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1988 900 NA8V, 4dr. I have the wrap around bumpers. 6 pieces front & back.
PROBLEM: UV damage to bumper clear coat and paint. The clear coat was missing in places, bumper sticker damage, paint faded.
SOLUTION:
Went looking for paint. At any auto parts store you should be able to get a product called Dupli-Color Bumper paint. Comes in a rattle can, <$10 easy, flat black, gey, etc. OR you can goto a Sherwim-Williams comercial paint store, order a quart of Anthracite grey/black, hardener, paint, catalyst, and flex(agent for plastic parts). I was quoted around $90. Since I have a spray gun and compessor I chose to use the rattle can. ;-/ On the back shelf of the Sherwin-Whilliams store was the same Dupli-Color rattle can. Yup, they make the same stuff sold at AutoZone. Other considerations: The bumpers on the car are the only thing Anthracite, all the other trim is black. Also, the previous owner repainted the car a non-SAAB color, so now I don't feel so bad about changing the color of the bumpers. I would like to state that I do not like changing the color of any car. It never looks good, 'nough said.
So I take the rear bumper off, easy 4 bolts. The extensions take longer, reminds me of the SPG skirts with the hardware involved.
The now 'white' center trim pieces all come out. Simple clips, very elegant. Be gentle.
Process: Bumpers
1. Wipe with clean shop rag soaking in grease/wax remover
2. Rough clean with #2 steel
3. Remove all loose clear coat 'edges', more grease/wax remover
4. Fine finish sand with 400grit wet sand paper or #00 steel wool (or finer).
5. Tack cloth, removes dust/dirt. You should be very happy with the finish of the bumpers because the paint does not cover imperfections.
6. Nice set of 'saw horse' like supports
7. Calm warm morning when dust is minimum, >65F
8. Shake rattle can alot, mix paint that been sitting forever
9. Remember to go slow, and paint only with the can vertical. You
will have to wait and reorient the bumpers to get the paint everywhere.
The rattle can spits if not vertical.
10. Let paint dry 24hrs to get sufficiently 'hard', reinstall trim then bumpers to car.
Center trim pieces:
The center trim piece consists of a bright/high gloss metal ribbon encased in a polyester like plastic. After >13 years the plastic is a solid milk color and the metal is not to be seen. Not having a good source for these items I did my best to re-hab them. Anyone with a source?
1. Remove all clips, gentle
2. Wash with soap and water
3. Using a wax cleaner polish and a lot of elbow grease I tried to get the polyester back to a transparent state. At best the trim pieces are really clean and shiny. At least to me they look better and I'm sure the car will be much happier anyway.
Conclusion:
With both bumpers black the car really looks alot happier. It cost me about $30 and one day total over a two day weekend.
When the paint is done hardening, maybe after a week. You/I can think about wax to raise the finish to gloss. The Dupli-Color is flat. Then again everything on my '88 is now flat........
YMMV,
Ed Stokes
Tucson, AZ
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