Bumpers Need Help

[Largebore]

I have wihite scrapes and scratches on my black bumpers and surrounds of my BMW. I have used "Back to Black: and "Black Wow" and they do nothing to hide the white scrapes and scratches. What if anything is the solution ?

[Mike Phillips]

I have white scrapes and scratches on my black bumpers and surrounds of my BMW. I have used "Back to Black: and "Black Wow" and they do nothing to hide the white scrapes and scratches. What if anything is the solution ?

"Some materials and/or surface coatings don't lend themselves well to being abraded with the end-result looking good or looking original"

In order to remove a scratch out of anything, metal, plastic glass, paint, etc. You must remove material around the scratch until the upper most portions of the surface are level with or equal to the lowest depths of the scratch or defect you're trying to remove.


In the case of your rubber bumpers, abrading them in an effort to level the surface won't end up with the bumpers looking good so removing the scratches by removing material surrounding the scratches isn't an option.

The only other practical options are to,

• Try to mask the defects, which you've already tried.
  
• Try to fill them in somehow and then coat over them with something so the surface looks natural or original. This is going to be touch to do but there may be some kind of rubber repair kit in the restoration world for something like this, check with Eastwood Company: Auto Tools, Body Repair, Classic Car Restoration, Paint Guns, Powder Coating, Soda Blasters, Fender Rollers
  
• Replace the entire component.
  
• Live with the defect.

If the problem is just paint transfer, as in some foreign paint is stuck on the surface, then it may be possible to remove the paint transfer with some type of solvent or cleaner just make sure the solvent or cleaner doesn't also dissolve the rubber at the same time.


Do you have a picture you can post?

[eddie6th]

A pic would help.
Is this unpainted ABS plastic or something else?

I have used bodyfiller successfully on bumper parts,but the difference being that they are painted,and the filler is covered. It does stay. Possibly a knock could dislodge it. I am infact doing one at the moment.

I think there is an ABS plastic repair kit,but I never tried it.