Help with cleaning up my bumpers... [Pics}

I have a couple questions about cleaning up my bumpers.

First, as you can see from the picture the black plastic tape insert that runs along the top and bottom rails is in bad shape. I'd like to remove the rest of the black accent leaving just the metal. What technique works to easily remove it without hurting the metal behind it.


Second, there are some scratches on the top's of both the front and rear bumper upper rails. Is there a way to help remove these?

Thanks again for the help.
Mark

Nice car!

The bumpers are aluminum, so you can file, sand & polish it to remove deep scratches.

The tape would probably come off with a single-edged razor, used carefully. Enamel reducer would also soften the tape & allow you to remove it, but it's nasty stuff to work with.

Tape removal

I just got done doing this on my 76. The tape pulls off just by getting a razor blade under the end to lift it up, then pull. Tape is brittle but came off in just a few sections. Probably took less than a minute per each bumper section.

carl

YEP!!

After 25 years, that black stripe is brittle and the glue is fossilized. 3M make a special spray designed to remove decals and stripes (available at the auto paint suppliers) but those antique stripes will need some encouragement.

That encouragement comes in the form of a quality heat gun. Like a seriously powerful hair dryer, it softens the plastic and glue enough to let you peal it off. The aluminum in the bumper will be shedding the heat really quickly so work fast.

It takes a bit of practice, but you can polish aluminum with a regular auto paint polisher (not the stupid orbital action ones). You can get a pretty good quality one from Harbor Freight for about $40. Use a wool bonnet and some auto polishing compound and be patient and thorough. Big scratches can be wet sanded just like paint and polished out.

It's best to remove the bumpers to avoid a serious mess though. And wear ratty clothes too. YUK!!!

Thanks

Great suggestions...

Bumpers are anodized...

...which is a hard translucent coating.
Must be completely removed if you wish to polish aluminum.
Not an easy task.
Hence, I always paint bumpers satin black when anodizing is poor.
As it always is on the derelicts I drag home...



Black vinyl sticky in recess comes off pretty easily.
Underneath is pristine anodized surface.

Electrical tape

markyharris said:

First, as you can see from the picture the black plastic tape insert that runs along the top and bottom rails is in bad shape. I'd like to remove the rest of the black accent leaving just the metal. What technique works to easily remove it without hurting the metal behind it.

Click to expand...

I replaced it with electrical tape on mine. perfectly sized from the roll, easy to apply (and remove if needed), and it makes the bumpers look slimmer.

Yep... all great ideas... and...

... the last guy says to remember they are anodized... which is the FIRST thing I woulda stated.

You can sand off the anodizing and then polish or paint at will... and you can also polish and CLEAR COAT to protect the shine... at least for awhile.

Lastly... as the Old Rascal stated... he likes Satin Black... but Duplicolor makes some GREAT WHEEL PAINTS... that can duplicate the anodizing... or you can get REALLY creative with some of their other "metal-looking" colors in pewters and golds and various greys and charcoals.

(Duplicate anodizing with various silvers and golds and usually a satin clear coat over the top.)

Even match them to wheels or match the wheels to the bumpers...

Have fun!

Oh... here is a partial shot of Ed's car... whereas he had a pro polish out his black anodized bar bumper and then clear-coated it in gloss. It matches the wheels in luster and the RED tape carries out the theme even a bit further matching the center caps of the wheels.

Good looking car!

olerascal said:

...which is a hard translucent coating.
Must be completely removed if you wish to polish aluminum.
Not an easy task.
Hence, I always paint bumpers satin black when anodizing is poor.
As it always is on the derelicts I drag home...

Click to expand...

OT - but where did this spoiler come from?

The more I look at the nose, the less I like the narrower lip spoiler I have - it's not wide enough at all.

Source of front airdam...

...has been Xweb unsolved mystery for long time.
First spotted on co-workers X 15 years ago.
I acquired it from next owner.
Along with Zender branded rear wing.
Sadly, front airdam bears no identifying marks.
Nor has another one ever been spotted.

Made from thick rubbery stuff.
Fits like a glove.
Paintable, pliable, durable.
Field tested during off track excursion.
Similar looking fiberglas air dam spotted recently.
Just don't smack it on anything and should be fine.

Thanks for the reply....

....I'll have to keep looking, or make my own (never tried that before) - maybe I can make a Volvo one fit :rolleyes2: