jtsangAZ

I just got my replacement front bumper from acur and had a few questions before I take it to get painted. Was reading up and found so much new information here. Like PPG paint, flex paint et...I saw the DIY video on removing the bumper and it seems easy so im actually just bringing in the bumper, getting it painted and installing it myself.

1. Is the bumper primed and ready to be painted? If not, what type of primer should the painter be using? How do i make sure and ask the correct questions on making sure the paint wont flake off later? Searched some threads and noticed that a few people are having the paint on the bumper peel off.
2. What type of paint should he be using? How many coats? PPG? Flex?
3. On the clear coat, how many layers?
4. It doesnt look like the greyish silverish part of the bumper comes prepainted, is there anything i need to know about that part?
5. When installing my bumper, how do i make sure its realigned correctly?
6. And lastly. Quoted 400 from one guy to paint it and reinstall it. Quoted 250 (if primered) or antoher 150 to primer it from someone else who will only paint it. Both of them doing it as a side job on the weekend.

Thanks for putting up with my constant questions. You guys are extremely helpful. Whens the next bay area meet?!

redrum4me

What guy did you use? A place in Castro Valley just quoted me 1119 to have my bumper replaced and painted.

Tripnbeats

1200 is a rip off I live in NY and paid 200 for a bumper delivered to my house and to paint was 300..........I would say find out who acura uses to do their work because its always subbed out for another shop to do it for em. and order the piece online.....acuraoemparts.com FLEX is just a goo they put in there so it doesnt get damaged when the bumper gets tapped....instead of the paint cracking it FLEXes and it sort of changes the color so make sure u got a shop that matches it even with the flex in it.
PPG is standard pain on a majority of cars which is good but I use spies n hecker. a lot of people dont do SH because u have to make an exact amount to paint the item. they dont have disposals for the SH paint.
the alignment is based on the car because its an exact fit.

and nothing ever comes primed everything is taken care of at the shop. 400 is good id go for it.

jtsangAZ

Thanks for the info. I did exactly that, i called acura and had them reccomend me a few body shops. I ended up checking out 3 that they gave me and had visited 3 more around the area. Is flex already in the bumper or is it mixed into the paint? So if i put the bumper on myself and there happens to be a gap, what kind of ways are there to make it align back correctly?
Do you know that silver/grayish part on the grill, does that require different paint?

jtsangAZ

That is extremely expensive. Most i was quoted was about 880 and most places will want to lower the price if you are going to pay out of your own pocket and with cash. PM me if you want some of the places i visited, all of them are in oakland

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

a flex agent is something they will add to the paint to keep the paint from cracking under stress...and your bumper will most likely need to be primmed as well...i dont believe it will come from the factory like this....

Tripnbeats

correct it comes black from the factory..... the standard poly-mold color.