Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

[pascal_91ta]

Hello

I have a nice 1991 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM 5.0 V8 with still the Stock Paint.

I use Ultimate Quick Detailer and Wax Professional Nr.16 for 3 months right no,w but i still have the problem that my front bumper is darker then the paint it should be. i tryed some polish (from hand) but from another company than megurias one year ago and it does not helped

what product should i use to bring the color back?

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Welcome to MOL Pascal.

Just an FYI the "Hot Topics" section is for moderators to post threads, and Detailing 101 is the best place for your detailing related questions to go.

Thanks!

Mark

[Murr1525]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Would seem like the bumper must be a different kind of paint, and that it is the rest of the car that has faded.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Don't think anything you pour out of a bottle or scoop out of a can by "any" company is going to make the two different colors of paint match.

Time for a new paint job.

[pascal_91ta]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Welcome to MOL Pascal.

Thank you, i love meguiars products, greetings from switzerland

Would seem like the bumper must be a different kind of paint, and that it is the rest of the car that has faded.

no, its the orginal color from 1991.

Time for a new paint job.

i like challanges and i dont like to give up.

what happens if i polish 2-3 times the bumper can it be that im running out of color because it fadet away?

Will even Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner does not Help in this case?


Maybe plastx will help?


ah, at my forst post the tumbnail picture does not worked, here you can see it better

[Megafast13]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Welcome!!!

It is almost as if the car had a front cover on it at one time and the rest of the car faded away. I suggest using ColorX.

Don't use Plastx, that is only for Clear Plastic Products...

[Lexus Guy04]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Welcome to MOL!

[pascal_91ta]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Welcome!!!

It is almost as if the car had a front cover on it at one time and the rest of the car faded away. I suggest using ColorX.

Don't use Plastx, that is only for Clear Plastic Products...

colorX isnt avalibal here in switzerland. i tryed the deep crystal paint cleaner and the deep crystal polish but it does not helped.

it kinda ***** i hate to repaint the orginal stock color.

[Megafast13]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

How did u get a Firebird in switzerland?

[pascal_91ta]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

A little historical Backbround first:

Firebirds (and Camaros) where avalibal in Switzerland i think until 2002 (production end).

If you see the first picture in my posts before you see the ugly black plastic "paddle" mirrors. The orginal were aloy and in car color painted, i have them here i will install them after the winter.

The plastic mirrors are typical for US cars sold new in europe to make the cars legal.

the same with the back lights:

-> PlastX and Past Wax #16

also, the front lights chanched because the orange light is not legal.



mine is a Bone stock 1991-1992 Trans Am 305 V8, its hard to find a Firebird/Trans AM in good condition.
Mine has Glas-T-Tops, love it!

heres a picutre when i bought it, the color was very very flat.













i travaled 200km to buy the car i found it on a online marktetplace for used cars. i love the color red on the car.

But the condition wasnt so good of the car, the differential was running metal-to-metal, the rear brakes dont worked at all, replaced alternator, replaced the brake discs, new tires, ...
i let those thing repaired, i realy love the car.

the car is now in a very very good condition:


i dont drive it in winter because the salt.




here some pictures how the car look now
just ultimate quck detailer:



ultimate quick detailer & paste wax #16





















note, all the pictures are crappy handy picture i will buy for 2009 a digital cam

[roushstage2]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Looks like the bumper was darker when you bought it. A wax or polish or cleaner can't change the color of paint to make it match a different color or shade of paint.

[pascal_91ta]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

yes, the bumper was dark when i bought it.
its kinda strange because i thinked faded paint, espacial on plastic, will be getting brighter and not darker.

i think the previous owner did not take care to the car particularly the paint, there was not even wax on the paint left when i bought it.

so is there realy no way to restore the paint on the bumper?

i hate to repaint it because i want keep the car all orginal paint etc.

[roushstage2]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

No way to fix the bumper by pouring something out of a bottle and wiping it on. I understand your concern with it being original paint. I'd say you have two options:

1. Leave it be.

2. Find a good body shop that can match and blend the paint to the rest of the car, and paint it in the same manner the factory does. At that point, if done correctly, I'd say the only difference you could tell would be is it may become easier or harder to clean the paint than the rest of the factory paint.

It happens unfortunately, and it is really strange that it happens. On my car, it is mostly all factory paint, but the side scoops and hood scoop (maybe more parts, can't remember) look to be a different shade of black than the rest of the car.

[Newport Viper]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

I would just but a black "bra" on the front......

[Ryan L.]

Re: Bring the Color Back on Plastic Bumper

Do you by any chance know if the bumper is single stage or was repainted at any time, maybe before you bought it?

At one of the Open Garages this year a member brought in a PT Cruiser that had a bumper that was darker than the rest of the car. Mike Stoops and the owner worked on it and came to the conclusion that it was single stage paint and must have been re-painted somewhere in it's lifetime.

They were able to make it look a little bit like the rest of the paint but you could still see a difference.

Try M80 on a polishing pad and see what that gets you.

Ryan