Hi,
My '03 Element received font-end damage. The body shop in Michigan cannot figure out how to keep paint on the plastic bumper. The car was previously COMPLETELY custom painted (plastic panels and bumpers too) in Thousand Oaks, California. Here in Michigan they say they have never seen it, nor heard of procedures to effectively keep paint on the plastic parts. They tried sanding, plastic primering and using adhesion promoters in the paint,but the paint popped off during the first cold freeze. The body shop guys here in Michigan obviously Don't know what they are doing and my car insurance rep has asked me to ask around to try to get this done right.please help with your professional advice.

 

Doesnt sound like a very good body shop if they dont know how to make paint stick to plastic panels.... theres a solution that the bumper has to be wiped clean with that allows the paint stick...if that "body shop" doesnt know how to do that then i would find another shop. Theres also a flex additive you can use but i dont use it and ive never had a problem. Sounds just like really shitty prep work. Hope u get it straight!

 

I had a problem once with my wifes 2000 civic bumper it was flacking off after only a month after we painted it, So I went and got some plastic primer and haven't had a problem since, but I wouldn't take it back to them they should know about this stuff....

 

it really depends on their methods. If its a raw plastic bumper, and they arent using certain cleaners to remove the oils from the plastic, that is whats happening. Raw plastic emits oils when sanded, if they are using the mechanical process and sanding the bumper but not using the correct solvents to clean them afterwards the oil released after theyve painted is causing the material to "lift". Adhesion promoters can only fight the oil in the plastic buy so much. There are products like "scuff stuff" for raw plastic bumpers and pieces, It is a cleaner and prep tool in one, it has the consistency of pummus.. You put the product on the bumper, a little water and a scoth brite and while its prepping the surface, its also stripping the oils from the plastic. another product called "poly prep" which is also another oil stripper.Than rubbing alcohol or certain cleaner pads that paint distributors sell needs to be used to further remove the oil, than adhesion promotor. Either bull dog or the stuff we use at the shop from dupont called, Pla-stic. If the procedure isnt done right, the paint will lift. If they are only using the chemical process, which is only using an adhesion promoter, and then spraying. They need to be certain they cleaned the product correctly with rubbing alcohol or the right alcohol based prep pads, than letting the adhesion promotor do its job for long enough on the bumper before laying any sealer or paint. Ive never had a problem getting paint to stick to anything as long as the method was done right.

 

AMEN, I was gonna say the samething

 

Like the man said a couple of post up the oil is what kills you, after taking ALL the steps posted.
We use this, http://www.urethanesupply.com/bcap.php
A great company for plastic welding or anything dealing with plastic.