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Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:21 pm

thinking of using some of that bedliner stuff to coat my front bumper.anyone tried this? results? pics?

Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:55 pm

I was just thinking about the same thing today on my 86 Westy Syncro.

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:01 pm

I used a primer and spray on bedliner
lasted for months so far

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:03 pm

Bruce Wayne wrote: thinking of using some of that bedliner stuff to coat my front bumper.anyone tried this? results? pics?

I've never tried it on the bumper although I have a local friend that covered the whole nose of his vanagon with it !!! I'd imagine it'll work as in protective but the finish may be a little dull.

Anyway, presuming you have the stock metal bumpers, I always cleaned up the bumper first, rattle-canned down some primer, then rattle-canned two coats of rustoleum black satin. Mine have held up well in all weather including sun baking. It's an inexpensive way to do it and looks good. Not sure about fiberglass bumpers.

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:06 pm

Same here too - my front bumper is gray and mottled.
From general readings, largely here, over the past months, it seems bedliner or 'Forever Black' (and products like it) are all generally done with decent reviews.
I've yet to try any of them, just due to lack of time, and no direct links to any such posts...searching may reveal more direct experiences.
KM

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:08 pm

K58 wrote: I used a primer and spray on bedliner
lasted for months so far

That bedliner looks really good!

and nice bar...did you make that yourself?
it looks good, very low-key, but could be really useful

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:09 pm

K58 wrote: I used a primer and spray on bedliner
lasted for months so far

K58,
I really like that bolt on light bar. Did you fab it? If not, what's it from?

:)

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:10 pm

K58 wrote: I used a primer and spray on bedliner
lasted for months so far

hey, where did you get that light bar? My fiberglass bumpers look like crap, I'm also thinking about bedliner. Prepped right, it should work ok. Right? Maybe? I don't know from paint....

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:25 pm

lol, that's funny you asked
I had a neighbor westy owner stop me in the street the other day to ask me where I got it
you can buy it here
I tried some hella 500's on for size but didn't like how they looked
I'm looking at PIAA's
It also makes a great tie down point...

Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:55 pm

K58 wrote: lol, that's funny you asked
I had a neighbor westy owner stop me in the street the other day to ask me where I got it
you can buy it here
I tried some hella 500's on for size but didn't like how they looked
I'm looking at PIAA's
It also makes a great tie down point...

thats a huge can of worms opened up on the Vanagon community.
nice find.

is the wiring hidden inside of the tubing by chance?

Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:13 pm

Thanks very much for the pictures and the link.

I think I've just added another thing to my vanagon to-do list.
:shock:

Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:24 pm

[quote="airkooledchris"][quote="K58"] Quote:
thats a huge can of worms opened up on the Vanagon community.
nice find.
is the wiring hidden inside of the tubing by chance?
thanks, it's very well made for the price and the light mounts are closed I presume to keep out rust. I'm sure if you wanted you could drill some holes, install grommets to run your wiring

Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:22 am

what is the best way to prep the bumper? I have painted mine twice now.it keeps getting lots of chips in it so I must not be prepping it correctly.it is the stock metal kind.

Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:36 am

Bruce Wayne wrote: what is the best way to prep the bumper? I have painted mine twice now.it keeps getting lots of chips in it so I must not be prepping it correctly.it is the stock metal kind.

I'm not sure there's a good way to keep rocks and debris from chipping bumper paint - just do primer/paint touch-up when that happens. Bumper cleaning and all rust removal, several coats of primer and paint allowing for complete drying in between, usually does it for me.

Cracking or flaking can be a sign of inferior paint or no primer sub-layer under more extreme weather conditions. But all types of paint will in time dull and need refreshening. Rattle-canning it is fairly cheap and easy to do whenever a refresh is needed -- I like rustoleum or hammerite and, as others have mentioned, bedliner seems to work as well.

Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:50 am

Bruce Wayne wrote: what is the best way to prep the bumper? I have painted mine twice now.it keeps getting lots of chips in it so I must not be prepping it correctly.it is the stock metal kind.

After stripping chrome to cadmium plate/bare metal, I used self etching zinc chromate primer, and black "bumper" paint. On linked page below, there's a note about adding a "flex agent" to top coat paint to help avoid chips. I don't know if the "bumper" paint I used has this added to it already. FWIW, the chipping on my bumpers (rocks w.h.y.) is very minor.

http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0110A&L=vanagon&P=R12962

Neil.

Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:50 am

Bruce Wayne wrote: what is the best way to prep the bumper? I have painted mine twice now.it keeps getting lots of chips in it so I must not be prepping it correctly.it is the stock metal kind.

After stripping chrome to cadmium plate/bare metal, I used self etching zinc chromate primer, and black "bumper" paint. On linked page below, there's a note about adding a "flex agent" to top coat paint to help avoid chips. I don't know if the "bumper" paint I used has this added to it already. FWIW, the chipping on my bumpers (rocks w.h.y.) is very minor.

http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0110A&L=vanagon&P=R12962

Neil.

Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:58 am

I took my bumpers and all my door handles to the powder coater. The whole thing cost me about $200 and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:55 pm

bout 18 months ago, I spray painted all my bumpers and lower side panels with auto paint and hardener.

the hardener really adds great strength and smooth finish to the final result.....

I sprayed on buying a $40 home depot sprayer....worked great...

painted my roof as well. they still look great!

Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:05 pm

weatherbill wrote: bout 18 months ago, I spray painted all my bumpers and lower side panels with auto paint and hardener.

the hardener really adds great strength and smooth finish to the final result.....

I sprayed on buying a $40 home depot sprayer....worked great...

painted my roof as well. they still look great!

any pics? I have a Wagner airless painter,would that work as well?. would it work for the bedliner stuff?

Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:26 am

no pics and not sure if bed liner materila would work with spray painters. I'm sure it is of a much different texture than paint