I would like to remove my front and back bumper skin and spay it with a black satin finish. How do I remove just the skin? Is it difficult to remove?
Do I need to spray the skin with a plastic primer before I spray the black satin finish?
Thanks for any advise.

Don't use any primer at all.

Scuff the plastic/rubber with a scotch Britte pad.

(to soften the pad, rub it on the concrete ground, this will keep the pad from cutting into the soft plastic/rubber)
very lightly scuff the bumper "very light".

Now clean the scuffed bumper with a good high quality thinner and let dry don't wipe to dry as that will leave fibers on the bumper. Now spray with a good high quality plastic/rubber paint.
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Kevin * HONDA spanking,1985 240DL'Retired' * VOLVO ON!!!!

Dave is exactly correct about the importance of prep work. This is especially true because its likely that armor all and the like have been used on the bumper and paint doesn't stick well. Be sure to get the pre-paint cleaner/prep and use it.

You didn't ask, but I didn't take my bumper off. I just used newspaper and masking tape and masked it off. Then painted.

BTW, I also bought the light bumper grey paint and painted the grey lower body trim as well.

Good luck with the job. It looks really great when you get it finished!

Mike
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Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 120K 1994 940 137K 1986 244 137K (odometer broken)

I found it easier to just undo the whole thing, it's just a few bolts/nuts and you don't have to try to get the clips back on afterward.

Yes, at least use "plastic prep" and when I did it a few years ago I scrubbed the heck out of it with Comet first then Plastic Prep then SEM bumper coat. it has held up with no flaws for over 4 years. Prep work is everything!!
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Dave Shannon
Spring Valley, California
'67 1800s
'73 1800ES
'88-240
my pages

for brownboy and dave shan - just put a trailer hitch on my 91 245 and had to take off the lower bumper trim/skirt (?) whatchamacallit...anyway, need to cut a chunk out of the middle to accomodate the hitch and would like to paint it prior to putting it back on. what kind of grey bumper paint did you use? do you know the brand/number? many tks
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oceanre 91 240 wagon 260k

It's made by SEM, I got it at a local body shop supply house, I've heard it's available at some larger auto parts stores.
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Dave Shannon
Spring Valley, California
'67 1800s
'73 1800ES
'88-240
my pages

just to put in the brickboard for anyone in the future who wants to paint his lower trim, i just finished the job (rignt & left lower trim, front & rear mudflaps, rear skirt/valence) and it looks amazing. now the 14 year old paint looks bad compared to the trim!. anyway, use a can of SEM Plastic/Leather Prep (part number 38353) then follow up with SEM Trim Paint (Charcoal Metallic part number 39033). they are both less than $10 per can at my local auto body supply shop. scrub the hell out of it to remove any gunk, then spray with the prep (the prep 'paint' is just a clear liquid which goes on and dries quickly - just follow up with a clean cloth). then spray the charcoal metallic on - one can of charcoal metallic did all the trim (each piece got 2-3 coats) and i still have at least 1/2 can of prep left. thanks to all who have done this before and gave advice and good luck to those who havent yet. the difference is amazing and the key is prep work. i also kept all the trim on the car and just spent a lot of time with masking tape and newspapers. a very satisfying and relatively easy job. thanks again/ brgds garry mawhinney long island
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oceanre 91 240 wagon 260k