Plastic Repair

qman · Post by **qman** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:17 pm

This has nothing to do with my truck but I'm hoping someone out there can help. I have a 98 Taurus and my 18 yr old daughter rear ended someone. There was no damage to the other vehicle but there was damage to the front end of the Taurus. Anyway, the front bumper cover is one large piece of plastic and it has two cracks in it. Other than that it's still OK. I noticed that the plastic is black and I found somewhere on the web that vehicle plastics are ABS plastics just like that used in our sewer pipes. Does anyone know if this is true? If so can I repair it with ABS cleaner and cement? That would be great and it would save me some ca$h.

kentdaryl · Post by **kentdaryl** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:49 pm

I'm not sure about the bumper cover, I would think it would be much more flexible than ABS. You're right about ABS or PVC though, it takes only glue, or primer and glue to join together. Good luck,
Daryl

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:49 pm

yeah i'd try that if its the flexible stuff. if the header panel is cracked or broke you can use body putty to fix cracks and fiberglass to fix breaks.

SmokeyBear · Post by **SmokeyBear** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:22 am

Use epoxy resin. More specifically, 3m Scotch-weld. You can get it from most autobody or parts stores. It comes in atube with two parts in it. Relieve the edges on the back and front side of the crack. Mix them together and coat it liberally on the back and just enough to cover the crack in the front. Sand it down (it will take some work here because this stuff sets up hard).

Here's a link to what it looks like...click here

Fake Name · Post by **Fake Name** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:20 am

I've been using the bumper repair shops, like bumper doc or bumper medic or whatever. The have the whole genre down to a science, and it's very reasonable when compared to a body shop. They do these every day..

fn

qman · Post by **qman** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:40 am

I figured a paint shop would have something specifically (and costly) for this. But I was wondering if anyone out there knew that what I read was true. If the stuff is ABS plastic and could be repaired with ABS plumbing cement.

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:47 am

i really don't think its the right kind of abs to use pipe glue on no.

qman · Post by **qman** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:47 am

Do you know this for sure?

fordman · Post by **fordman** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:35 pm

no i'm not sure its just an opinon.

SmokeyBear · Post by **SmokeyBear** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:10 pm

The bumper is a flexible piece. If you bond it with something inflexible, something will eventually give, more than likely the inflexible portion which means it will re-crack and it'll be worse than before.

qman · Post by **qman** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:15 pm

I understand that. Why do you assume that ABS cement is inflexible? I know the plumbing fittings seem inflexible but that may have to do with how thick they are and the fact they're tubular. I'm guessing that if they're the same ABS plastic and were as thin as my bumper cover and flattened out, that they'd be as flexible as my bumper cover. That's why I asked this question.

I already know that if they're not the same it won't work. Tha'ts why I asked if anyone "knew" if they were the same or not. I read on some website that they were the same. So I decided to ask it here to see if I could get a second "yes" on it. Or a story from someone who's done the repair. That way I could go do mine.

SmokeyBear · Post by **SmokeyBear** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:23 pm

No it isn't PVC in pipes is brittle and won't withstand much shock or vibration. Bumper covers are flexible, so much so in fact that to paint one you have to use a flex agent so that when the paint dries it won't break and chip off. If you use glue to bond flexible material it will break, if you use a flexible bonding material, it will bend with the original piece. You don't have to relieve the front edge if you don't want to repaint, just do the back so it will have something to bite to. Just be prepared to see the crack.

qman · Post by **qman** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:26 pm

There are PVC plumbing fittings and there are ABS plumbing fittings. PVC are the white ones and ABS are the black ones. I know the bumper cover isn't PVC, but I noticed the plastic is black and read something that lead me to guess it may be ABS. Read the response from Rich Reed:

http://www.concours.org/plastic.html

If I find out that it's not ABS I'm gonna do your Scotch Weld suggestion. I know how to fill holes and sand things smooth. I was just hoping that someone out there would say "yep, it's the same stuff and I repair them that way all the time." That way I could get it done this weekend. I guess I can still get it done this weekend. I just hoped I could get it done with stuff I already have.

SmokeyBear · Post by **SmokeyBear** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:27 pm

You ask if I KNOW this won't work, YES I know it won't. I did body work for a living for 10 years. In that time I did a lot of fenderbenders where the customer wanted a quickie fix job because insurance wouldn't cover or he didn't meet the deductable. I tried everything you can imagine, superglue, pvc glue, industrial contact cement. Short of plastic welding(using a soldering gun and filler) the 3m stuff does the best. I even grafted two rear '90 grand am bumpers together to make one rear bumper for a miniwinnie.

SmokeyBear · Post by **SmokeyBear** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:28 pm

oops I meant abs not pvc.

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