E30 aluminium bumper repair

[Nerk]

I have an 87 325IS that has some scratches in the aluminium bumpers. I was thinking about finding some touch up "chrome" looking paint, but I'll just be heading towards disaster.

Does anyone have any tips... I'll try to get some pictures up soon'ish,

I'm at work right now, so they're not readily available to me.

Anyhow, let me know,...

[Ceeker]

Originally Posted by Nerk

I have an 87 325IS that has some scratches in the aluminium bumpers. I was thinking about finding some touch up "chrome" looking paint, but I'll just be heading towards disaster.

Does anyone have any tips... I'll try to get some pictures up soon'ish,

I'm at work right now, so they're not readily available to me.

Anyhow, let me know,...

Yeah, you would have to strip the finish down to the aluminum metal, sand with fine sand paper to give it that satin look and/or polish the area or whole thing and then clear coat it again. For a thorough job that is. chrome painting it would be cheezzzzeee... :-)

[Nerk]

Yeah, figured I'd look like cheze, maybe ill just wait to do the bumper swap... I do have the bumpers, but waiting on some other body work to be done first so I can the whole car repainted.

I still would like to find a metch spoiler like the ones on the m3 to complete the bodywork project.


Anyhow, I was only going use the chrome paint try and fix/fill the scratches and then try to buff the sh!t out of it

[Ceeker]

Originally Posted by Nerk

Yeah, figured I'd look like cheze, maybe ill just wait to do the bumper swap... I do have the bumpers, but waiting on some other body work to be done first so I can the whole car repainted.

I still would like to find a metch spoiler like the ones on the m3 to complete the bodywork project.


Anyhow, I was only going use the chrome paint try and fix/fill the scratches and then try to buff the sh!t out of it

Defeats the purpose; buffing after painting will remove unbaked finished paint.
you'd be back to square 1.

[tg07lq]

apparently you can get rust off chrome using coke and somehting else, id have to check my work forum and see what it was. unrelated but still handy for anyone with rust on their chrome bumper

[Nerk]

If I bring it down to the unbaked finished paint, can it simply just be repainted the same colour as the body, assuming of course I'm painting the whole car...

Anyhow, I've attached some pictures...

I'm open to any advice... so far I think my options are

1. try and repaint the aluminium colour, but will look bad.
2. Bumper swap with the later style bumpers, lots of body work.
3. Sand the aluminium coating off and repaint it, the same colour as the body.
4. Bumper tuck... but really, bumper shocks are there for reason,... right?
5. Deal with it,... it's just a few scratches, it adds character...

[Nerk]

whoa,. hugeness... my bad, I'll resize them...