need instructions on painting bumpers and sideskirts..

[on a friday]

I have a 95 325is with the awesome gray bumpers and side skirts. They are so awesome in fact that they are too awesome for even me. So i am going to paint them. Has anyone else done this themselves, and if so can you give me instruction on how you did it?

[shappys]

I repainted my rocker panels and bumpers with the rocker panel kit from BMP. I have a black car so I used the black color. This stuff goes on really easy and the secret is to apply multiple thin coats to layer the paint on - it is actually some kind of elastic polymer. The kit comes with an instructional video, rocker panel cleaner and foam brush. If you follow their directions it goes on smooth and easy with no brush strokes. The downside is that it only comes in grey or black, and the finish is somewhat flat. It does not give you the quality of a professional paint job, but it is extremely easy for DIY and will only cost you ~$50. Also you do not have to remove the rocker panels or mask off the car when applying it. Good luck!

[on a friday]

thanks, good thing my car is black.

[Brent_Vino]

when i had my 94 318is, the grey bumbers and panels started bleeding thru, so i had a friend that worked for a bmw dealer here the entire bottom for 500 cash. it was well worth it.

[Brent_Vino]

after.

[Tay 93 325i]

Soo whats the cheapest option/ best looking for the lucky bmw owners that have lets just RED cars? :95

I know I COULD scrub the side panels red (probably look ugly too) and the front and back bumpers would still need to be painted.

That looks very good, exactly what i want Brenthockey. For the friendly $500 price you paid did they match the color really well?

:mad: Damn BMW for putting grey on sideskirts and bumpers:mad:

[Brent_Vino]

He matched it perfectly..... he works at a bmw autobody shop here... did me a favor for cash money under the table....nothin beats under da table deals. capice?

i went to a reputable autobody place here for an estimate and they wanted 1100 dollars to paint all the gray around the lower part of the car.. (l & r panels, front grill and rear end).


you could NOT tell it was painted.... total factory look.

[dysphunxion]

To paint the bumpers/skirts yourself, you need...

flex agent (comes in a spray can)
primer
body color paint
several grades of fine sand paper
tack cloth
masking tape & newspaper
a couple hand tools

I'd suggest doing the skirts first, as they're flat and easier to do. First remove your jack plugs. Then clean them well with a cleaner that won't leave any residue. Use fine sand paper to lightly scuff them, be sure to get underneath and the ends where they roll into the wheel wells. Tack rag well. Mask off everything above the skirts, the wheel wells and tires. Be sure you don't mask off too little as you'll end up with a little line of grey/white near the top of the skirt (ask me how I know).

Apply a couple light coats of flex agent (or do as can recommends) allow to dry awhile, then apply your primer. Once the primer is dry you can paint, I suggest getting one of those plastic spray can gun attachments ($2). The key is light, even coats, if caught immediately drips can be wiped with a rag and then lightly respray the area to smooth. Apply several light coats and allow to dry thoroughly before removing tape. To do the jack hole caps, stick them into a piece of stryofoam or cardboard and apply the same steps as above. Take your time and plan ahead so when you get around to actually painting it's not 9pm and dark out.

The rear bumper can be done on the car just like the side skirts, just remember to keep the spray can parallel to the surface your spraying. The bumpers are also made of a soft plastic which scuffs very easily so be gentle with the sand paper, if it seems to be scratching rather than scuffing it's too coarse.

The front bumper should be done off the car so that you can get paint into all the nooks. You'll have to bodge together a stand to support it while your spraying. I found that aiming the front of the bumper up at a 30-45 degree angle helps to make all the bumper's surfaces spray can accessible. Remove all trim and the fog lights and clean the bumper thoroughly. Failing to remove all the bug goo and crap now will result in peeling paint later.

The front bumper sees lots of flexing and abuse so be anal about getting the flex agent everywhere. Part of getting a good bond between layers is the amount of time you allow between coats. You don't want to wait to little as the coats will sag or bleed through, too long and the previous coat will become slightly contaminated by the enviroment.

Black, white or grey cars will be easier to find paint for as most autoparts stores have umpteen-billion variations of black, white and grey to choose from. Colors, well your going to have to experiment a little or have a paint shop mix you some for your application.

I've done this on two black BMWs. Both have weathered New England salt/snow and Summer heat with no peeling, cracking, fading or anything.