Paint choice - new front bumper

[jbehrn]

I recently purchased a bare steel front bumper and I’m on the hook for painting it. I’m currently looking at a few paint choices but wanted to get input from the forum to see which is the easiest to use with the least amount of prep (beyond cleaning it before painting) and offers the best performance.

1. Steel-it - looks like it requires scoring to get the paint to adhere properly
2. Rust-Oleum Textured black - not sure on prep
3. AEV Touch up - seems to require standard prep

Sponsored

 

[bleda2002]

Look in to the farm implement paints, I've had good luck spraying them directly on to the steel after cleaning with acetone.

 

[Arcticelf]

Self etching primer followed by textured bed-liner.

 

[Camaroboi13]

I just got the knockoff rubicon 3 piece bumper for Christmas, I have a guy locally who’s going to powder coat mine white for $150. Seemed like a no brainer to me. Powder coat should hold up a little better than paint. Might look into that option if you’re ok spending an extra buck or two.

 

[Jefe1018]

I would also second looking to powder coat it. For a proper rattle can job, which can be done right, but you will need to spend quite a bit of money and time on paint, primer, acetone, microfiber towels, plastic sheets and tape (to cover your working area) and sand paper. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff too. At that point I think it would be within spitting distance of having a small shop powder coat it.

No right or wrong answer, but sometimes it's nice to hand things off to someone who does it every day.

Edit - I know many people here love that Rustoleum paint, I can't personally stand it and have had super bad experiences, but that may have more to do with my climate and skill level than anything else.

 

[TheOpa]

I used the rust oleum. Gray primer first, then gloss black. Multiple coats of each but I didn’t go crazy with it. Prepped by cleaning well and lightly sanding where needed between coats. Careful prep is everything no matter what finish you choose. I was able to do the whole bumper start to finish in a weekend. I like the idea of rattle can paint on something like a bumper or skids because it’s easy to touch up the scrapes you are guaranteed to get.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I recently purchased a bare steel front bumper and I’m on the hook for painting it. I’m currently looking at a few paint choices but wanted to get input from the forum to see which is the easiest to use with the least amount of prep (beyond cleaning it before painting) and offers the best performance.

1. Steel-it - looks like it requires scoring to get the paint to adhere properly
2. Rust-Oleum Textured black - not sure on prep
3. AEV Touch up - seems to require standard prep

Powder coat. I've done a ton of touch-up on show cars with Rustoleum and other paints - they dull and fade. You can later see where it was touched up, especially black. It's not very resistant to UV. Heck, it's SPRAY PAINT, not pro paint.
I can post pics of the black I've used on my cars if anyone wants proof it's not that great. I have to carry touch-up paints to shows as I'll get into the right light, or after washing, and can see where the paint has dulled or faded compared to the original automotive paint.

I even touched up my front bumper before it was powder coated - after a few months you could see where the touch-up was. (and I'm a stinker for prep work)
What does one expect for a sub-$10 paint?

That's something else you could do - get a cheap HF paint gun and buy some quality paint with hardener......... but that wouldn't have texture unless you added the additive for texture.

Powder coat. It's an epoxy-like coating, resistant to UV fading and could be touched up if needed down the road with paint.

 

[TroutFishingInAmerica]

John Deere Blitz Black. Perennial favorite from farmers to hot rodders. I rattle canned my Pritchett Canyon front bumper with it. I always keep a couple cans in the shop. Easy touch up. It's meant as a top coat and does have some uv protection, my experience is the black plastic will fade long before Blitz Black. I guess everything requires maintenance occasionally. Enamel so it's pretty tough, hell, it was made for tractors. Semi gloss, just a little sheen to it. I really like the stuff, been using it for years.

 

[Arcticelf]

I would also second looking to powder coat it. For a proper rattle can job, which can be done right, but you will need to spend quite a bit of money and time on paint, primer, acetone, microfiber towels, plastic sheets and tape (to cover your working area) and sand paper. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff too. At that point I think it would be within spitting distance of having a small shop powder coat it.

No right or wrong answer, but sometimes it's nice to hand things off to someone who does it every day.

Edit - I know many people here love that Rustoleum paint, I can't personally stand it and have had super bad experiences, but that may have more to do with my climate and skill level than anything else.

If you're not planning to bash the bumper on rocks, use it as a step ladder in muddy boots, etc. powder is definitely the way to go. I fuck up finished surfaces on bumpers and sliders like it's my job, so all the powder coat on my truck ends up covered in paint anyway.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If you're not planning to bash the bumper on rocks, use it as a step ladder in muddy boots, etc. powder is definitely the way to go. I fuck up finished surfaces on bumpers and sliders like it's my job, so all the powder coat on my truck ends up covered in paint anyway.

LOL - those things are exactly why I do choose powder. It will handle muddy boots and wipe off and look good again. Not that it can't be scratched but it takes a heck of a lot more to do so.
I stand on stuff to reach things, I use bumpers as tool trays, and with the front bumper, things get dropped on it while I'm working on other parts.
I powder coat suspension parts just for the reasons you give - they handle having a floor jack put under them without getting messed up. If I painted them, I'd be touching them up every month.

It's partly a matter of - pay up front all at once or pay over time constantly touching something up. A QUALITY powder coating done at a shop is vastly superior to anything else out there.



Tough poly/epoxy coating (powder coat) that resists UV and scratches, or a cheap rattle can paint that doesn't resist much of anything. What you buy in a spray can for < $10/can is cheap stuff - really cheap mass-produced consumer goods.
If I was going to paint it, I'd use a quality automotive paint with hardener - at a cost north of $100.
At that point, might as well powder coat (have a pro do it) and go a very long time without problems and if it does get messed up, then spend a few bucks for touch-ups from a rattle can of cheap paint ( Rustoleum is hardly a pro or quality paint. Be honest. People love it but it's at the bottom of my paint barrel. What can you get for 7 or 8 bucks with the EPA deciding what can and can't be packaged as paint? Not a good paint. )
I consider rattle can paint you buy at a store for less than 10 bucks a can as a cheap way to get by, the lowest of the low in paints.

If I was going to use rattle can paint, I'd go with VHT epoxy paint in a spray can. It's more than 10 bucks a can and does hold up well. I have it on the lock bezels on my show car as well as other parts and it handles abuse and UV better than anything else I've ever bought in a spray can. Nothing else even comes close.
4 years on those lock cylinders - sun, rain, keys going into the locks, and it still looks great. I've used it on suspension parts - looks fine.

 

[Klicht87]

I ordered a 2 cans of raptor liner off ebay for another vehicle I had. I really liked it and was easy to spray. It comes in different colors.

 

[jbehrn]

Just dropped it off with a local powder coating company. Price came in at $300 (including soda prep); a little on the higher side for my area - but the company does great work. I’ll post pictures when it’s done.

 

[jbehrn]

Got it back yesterday and installed it this evening. The powder coating is great, the color matches the black trim pretty well, and it came out much better than I would have done with cans of paint. Overall I’m pretty happy with coating.

 

[drewcnit]

Got it back yesterday and installed it this evening. The powder coating is great, the color matches the black trim pretty well, and it came out much better than I would have done with cans of paint. Overall I’m pretty happy with coating.

I think you chose well going with the powder coat, looks good.

Sponsored