Classic red paint
 

So the red paint on my plastic front bumper is all faded and ugly now over time, and I'm sure others have the same problem. Does anyone know of a spray paint that matches the factory red well? Any other ideas of how I could paint just the bumper for cheap? I have heard of spray paint cans you can put whatever mix of paint you want in... Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks

there are some Paint shops you can go to that will fill cans with your choosing of color...

$20/12 oz can here: http://www.automotivetouchup.com/spr...t_matched.aspx

But I'm not sure that will work on a bumper due to there being no flex agent in it.

Painting is never cheap. Seems like it should be, but isn't. You'll need an adhesion promoter. I haven't used any yet, but bought some of the bulldog stuff for my bumpers, you can use it in place of a primer too. So that 1 product could save you money. After that you'll need to find an autobody store that can mix you some paint with the flex additive in it as well. I've heard they can do that, but have never had them mix some for me. I just bought from the source above, but that was for metal parts, not plastic. It might be worth sending them an email.

I'm learning that auto body repair is something that takes as much skill as being a professional welder. It took me 1 year of school and 2 years of field experience to learn a wide variety of tips of tricks to be a pro fabricator. Autobody i've only painted my bumper and headlights and random parts, in other words, i don't know shit and it shows in the finish. I'm thinking of getting a HVLP spray gun and doing more.

I've been in the same boat for like 4 years now. Pink bumpers. Every time I try and paint something it comes out looking like unbelievable trash. I just dont have what it takes. Answers would be awesome here.

I've painted the rear finish panel and the headlight surrounds satin black with spray paint, an they've both come out nice. I just ant imagine trying to color match and spray paint my bumper could look worse than it does now. I'm gonna try it next weekend I think

Painting is pretty simple. The key is to do it in several light coats and one final semi wet coat 5 minutes apart. That way you don't get runs and by the time you spray your final coat, the previous coats are nice and tacky to hold the paint from running.

When I painted my first car in my garage in college a couple years ago, I got runs all in it, because nobody told me what the hell to do. After that, I did my track car last year and that went really well. Last week I painted my 72 mini and I think it came out like a pro.......ish.

Painting can actually be very cheap if you have the gun and air compressor. My complete repaint with PPG Shopline paint/reducer/hardner and exopy primer was $210.

lol i dont know about all this but i painted a 91 miata the other day with some flat black. just sanded it good down to 600 grit then hit it with cans and a steady hand. looks great and all even....longest and hardest part is taping it off

I bought something similar to this a couple of years ago to paint the TSIs on my '92 (also red). Can't recall which company exactly, but the can I got was one of those where the shop custom-mixes the color and then injects it into the can.

It was ok, but definitely not a perfect match. Actually, it probably was a match for what the car looked like when it was brand new, but after all that weather & time, the paint on the car turned out to be slightly lighter than the paint in the can- not just the bumper, but also the hood and surrounding metal. Fortunately, since the TSIs are fairly small you don't really notice it, but for a whole bumper it would probably stick out like a sore thumb.

The key is to rubbing compound the hell out of all of the good paint, then wax the crap out of it. Making a match is easier once you have the other paint perfect, lots of body shops have a color gun to match paint.

I repainted a side mirror on my other car just yesterday (2000 Camry) after the mirror was ripped off my car on mischief night. The paint was $15 from www.touchuppaintonline.com and it matched spot on. I was surprised because my car is 10 years old, but I guess I kept it in good enough shape that the paint hasn't faded at all.

I've been using Dupli-color Truck, Van and SUV T400 Victory Red sold at Autozone to touch up my '91 red. Comes very close. You need to look pretty hard to see the difference.

Painting is tough, but with a little practice, just about anyone can make it look decent. Like people always say, the real work is in the prep work, and actual paint preparation (mixing of components correctly for weather variables). The last time I painted something it came out well, but even after thinning the paint a little past recommended by manufacturer, I had orange peel because it was too thick, and dried too fast. Next time I will go thinner and spray several more lighter coats. I'm quite sure I will be painting my car soon. It's also classic red, and the front bumper, trunk lid and most all of the car is GONE. No shine, no brilliant color, just dull ass pink. I don't even wash it or attempt to make it look nice anymore, because it's not possible. I'll be using Sherwin Williams Ultra 7000 series paint, in either classic red, or something slightly darker. It's reasonably priced at ~$80 a quart for color, about the same for clear, and a bit extra for the other components. Now to wait for a bit of extra cash, and a winter day that isn't cold as balls, at least in the upper 50's, preferably 60's if I see that again before the spring.

Harbor Freight has a pretty nice HVLP gun for like $30, I picked it up a year or two ago and used it several times. Works great for someone like me who isn't doing a professional job. I think I trashed it last time and didn't clean it in time and I have red paint caked up on the insides of the gun. Only a thin layer,but it might be enough to effect the results.

OK, quite orange peely I guess. Had it been thinner it would have looked great. That was using one of Sherwin Williams cheapest single stage paints I picked up for less than $60 for enough to do that finish panel 5 times over (color, hardener, thinner, all of the components) . Got it at a local parts store, O'Reilly I think it was.

Attachment 193076

So what I'm trying to get at, it might cost a bit more, but buying a cheap HVLP gun, and some cheap matching color paint will give you better results. Of course, don't mix it too thick like me unless you like your car to look like an orange.