Sooo, i had my front bar painted and installed last year. obviously from time to time the bar will flex with the odd scrape or bump however this is kept to a minimum. Problem i have is: * Paint is not flexible and shears off * happening in all parts of the bumper where you would expect it to flex is there any trick to the plastic used on the 2k Spec bars?? what material is used on the 2k bar? has this happened to anyone else, looks like its not adhering to the flexible areas so well. The body shop will fix this free of charge but i dont want to go back again. any advice?
The bar is made out of utherane. Not sure if certain paint is supposed to be used. From the mega factory shows I have seen on car plants, the paint comes out of the same machines at the same time for body and bumper from memory.
Paint.. When I had my car painted, the painter used a flexible type of paint for the front bar and all urethane bits of my body kit. To date it has not cracked or peeled when I've accidentally scraped my bar.... I don't know what this paint is called, but it does exist...
Sounds like they skimped on the flex additive more than a bit. But if it's not just cracking but flaking off as well, sounds like little or no primer. If they're offering to redo it, probably worth taking them up on the offer. If you've got doubts, it's a quick job to just take the bar off & just drop it to them.
Its NOT a special paint, Its the same paint with Flexadd mixed in before spraying. The bar priming is very important, I would say that's where your guy has failed.
Right on target!!! FlexAid has been around for a very long time(I'm surprised that ANY Spray-painter would fail to use it on flexible items). Give them the opportunity to fix it properly(but also let them know how slack their workmanship is).:br:
The bar is polyurethane It needs to be primed properly so the paint sticks flex additive should be mixed with the paint at 30% to make it flex You can also add rock-coat which prevents chipping from stones (note: that stone guard is a flex additive not a rock coat) Given what you have said - I would take it elsewhere as the professionalism of the shop seems to be wanting. Cheers
Thought I should correct myself re stoneguard Stone guard is not a flex additive but a flex barrier - one is added to paint, the other is painted on as a barrier to prevent chipping (that's the ripple look you can see sometimes on bars, though it can be put on smooth or sanded)
On the plastic parts of a z32, The stone guard is actually moulded into the plastic. Not sprayed on like the chassis. I had to sand THE plastic to make it smooth on my old car.
I usually use Protec paints and theres two products i use when applying to new, or bare sanded urethane/plastic type panels. 394 FLEX ADD is the additive for the paint to allow more movement. Doesnt fix the problem, but it certainly assists in protecting the paint surface more. 440 PP PLASTIC PRIMER is the adhesion promoter i use also on new or bare sanded urethane/plastic surfaces. Its a clear solution that you spray on prior to primer or top coats. Think of it similar to an etch primer for metals. Its a agent to allow more bond between surfaces. Spraying it can be a bitch as its very thin and tactile when drying. From the sounds of whats happing with your bar, they possibly havent used one or either of these products. Hence the delamination of paint once the surface is cracked. Allowing moisture behind the paint also. Also its highly recommended to wash the urethane/plastics with low detergant based cleaners to wash away the water soluable release agents used when casting bars etc. Wax and grease alone doesnt always work best. If there is an offer for them to repair the bar. Take them up on it but ask them to strip it and start again. As you'll just be bandaiding the problem.
Thanks heaps for this advice. Have the same problem with my front bar, but the panel beater that did it for me is now closed up shop. Typical. Good question, good answers!
Thanks guys for all the advice. looks like I'll try and get him to sand it back and start again. Pretty annoying however at least he's willing to fix the problem. I'll point out to him some of the above notes, however he has told me that primer and flex add was used. I spoke to the paint supplier and he believed more flex add was required.
Thanks Jono, ike i said to the body shop, I dont want to be there a third time for the same bar. I don't think he wants to keep painting it every time it flexes also. with a bit of luck, it was an honest mistake on his part.
If the correct products were used and in the right ratios. The only thing i can suggest they didnt do was prep the urethane bar surface enough. Without giving it a thorough clean, the 440 PP, regardless of how good it is. Is hindered from the beginning. Which sucks as it wastes more time after the fault, sanding and re-prepping, then it would have initially. Ive had on my black zed, with a new urethane bar. The paint delaminate from the bars surface as a result to poor prep. Was a clean lift. Feeling the bar it was super smooth. As if no prep was done. Mine delaminated due to flex and also the paint being applied too thick. It cracked along the bead that runs parallel with the ground all the way around (series 1 bar) and when moisture got it, it just lifted that area. How thick does the paint seem to be on the bar you have?
