jesse_cooper•1mo agoMost Upvoted

The day I realized I was using the wrong primer for plastic bumpers

I spent 6 years at a shop in Phoenix always using adhesion promoter on bare plastic bumpers before primer, but a rep from Sherwin-Williams told me I was actually trapping solvent under the primer and causing peeling. He showed me a test panel where I prepped it with just a scuff pad and direct primer, and that panel held up through 3 months of Arizona sun while my method failed after 2 weeks. Anyone else find out they were overcomplicating plastic prep the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth4381mo ago

I actually had the OPPOSITE experience with PPG primer. I tried the "just scuff and shoot" method on a Hyundai bumper and had peeling within 10 days in our Texas heat. The adhesion promoter with a light primer coat has never let me down in 8 years of doing this, I've got customer cars coming back for other work years later with zero bumper issues. Maybe it depends on the specific plastic blend or the climate, but I'll STICK with what works for me.

sam_wood601mo ago

Bet that Hyundai plastic was tougher than my learning curve @elizabeth438.