Rubber bumper cap, paint Options

[mtndawg]

I'm considering painting the black rubber on my front and back bumpers. Here's what I'm thinking...

1. Clean (with rubbing alcohol as recommended by the paint store guy, he sells paint supplies for a living, but recommended the rubbing alcohol)
2. Scuff
3. Apply adhesion promoter
4. Spray 2 coats of paint

Is the paint going to stick to the rubber?
What do you recommend to use for cleaning? (Someone recommended Prepsol)
Have you painted the rubber with success, if you have, do you have pics...


Thanks!

[detoxcowboy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) this is the what I was talking about..

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Black-Bumper...e/dp/B000FOIJXQ

[Tom_T]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) this is the what I was talking about..

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Black-Bumper...e/dp/B000FOIJXQ

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

But before you try bumper black, first try a good cleaning with a soft brush & soapy water (get down into the pores) & dry it off well then dry in sun all day), then try giving it a good spray over with something like Wurth Rubber Treatment (it adds back the polymers & oils to keep it pliable & return the blackness from drying out - Wurth R.T. also available at AA, Peli, PP/A, etc.) & let it soak over night, then respray & soak/dry again (wipe off excess each time).

You might be surprised how much the black comes back after that treatment! (once you've had it black, you'll never go back! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) )

If that doesn't work & it still looks whitish or grey, then either try the bumper black (careful as it will stain the paint & try not to get runs or bubbles on the "rubber" as those will stay & show), or the old timer concours guys used to use black shoe polish with touch-ups of same every few months or year (based on wear). I've used both methods with success.

BTW - these are really a black colored soft closed-cell polyurethane foam (really not all that closed-cell, as can be seen by the dimples across them from rusting mild steel innards & looking at the rust on the toppers' & tits' backsides & studs) - not "rubber" per se.

Rob - they served 2 purposes in the case of the toppers -
1. was to seal the gap between the bumper top & bumper - although not a watertight seal;
2. as a "resilient bumper edge" with the small overhang on the top (like rubber bumper pads/strips in the middle of some bumpers)
3. the "tits" were 3 mph interim crash resistant measures to meet the 73 F & 74 F+R DOT crash worthiness regs., until the 5 mph reqt.s starting in 75 MY (shock mounted big bumpers on the 914s F&R to meet that reg.).

John - I wish I'd know you needed a nice set of toppers, as I sold a perfect 9 or 10 or 10 one off my 71 core chrome bumper a few months back for $100 (good clean studs too), which btw I'd done the clean & Wurth treatment above to bring it back. I still have an extra set of nice 8-9 of 10 front tits L&R (with replaced studs), & an new rear OEM topper (expensive sucker!) which I may not ever use, as well as a used one off mine with some small blemishes, if you ever need them. I got Mikey914's F&R toppers with the SS studs/innards & better rubber to use on mine, plus 2 other sets of perfect front tits to use on my resto (1 set as back-up parts since they're NOS). You've got my #!

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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