My car is obviously not a restoration to original, but rather a resto/modification to a bracket racer/street car. I am going to spray the basecoat/clearcoat cortez silver myself and would like to paint the bumpers either white or cobalt blue. How should I prep the bumpers for paint and which color do you think would look best. The SS stripes will match the bumper color BTW. ;)

You have got to rough up the chrome so paint will stick. Sand blasting it would work and even sanding it. The right way is to bring it to the chromer to have them chemicaly remove the chrome.
Personaly I would paint them body color instead of a contrasting color.
Roger

Thanks 67shovel. Any other suggestions out there. :cool:

My car came with the 5 mph bumper fillers that I took off. After sectioning the bumpers and fitting them, I ground off all of the original chrome on the outside and on the lips.
I then did filler work and then shot a good primer over it and then when I was happy with how straight they were I shot the candy colors and clear on them.
After the paint dried, I brush painted the backside with a flat black paint.
I'm redoing the bumpers on another car in chrome but depending on how straight you want them, I saw a lot of flaws that were on the original bumpers (stamping marks/rough edges/etc) that I took the time to get out.
Just like body work the better you make it the better it should look once color (or Chrome) is put on.

Painted Rear Bumper (http://community.webshots.com/photo/91560914/92699280lntnDp)

Jim/Saint Louis

The bumper bolts are an issue, unless you paint the bumper on the car with everything tight.
On my 69 Camaro I had a few years ago, I wanted an endura bumper. They were on back order, so I painted the chrome one. I welded the bumper bolts on, them smoothed the outside, level with the outside surface. A little plastic filler to smooth out the transition area. Sanded the chrome with 180, then cover it in urethane primer. Prep and paint as usual. It held up just fine.
Another idea.....paint the bumpers a bright silver. Many of the best looking drag cars with fiberglass bumpers have silver bumpers. It just looks better. Closer to what our eyes have been trained to see when we picture a Chevelle. Just my $.02 worth.

Jim, that bumper looks great.
Thanks for the input guys. graemlins/waving.gif
I will be painting the body "Cortez Silver" and was envisioning a different color for the bumpers, but I will have to sleep on that. graemlins/boring.gif

Like Jimmy says....Have them stripped at a chrome shop, weld in bolts and smooth outer then paint with something like a Mercedes Platinum or similar (just off color of your body color) this would also be a good stripe color. Cool with no bolts showing. Just need to be sure that you can mount it with the 'studs' instead of pushing a bolt through BEFORE you put the on the finish.

I had mine sanblasted, primed, painted same color as the body, took the s/s stripes around the rear bumper. Looked like a rally racer. Got a lot of compliments on that paint job. Just sandblast and paint the bolt heads.

Originally posted by d1_bradley:
Like Jimmy says....Have them stripped at a chrome shop, weld in bolts and smooth outer then paint with something like a Mercedes Platinum or similar (just off color of your body color) this would also be a good stripe color. Cool with no bolts showing. Just need to be sure that you can mount it with the 'studs' instead of pushing a bolt through BEFORE you put the on the finish. I'm liking that idea :D Thank you graemlins/thumbsup.gif