As I mentioned before in my previous post, I would like to
share how to spray paint your bumper at home using aerosol cans. Sending your
bumper for paint at workshops would set you at least RM200 including GST (that
dreaded bloodsucker), but I did mine for less than that inclusive of the new
bumper.
As my Viva is a standard version, I’ve always been in love
with the design of the Viva Elite. It looks much more appealing if compared to
the standard Viva. Back then, if you have noticed in my previous posts, the
bumper is a Viva Elite bumper but it’s black. It’s not painted black, but the
colour of the material (polyurethane/PU) is black. Being the thrifty person
that I am, I had not painted the bumper for 2 years and it has gone through
quite a beating. It’s plain ugly. So I decided to get rid of the old one and
opted for a new bumper instead.
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| Viva Elite bumper |
I’m using the Taiwan Viva Elite bumper which costed me
RM72.10 including GST, and I bought it at Standards Kuching, Mile 3. I always
get my parts there because it’s the cheapest that I could find.
What do you need if you plan to do this DIY? Here I will
list down the items you need.
1.
Plastic Adhesion Primer (RM23.10)
2.
1K Primer (RM18)
3.
Aikka colour-coded paint (Rm31.60)
4.
Samurai 2K Clearcoat (RM26.50)
5.
1200 grit sandpaper (RM2)
6.
Soap and water
7.
Patience
All and all, this particular project will set you back
RM173.30 inclusive of GST. I managed to save a bit as I found a bottle of 1K
primer in the store, a leftover from my previous project. I did this entire
project in the span of 2 days as the weather was not that friendly and I really
don’t have time to spend to do it in one day.
First of all, before starting with anything, clean the
bumper with a cloth. I was too excited to bother washing it with soap, as I
will need time for it to dry. What I did was, I wiped the entire bumper with a
microfiber towel. Next, after wiping, cover all the parts that you don’t want
to get spray on with masking tape and newspaper. The hardest part in masking is
to cover the grille and the holes where you put the foglights at.
After masking it all off, spray it with the plastic adhesion
primer. This is a MUST when spraying a new bumper because there is simply no
grip for the paint to adhere on. When there is no adhesion, the paint won’t
stick. If it does stick, the paint will crack and peel off in a matter of
months. The plastic adhesion primer is clear, and one can is enough for the
entire bumper. It dries off very quickly, and it leaves a rough surface on the
bumper.
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| After spraying with plastic adhesion primer |
Once the plastic adhesion promoter is completely dried, the
1K primer comes next. Give the bumper a thin coat of primer, and once it
flashes off, a thick second and third layer of primer is sprayed on. After the
primer has dried, it is then wetsanded using a 1200 grit sandpaper and soap.
The purpose of wetsanding it is to make sure that the primer is smooth. Some
may disagree with this part, but I’ve noticed that when I don’t sand at this
stage, I have to sand the clearcoat which is much hassle and I need a polishing
machine to get it right. Once it is sanded and the primer is smooth, let it dry
before the next stage.
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| First coat of primer |
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| 3 coats of primer done, and wetsended |
The colour stage is done the following day. It is a good
practice to shake the can vigorously for at least a minute before spraying and
shake the can for 15 seconds after spraying each coat. It is to make sure that
the paint inside is mixed properly and when you feel that the spray nozzle is
clogged, turn it upside down and spray it somewhere to clean the nozzle. I
managed to do 2 coats with 1 can, and it is sufficient for me. Good coverage,
even spray pattern, is all that I need.
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| "Medallion Grey" is actually Bluish Gun Silver S33 |
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| Paint shop |
Once it is done, let the paint settle for few hours before
clearcoating it. I’ve used Samurai 2K clearcoat which I got from a local motorcycle
workshop. Even though it says that it is for motorcycle use, the quality of the
clearcoat is as good as using a spray gun. It has 2 parts, the clearcoat itself
and the hardener, combined into one can. This is a very good product, as my
last 3 projects, I had been using Aikka clearcoats that is mixed in an aerosol
can, and it only lasts for 45 minutes. And if compared to Samurai, Samurai is
better.
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| Samurai 2K Clearcoat |
The trick of getting a smooth finish for the clearcoat is to
make sure that the winds are not blowing and the paint is clean. No dust, no
cat fur, no sand. (I have cats here). Spray the first coat lightly and the
following coats heavy. Not too heavy, as you may end up with a runny
clearcoathich may turn ugly. I did it in less than 30 minutes, inclusive of
time between coats, and the clearcoat was dry to touch within 3 hours in cool
conditions. What I’ve read online is that the clearcoat doesn’t need much heat
to cure as it is a chemical reaction that takes place during the curing
process.
Once the clearcoat is dry, I installed the newly painted
bumper onto the car the same night because I was that excited to see the car
finally get a new face. The old bumper was uninstalled and came the new bumper.
It is simply marvelous.
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| The old bumper |
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| Getting rid of the old bumper |
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| New bumper installed |
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| After so long, the Viva has finally got its deserved facelift |
Till next time, I will post more DIY projects and perhaps
some other projects of interest.
Aaron.
