Apply Touch Up Paint to Plastic Bumpers in 7 Steps

By Bob Keppel

Bumper/Trim Scratch fix

Not always your fault, but bumper scratches happen, from parking lots to the most innocent of children a scratch on you plastic bumper/trim can be a costly repair to take it in, but there are some instances that you can fix it yourself, with the right stuff. It does depend on the area affected to determine if it is a do-it-yourself fix. If there is discoloration due to impact and not just a scratch, it might be time to take to a professional. If it is a surface scratch with no major distortion to the plastic bumper, you have options

You will need:

1. Car touch up paint

2. A filler product.

3. Leveler.

4. Rubber or plastic squeegee

5. A fine tipped paint brush

6. Utility knife or exact-o-knife

7. Soft lint free shop towel

8. Soft foam sanding block

9. Windex or wax grease remover

Steps:

1. The main thing is you want to match your color correctly; a color that doesn't match is not going to end up improving the scratch. Determine what your color code is. These codes vary from one manufacturer to the next. The best place to start is your door jambs (either driver or passenger). Some cars have the code in the trunk, glove box or near the firewall.

2. Once you have the right color prepping is next and just as important. You want to remove the burs on the plastic and this is where a sharp edged tool blade is needed. Be careful not to make a small scratch into a deep gouge. Cut just what you need, so nothing sticks out beyond the surface.

3. After, clean the areas thoroughly. Get any wax residue off, as this will affect the paint and putty. Best way is to use dish soap to clean the area or a wax removing soap. Then go over area again with a wax/grease remover or Windex.

4. Now the area is ready to fill in with a scratch filling putty. Apply with a squeegee making sure to fill all scratched areas; you will be using the leveler to level it all out so make sure to get the whole area, filling in any imperfections.

5. You are now going to want to take the leveler to level out the area, removing all excess putty. The leveler won't affect your current paint. This step is where a soft foam sanding pad comes in handy, but is not necessary. With patience and a delicate touch you can do it with the soft no-lint disposable towel.

6. After you get it so the putty is just in the scratches, give the area a few minutes to dry, then clean the area once more with Windex or wax/grease remover.

7. Now it is time to paint. Apply the paint only in the affected areas covering the putty. Short overlapping strokes are recommended, but dabbing also works, these methods reduce stroke marks.

8. Now let the area dry for 24 hours before washing, waxing and polishing. This will ensure the paint has fully dried.

If these steps were followed patiently, you should have hidden that unsightly scratch. There are some times that this method will not work as well, particularly on silver/gold cars. Solid colors turn out best.

Bob Keppel created ScratchWizard, the world's first paint touch up kit with scratch-filling putty. Produces the least visible do-it-yourself repairs in minutes.