[Centerline]

My son had an accident in his 2001 SS Monti Carlo, a motorcycle hit him in the passenger's quarter panel. He just picked his car up from the body shop and there is a fiberglass trim piece that fits around the lower section of the rear bumper that wasn't painted. The body shop said it couldn't be painted since it's textured fiberglass (which sounds like bull to me) however, if memory serves the old one was smooth and was painted (the car is black).

Question, does anyone know if this trim piece comes two ways, textured and smooth and second, if this car had been in your shop for repair would you have painted this trim piece (using the proper flex agent of course).

[kenseth17]

You don't need flex agent on fiberglass parts, and with a urethane paint, I don't even use a flex agent on urethane bumpers or parts since urethane paints are fairly flexable as it is. The biggest thing is proper prep, cleaning and sanding the part well. If it is fiberlass yes it should be able to be painted. The only problem I can see with a textured part is sanding and not losing the texture, but a scuff pad could be used to sand and not lose the texture. I am not familar with the molding you are talking about. Is it molded in color or painted or what? That would help. If it is previously painted and the paint is adhering well, or it is primed, I would clean it well with soap and water and wax and grease remover and scuff and paint.

[baddbob]

[QUOTE=Centerline] The body shop said it couldn't be painted since it's textured fiberglass (which sounds like bull to me) however, if memory serves the old one was smooth and was painted (the car is black).

QUOTE]

I'm not familiar with the part but the shop should have repaired it properly (pre-loss condition) if that's what they were paid to do. If the part isn't available other options should have been discussed and worked out with the owner and the insurance company-assuming a claim was made. I'd take it back to the shop and discuss. Textured fiberglass can be painted but it'll need to be scuffed by hand with a scotchbrite, I see no problems. Look at the old parts and compare maybe, or another car. Bob

[grouch]

Originally Posted by Centerline

My son had an accident in his 2001 SS Monti Carlo, a motorcycle hit him in the passenger's quarter panel. He just picked his car up from the body shop and there is a fiberglass trim piece that fits around the lower section of the rear bumper that wasn't painted. The body shop said it couldn't be painted since it's textured fiberglass (which sounds like bull to me) however, if memory serves the old one was smooth and was painted (the car is black).

Question, does anyone know if this trim piece comes two ways, textured and smooth and second, if this car had been in your shop for repair would you have painted this trim piece (using the proper flex agent of course).

First, I don't know jack about real painting; none of the painting I've done could be considered anything better than utilitarian. That out of the way, if that thing really is fiberglass and not some other plastic, everything I've read and done says that you just put a good primer on it and paint it normally.

Reference:
http://www.fibreglast.com/contentpag...epair-123.html
'Way down near the bottom, item 4. under "Cosmetic Repair Sequence"

[Centerline]

Update:

Did some more research and apparently they replaced the lower rear air dam with the LS version which is textured fiberglass rather than the SS version which is smooth and shaped differently.

I agree that there is no reason it couldn't be painted but the difference in shape and the fact that it's not the right one for the car means they'll be replacing it with the right one.