can I match paint the bumpers

[expo5.0]

i really want to paint the grey plastic pieces on my bumpers. i know many people have done this, and there are other threads. but i want opinions on how close i will be able to get the paint to match. i don't want to do it if it will not look right.

the other question is my xlt has a bumpy surface on those plastic pieces. would i be better off finding the plastic pieces from an eddie (they are smooth right?) and then painting those. they would be easier to paint, i think. and would look better. what do you guys think.

also can those of you who have painted these pieces and or the bumpers please post some close-ups here. BILL KEMP, this means you for sure. i just want to get a feel for my ability to match the color and if i want to get smooth pieces or retain my stock ones. thank you

 

[Hartman]

I have those same grey pieces on my bumpers. It bugs the hell outta me, and I want to paint them, but I'm afraid I'll screw them up!!! I don't know what steps to take to paint them correctly, or what kind of paint to use. I have to do something quick though. I also want the chrome on my bumpers black powdercoated.

 

[benj75]

hey HARTMAN

would you be interested in trading bumpers?

mine are black from the factory.

i notice you live in Indy. i live 50minutes south of naptown just off of i65. if you're interested, i would be willing to drive up there to make the switch.

my 98 ex sport is bright amber metallic w/black trim and bumpers. even if i could get a perfect color match, i just don't think it would look right, all in that color.

my plans were to find a set of chrome bumpers at a salvage yard and either leave the trim stock, or paint it a metallic black.

if you're interested, please contact me at: benj75@aol.com

 

[Hartman]

Ben, I am interested, here is a pic of my bumper:

It has a lil bit of rust on the inside of the air hole, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned up with a little bit of work. Do you have a pic of your bumper, or can you show me a pic of another truck that has your same bumper? If so, I am VERY interested.

Just curious, why do you want to get rid of your bumper?

 

[benj75]

check my post.

i don't want to paint my bumper and trim to match, because i don't think it would look right. if my ex was black or white i'd color match(yetix is pretty tight), but i just think the bright metallic color of my paint(in the sun looks like a bright burnt orange, at night it looks like rusty maroon color) would look better w/ chrome bumpers and a polished billet grill insert(my grill is factory painted & i'll leave it that way).

my job is getting slow(we're only working 4days this week) so it's going to take longer than i had planned to do work and buy parts for my ex(i was already thinking it would be mid summer before it started looking the way i want). i'm going to have to get a second job right now if i even want to do some of the little things.

if we traded bumpers, i would paint the grey plastic w/ a couple of light coats of black bumper paint. i don't like the way my ex looks w/ half of the front end solid black. this would give me a better look(imo) until i have money to have the trim painted professionally. then w/ chrome bumpers, i may choose to color match versus painting the trim a metallic black.

so basically, i want to trade bumpers because regardless which color i choose to paint the trim, chrome bumpers in my opinion, would look better on MY ex.

don't get me wrong,

the best looking explorers i've seen online had painted bumpers, and they looked good. but they were also solid white or black(yetiX is sooo clean). with the color of my truck, i'd just prefer a chrome bumper. When you see pics of my ex, you may be able to get a better idea of what i'm saying.

i'll try to take pics of both bumpers tomorrow and email them to you. go ahead and email me, so i'll have your email add. we probably shouldn't be using up space in this forum or thread for working out the details.

there's nothing wrong with my bumpers, i just saw an opportunity for both of us to get what we wanted.

 

[Bill Kemp]

I dont have any closeups of the bumper trim. I had mine done at a body shop cause there isnt any duplicolore type paint that matches. The shop didnt use enough adhesion stuff the first time and some of it peeled. I just noticed that the rear bumper piece by the trailer hitch got hit by something and now I have a chip there.
I like the looks of it but it may be a high maintainence item.
If you do it be sure to use some adhesive type primer.

 

[expo5.0]

how much did they charge? you used the original xlt plastic right? is my idea with the eddie's plastic possible. what if i just upgraded the plastic to some from an eddie. is that possible. it would be cool to have an eddie with no flares that was once an xlt.

 

[BLACK95]

Hey Bill, do you have any pictures of your explorer, I am just curious. I can not decide if I want to lower mine or raise it.

 

[HumanClone]

Hey expo, I was curious how much it cost for you to match the paint on your ee airdam. I'm getting one here pretty soon so let me know. or did you do it yourself?

Also, totally unrelated. my X has that grey x sport trim, should i have that painted black with the rest of the car so the whole front is black? (providing i get the airdam soon) or should i just leave it? suggestions are welcome. I wasn't sure whether or not to leave it black grey black. ya know? I hope that was clear enough to understand. Get back to me.

-lex

 

[expo5.0]

i had it done by a shop. it cost me 60 dollars i believe to have it painted. i think you should do the whole front black if you can.

 

[HumanClone]

Alright, I'll give it a shot.. any estimations on how much it'd cost to get the front bumper done? it's grey now (obviously).

 

[XLT_66]

All i know is that from see all these tricked out white explorers...expo5.0, yetix..etc.....i really wish my X was not blue. Those white Explorers look SOOOOO clean. If i had the cash i would get mine painted either white or black. I just think they look a lot better.

 

[HumanClone]

Mine is black... neener neener neener

 

[X24]

Black or white would be nice. I have dark green. Not much you can do with that. NO neons will look good with it and most after market parts won't either.

 

[Hartman]

I'm bringing this thread up again because of my experiences today. So, I go to a body shop that is about 10 miles from my house to get an estimate of what it would cost to paint my bumper trim. The manager comes out to my Ex, gives it a look-over, and tells me that they cannot paint the trim because the surface is bumpy, not flat. B.S.!!!!! Then he goes on about the bumpers coming from the factory this way (which is a lie). Eh, I'm so frustrated. :fire: :fire: :fire:

 

[HumanClone]

Hmmm.. that sounds like a load of *beep*. I hope when I decide to get my bumper painted black to match the car, the guy doesn't bs me. Did he say any other reasons?

 

[RoadEnforcer]

hey man i got a 2001 explorer sport and if any of you know what i can do to get my silverish grey bottom part of my car (bumper blah blah) painted to match my black car let me know.

 

[expo5.0]

yeah, this is easy. we are having the lower moldings painted to match on our new escape and the shop is charging us around 800. it should be about the same for painting all the moldings on a sport.

 

[Hartman]

Is the body shop taking the moldings off or do you have to?

 

[expo5.0]

they're doing everything for us.