Painting exterior pieces.

[Cerwin Vega Fan]

I'm always looking for a way to save money for when my car goes into the shop to have some reapir work done to it because of a wreck. One way I can do this is paint certain pieces of the car. My rear bumper is shot so I got a used one off of ebay for $75. It is silver so I need to paint it white. So here is my question, what do I need to paint my a rubber bumper? Do I need primer since the bumper is rubber? Also can this be done outside (a garage is not available to me) and my last question is, how do you paint with a sprayer.

[DeWynter]

you need a special rubber primer and a special chemical to be mixed with the paint so that it can flex with the bumper. If you dont use these, the first time someone leans on the bumper it will crack all the paint.

[Cerwin Vega Fan]

Thanks, I'm going to give this a try. If I mess it up I will have it redone by a professional.

[TraceZ]

you need a special rubber primer and a special chemical to be mixed with the paint so that it can flex with the bumper. If you dont use these, the first time someone leans on the bumper it will crack all the paint.

You should also strip it first. Because bumper covers flex alot, if the paint gets too thick it cracks even easier. Plus, any existing cracks in the paint will show right through.

Stripping is easy. Use the chemical stuff in a well ventilated area. Paint it on and let it sit the proper time. Wipe all the disolved paint off.