I just purchased a front bumper cover from LMR. For those who have changed one before, did you just paint the edges where it meets the fenders. I am going to paint the car completely. I have never painted plastic before.
I just purchased a front bumper cover from LMR. For those who have changed one before, did you just paint the edges where it meets the fenders. I am going to paint the car completely. I have never painted plastic before.
You will want to jamb/edge the bumper cover before install on the car unless you painting it off the car.
I generally paint the bumper covers off the car when repainting to make sure I don't have any issues with the paint "bridging" over the seam between the bumper cover and the fenders/quarters. Good Luck!
Trey
"I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"
"I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."
Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
Current Mustangs:
1969 Mach 1
1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently
Current Capris:
1981 Capri Roller
1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts
+1 on not bridging panels with paint. It’s not if it chips it’s when.
Trey’s recommendation is solid for sure.
We would always jam then install facias loosely leaving a nice gap everywhere. You have to use something removeable to shim at the bottom but it’s less stuff to navigate around in the booth. Also less risk of messing anything up when mounting then.
lots of wrong ways to do stuff that become obvious with bad results.
Some of it depends a lot upon a given facility and car and how much help (and how good of help) you have when assembling it. Etc.
Installing any painted body part and not damaging it is not that difficult with planning and good practices. First you need to test fit all your body panels before final paint. This allows you to verify that they fit properly and make any adjustments needed for final installation without final paint on that you might damage. Sometimes body panels and parts need a little tweaking for best fit. My practice for all sheet metal parts is to fit all the parts to the body and then drill an 1/8 hole (Pinning it) in an obscure mounting area. This becomes a locating pin for re-assembly. Doors, hoods, trunklids, etc. get the hole somewhere in the hinge(s). Basically this "sets" the location of the panel, so when I put it back on after final paint, I line up my 1/8" hole(s) using either the back end of an 1/8" drill bit or an 1/8" rivet and the panel only goes on one way.
As for installing bumper covers, etc. generally we will mask off the front front fender edges to prevent chips and damage and then when possible use 2 or 3 people to set the cover in place and secure it. The bumper covers on the Foxes sometimes take some persuasion to fit properly, so we get the loosely installed and then I work from the top of the fenders down each side while aligning the cover to the fenders and tightening each nut as I move down. This provides the best fit and alignment.
As for repairing the header panel, yes fiberglass and resin can be used, but option a quality 2 part urethane structural adhesive and possibly some fiberglass mat work better for me in most cases. A much stronger repair that lasts, IMHO. Good Luck!
Trey
"I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"
"I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."
Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
Current Mustangs:
1969 Mach 1
1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently
Current Capris:
1981 Capri Roller
1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts
Thanks, i appreciate the replies.
( I already have fiberglass.....)
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