[jjl]

What is the best way to restore rubber bumper inserts? Can they be painted.

Also what is the best paint for plastic items like rearvision mirrors that are badly deteriorated by the sun.
Jeremy

[BarryK]

I think I know what your talking about?? So if I'm off base forgive me.

First, you can paint anything.

If these are natural black parts your talking about and best example I can give would be black door handles or unpainted mirrors.

If they are just faded, you can take a heat gun and heat up and the shine or blackness will come back.
Don't melt the plastic, go slow until you figure out the proper distance and the amount of time it takes.

I did every black piece on the rover before selling as they have a bad habit of the black plastic pieces blushing or turning white after about a year.
The whole truck took about and hour with all the black trim and bumpers.

[red65mustang]

great idea Barry...thanks.........and I can again prove to my wife that I'm totally nuts.......standing in the driveway with her 50,000 watt hair dryer blow drying her Jimmy!

merry xmas!

[BarryK]

Lets make a PAC never to let our wifes talk to each other or we will both be committed.

Not so sure a hair dryer is hot enough?

Heat guns are pretty cheap if not.

[jcclark]

I'm pretty sure my electric blanket is not enough.
Barry, don't use that heat gun to dry your hair!!!!!

[enjenjo]

SEMS has a rubber trim paint that has worked well for me, good color match and same level of gloss as the original.

[jcclark]

I used some "vinyl" paint that my DuPont supplier sold me for my bumper.
It has a stripe that looks like a rubber moulding, it's paint.
It sprays right out of the can and really looks like rubber.
It comes in different glosses and is color matched to the original.
I got a pint. He has a listing for the paint code under "trim colors".
People that see it can't believe it's paint, looks like a rubber strip.
With a higher gloss one it would be perfect for vinyl parts.