Midnight Sun

I have Omni Flex add and I was wondering what the mix ratio is for it? I cant find it anywhere.

Also though, how does flex additive work. I know it is for bumpers and ground effects or other areas that see a lot of flexing movement. But what in the additive makes it flexible? And why dont they just add it to paints to begin with?

AlbertaFbody

not sure what the exact ingredient is altho the reason they don't add this to paint to begin with is to tihnk about it how much flex is a metal body of a car going to see. they use this on fiberglas kits and bumpers and other flexible materials mostly due to cause they are not supported everwhere and are very flexible. i know that if you didn't use the additive and you did a normal paint job on z28 or bird bumper if you nelt on it or made it flex in any way it would spiderweb that is why they add the additive so this doesn't happen.

IHI

iTrader: (1)

I know there is always a few things that are subject to opinion so here's mine and it's been brought up before.

When my car was painted, by a lead tech at Iowa Auto Rebuilders, the mainthing for me was to get color on the car, nothing show quailty since it's just a weekend bracket racing beater so they used Omni. When I asked him about the flex agent for the bumpers he laughed at me and said they have'nt used that stuff for years. I got a big technical schpeal from what a few of their sales reps had passed along to them from different manufacturers about the stuff, but I do remember he said over time it yellows and or changes the tint of the parts with the flex agent and it only lasts for so long since the chemicals that create the flexibilty evaporate over time.

I have zero flex agent in my car, and though it's only 2 years old it's seen it's share of people bumping into it, leaning on it/against it, pushing it a few times and so far all is well, just as he told me it would be. Oh, and he said it's a pita to try and color match old paint that's had flex in it. Was basically one of those fads that "came and went"-the words out of his mouth.

Without sounding like the typical internet wizard with "I know this person", etc...the individual that painted my car does custom/show cars out of his personal shop at home where all mine was taken care of. 4 cars have been in magazines and alot of the others have numerious trophies from shows they've been in. I'm just passing along this information not to critize but to inform, it may not be needed. But, then it could make the difference between a guy that's been doing it his entire working life to us that are trying our first garage paint jobs.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

What IHI said was somewhat along the lines of whats up with the whole "flex additive" deal, when speaking to the friendly people at a local store to buy some PPG paint, I of course asked about it, the explanation was that it is pretty much gone from the paint within i believe it was 24-48 hours, it is used if you have say a flexible bumper cover, painted it without being on the car, and didnt want to crack the paint while installing it, so for the most part, dont even bother.

123jon321

Same here, when I bought m ppg omni paint I asked about flex additive and got the same answer, that its only needed if a flexible part, aka bumper, etc., are painted off the car and then put on. If its being painted on the car, dont bother. Even if a parts flexible it won't flex enough to harm the paint on the car.

jay92,85,79

iTrader: (1)

yeah the painter at my shop said the same thing.But they don't even use it on the bumbers at my work.And if theres a ton of paint on the bumber or you use a ton of primer before u paint it than it will crack no matter what u use.

Midnight Sun

Well... Thanks a lot guys.

Luckily I got my stuff for free. The local PPG dealer I gave it to me for free. His exact words were "I opened this and was messing around with it in the back, I dont even know what it is. So it is yours"

I guess that should have hinted to me as to how useful it was.

The way I see it is, I have gone all this way to paint my car in the garage. So if it chips 2 months down the road. It isnt going to kill me to redo the bumpers. Jeeze, they dont even make up a 1/4 of the car.

Thanks again.
-Eric

IROCFAST

iTrader: (3)

We run a body shop and your newer basecoat/clear vs. single stage paints are actually quite flexible. PPG's tech line does not reccomend the use of a flex agent even on plastic/urethane bumper covers. And yes, it does alter the color a small amount.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

Can someone explain to me why it seems 75% of the people around here cant spell bumper ?

IROCFAST

iTrader: (3)

bumber...sounds like brittish slang for your butt...LOL

Midnight Sun

I think it is a subconcious(sp?) thing. Because cars have their own lingo. Like door jams... except it is a jamb. So naturally bumper>bumber