Technical Bumper question. Yes another one.

[RDS]

Hello all

please can anyone enlighten me as to the finish on the bumpers on the last few years' model.

Some seem to be simple black, some with an alloy strip in the middle and some manly dressed in an alloy (or is it stainless steel?) leaving a black strip visible.

Is the "dressed" bumper merely the plain black bumper with an applique' cover or is the whole construction different?

What about the "strip" models?

cheers

RDS

 

[RDS]

....bump...

someone must know the differences in the late model bumper types?

 

[NEG]

I believe all the UK thick lip bumpers are actually the same made out of a hard alloy. The black bumpers are just painted silver ones AFAIK. I looked at one at the NEC classic car show last weekend and it appeared painted to me. The black strip in the middle is some sort of hard tape applied to the recess.

 

[Steve G]

Think the silver ones are polished, black ones painted. Mine had black tape in the middle - I'll probably paint it, or leave it. Think it depended on model/year as to which was fitted originally.

 

[RDS]

Thanks Steve

I'm torn here: the black "sort of disappears" but not totally given its bulk but the silver looks better.

However, i am not convinced, that if i strip back the black paint (anyone tried this?), i will find a resulting metal that is capable of being polished and that will stay that way. I've never seen an unpainted model so cannot tell from photos what metal constitutes the surface - ally or lacquered mild steel or stainless steel. Neg says it is merely painted alloy.

cheers

RDS

 

[Steve G]

Mine doesn't look lacquered/painted, there's no peel and the underside is not as shiny and no evidence of masking line, which makes me think its polished rather than lacquered/painted.

 

[RDS]

cheers Steve

i may try to strip back then and polish when the good weather returns.

cheers

RDS

 

[X19 pilot]

Mine isnt lacquered, I suspect a fair bit of wet and dry + elbow grease, followed by a machine polish would bring about the desired result!

 

[RDS]

cheers Pilot

i was hoping you'd say that. I'll try a section when the weather improves!

RDS