's something I can do myself or if I'd have to have a bodyshop do the work.

Raven02TA

iTrader: (11)

if ya dont have the experience i say take the cover off and take to a shop. the work is not easy and there is a lot of necessary sanding to be done. (which is easier with air tools) plus if you get any waves and such from it being done by a body shop you can always say you arent happy and you want it fixed..... i did mine myself. and not without imperfections.... you just cant really see the 1 or two imperfections i have

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

The one motivator I have for me doing it is that I have to drive the car everyday. I could probably drive it without the rear bumper cover if I stuck the license plate on somewhere, but I don't think I could drive it without the front bumper cover.

I'm really hoping I can do it a little at a time or a lot over the weekend where I can pop the cover off part way.

Does this even sound possible?

Raven02TA

iTrader: (11)

definately NOT possible. It took months to get this bumper right and that was just working on it on weekends. if a shop worked on it consistantly they could get it done in maybe a week to 2 weeks MAX.

you would have to constantly take the cover on and off and that is a lot of flexing going on during the process of filling and it would crack and chip the filling and possibly make it fall out at the same time in which you are going to have to fill and sand again everytime you work on it and doing double the work.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

So I guess the only way I can do it is to get a second set of bumper covers, mod and paint them and then I can swap them on the car and possibly sell the stock set.

Sound good?

EDIT: Or else get a junky set locally and put on the car while I work on my good set.

SVT THIS

iTrader: (27)

Could you not use bondo? If that bottom piece of the bumper isn't a seperate, free moving piece it shouldn't be to hard. Drill some holes, mix the bondo, spread it on, let it dry, sand it, tape the car off, paint it, bam. If that is the case, I don't see why it couldn't be done in one or two free weekends.

Raven02TA

iTrader: (11)

no offense but it really isnt as easy as it sounds.

bondo cant be used to fill the entirety of the indentations, it will crack the second the bumper is even flexed. You have to sand inside the indentations with 80 grit, use the Chem weld EP or plastic/urethane filler to fill it so it grips the sand scratches and sand that with 220 then use a skim coat of body filler (NOT BONDO) bondo is the bottom of the shelf stuff if you want it to look good do it right the first time and find a paint supply store in your area or ask a body shop where they get their paint/body filler from and get it from them.

then you also have to skim the filler about 6-8 inches wider than the area you are filling, sand it smooth if you feel waves you have to use another coat of filler and keep repeating the process until you dont feel any waves all the way across the areas you are working on. it should be one continuous smooth area no waves. you have to keep block sanding the area, spray black paint on it so you know where your high and low spots are and like i said keep spreading filler over the areas to be sanded. also when finished to make sure the edges of the area are feathered smooth.

Jason if you really want to take this project on yourself i would suggest contacting a junk yard and asking them to find you a used un damaged rear bumper and work on it or take it to the body shop. also a plus to having the second bumper is if something goes wrong you can always put the original back on the car and drive with it.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

I'm starting to see why there are few people who modify the bumper covers.

I really do want to fill in the lettering in back. I was thinking of fiberglassing the back side to make that whole area rigid. I may be able to do that part in my spare time and take my stock rear bumper cover off only once.

The side markers are a lot more tricky. It is the basic rectangle shape that I don't like. I'm wondering if I could make a sheetmetal cover to epoxy onto the lens that can tighten up the gap around the edges as well as make the whole thing more flush. The stock lenses seem to be sunken in more.

Another idea (and current best one) would be to simply cut the ends of the side marker holes into a round shape. It would just require a steady hand with a dremel cutter and grinding stone to get the half circle shape just right. I could then make a sheetmetal cover to fill in the gaps. You can see how I reshaped the lights with paint in this thread.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/texas-members/538521-can-i-remove-side-markers-tx.html

I can reshape the actual part of the lens seen again, but in sheetmetal which can be prof. painted (not one of my rattle can jobs) to match the car. I could also go the extra mile and convert them to LED's so that they would not burn out and look better.

My other idea was to fill in the edges of the marker holes with urethane to give the ends a rounded shape, but I think the amount of work for the end result is not worth it.

Anyone have any thoughts or comments?

2kg4u

After Mike's post, this comment is probably redundant, but Mike is right. Bumper covers (called bumper fascia) are not made out of ABS, which would be too brittle. They are made out of TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) which is very similar to polypropylene (door trim, B pillars, etc.) except it has a higher rubber content.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

I think I've come up with a good, all round, workable idea for getting rid of the sharp angles on the side markers.

I can carefully cut out the ends of the side marker holes in the front and rear bumper covers to make them rounded. Then find and modify a set of side marker lights that are larger to fit the new openings.

That will make the lights look like they belong on the car and were not tacked on as an afterthought. Then convert them to LED's (don't know what pattern or number to use yet). Then tint the whole thing with Niteshades.

With this idea there are no covers to add over the lights and no complicated urethane work to do.

This still leaves the rear lettering. Is there any way to change the lettering in back from PONTIAC to TRANS AM? I think that's what it should say.

I really don't think it would be possible as those letters are molded in. I could however, smooth the letters out and make some custom vinyl letters in the same size and font as the stock lettering and apply them to the smooth panel.

What do you guys think of that?

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

What do you guys think of this front side marker mod?
First pic is stock (Reznor's car)
then a rounded shape
then getting darker
and darker.
Does the rounded shape flow better with the lines of the car or do you think the square shape is better?
I prefer the rounded, but it does seem a bit too large overall. Hmmm.








I was able to go out and buy a front bumper cover (damaged for 25 bucks) and will be cutting the ends out of one of the side markers and making a new lens to match the new shape. When it's done I'll post a pic so you can actually see it in person.

Jeremiah

iTrader: (5)

The 3M 5895 is a good product and would work fine for what your wanting to do. I have used it for years with no shrinkage issues or cracking ect. Never use a rigid body filler like Bondo ect. on a bumper cover, it will eventually shrink or sepperate from different expansion/contraction characteristics. If its ever bumped or leaned on it could also break/crack.

If you have no experience in this kind of work you should take it to someone that does. I do bodywork for a living and have seen a lot of profesional body techs do repairs on bumper covers incorrectly.

I say leave it alone, it looks fine with the lettering.

JasonWW

iTrader: (2)

Well, I think I've got the side markers sorted out without doing any filling on them, just cutting.

I still don't like the lettering on the rear, plus it's going to get painted anyway so I'd like to do something to make it different. Maybe I should have the bodyshop fill it in smooth so I don't have to deal with it. I can do the side marker trimming myself. I'm already going to have a bodyshop smooth out the front plate cover, so a smooth rear should match.