How to Paint a Front Bumper

Fiberglass front bumpers often bear the brunt of flying road debris. Perhaps you are modifying your car and have a replacement bumper that doesn't match the original color. It is not difficult to paint a front bumper. The end result will be flawless if you use a spray gun. The results also can look very good if painted with cans of spray paint, if you follow some general guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Grime-busting soap and water
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Spray bottle
• 400- and 600-grit wet-dry sandpaper
• Lint-free shop cloth
• Flexible urethane primer
• Paint to match car
• Clear coat
• Newspapers or masking paper

Instructions

1. Remove the bumper if it's still on the car. Usually, it will be held on with clips and mounting brackets.

2. Sand the bumper thoroughly with 220-grit sandpaper. Once you have gone over every square inch of the bumper with the 220-grit sandpaper, switch to the 400-grit. You need to get all the clear coating off. Once the entire surface is dull and smooth, wash it with grease-cutting detergent and water. Let it dry.

3. Apply three or four thin coats of the primer, following the directions on the can for drying time between coats. It is usually 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to apply the primer too thickly. Multiple thin coats always come out better. Let it dry completely.

4. Wet the bumper with a fine mist of water from a spray bottle. Sand with the 400-grit wet-dry sandpaper until the entire surface feels completely slick and smooth. If you sand through the primer in any spots, reapply primer and resand that area. For the final sanding, switch to the 600-grit sandpaper, and keep wetting as necessary. Wipe the bumper down with a lint-free rag.

5. Paint the bumper with three or four light, even coats of paint. Unless you see some flaws, there is no need to sand the bumper between coats of paint. If doing this with spray cans, there may be a slight uneveness in the sheen, but the clear coat will even it out nicely.

6. Apply two or three light, even coats of clear coat spray. This should give you a nice, even gloss that matches the rest of the car. Wait until it is dry and reapply the bumper.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint in a very clean, well-ventilated space.

• For a small bumper, one can each of the primer, paint and clear coat should be enough. For a bumper with a deep valance, you may need two or even three cans of each.

• Buy more paint than you think you might need. You can always return the unused cans, or keep them for later touch-ups.

• Be sure to use flexible primer and paint specifically for bumpers. Otherwise, your paint job will crack with the slightest bump.