Painting Plastic Surfaces

Here's how to paint smaller plastic surfaces, for example a bumper that has been in a minor collision.

Before painting, you will want to patch any minor scratched or dented plastic surfaces. For these, you can use a small plastic filler repair kit. Sand from coarse to fine.

Note: These are general instructions. Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for the product you are using.

Before painting the part, wash your part off with a wash-up liquid, then rinse and dry it. Next use a plastic cleaner to thoroughly clean the plastic. Spray the plastic cleaner onto a soft cloth first, and then use the cloth to wipe off the part.

Apply a coat of adhesion promoter, allowing it to dry for 30 minutes. Then apply light coats of primer/filler from a distance of about 300mm (one foot). Allow a dry time of 20 minutes, with three minutes between each coat.

If your bumper has a textured finish, apply two light coats of texture. If you have a coarse texture on your bumper, apply each coat at a distance of 32 inches or 800mm. If you have a fine-textured bumper, apply each coat at a distance of 12 inches or 300mm. Allow 15 minutes of drying time with three minutes between each coat.

Match the color of finish coat with that of your bumper. Apply light, even coats from a distance of 1 foot (300mm), allowing three minutes between coats and one hour total dry time.