I got my car painted about 3 months ago by a guy i know. He did a pretty good job however he didnt add the flex additive to the ground effects so theres spiderwebbing. Today i noticed theres also spiderwebbing on the rear bumper!!! Im not sure how it got there...looks like something might have chipped it and it spread from there. The question i have is when they add the flex additive does it go on the rear bumper as well at the GFX since its plastic? How well does the Flex stuff work. Ive heard both sides...some people say it doesnt make a difference others say it makes THE difference. I want to take it back to him and have these pieces repainted, but then again i dont want it repainted to just do it again. Is there anything i can use to stop them from spreading more??? Do you think its worth it to take it back to him and have him repaint the parts or what??? He says that the guys at the paint shop said it didnt make a difference...but im pissed to have these "spider webs" all over my front and now my rear bumper after paying good money for a paintjob just a few months ago. I find it hard to believe that the flex stuff doesnt help if all it takes to spider web is hitting a driveway once or a rock chipping the paint...i dont know how GM could sell plastic bumpers if they cant even get the paint to stay on for more then a few months.

 

The difference is amazing. Pain in the a$$ to work with, but works great. Since the polyurethene on the cars flex, expand and contract constantly, the paint is under heavy stress, hence causing the spider webbing.

You can stop the spider webbing by getting it repainted...PROPERLY! He didn't do a good job because he neglected putting in the flex agent. That's laziness because it takes time to mix in the paint and he short cutted his way doing your car.

Who ever says it doesn't make a difference, is an a$$hole! I painted all the Polyurethene pieces with the flex agent and its free to flex and bend as it wants without any problem. I did it myself, and it is harder to paint with, but it shouldn't be for a pro.

By the way, I painted mine in October and has made through the NE winter so far with no problem.

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1989 Camaro Convertible
dark silver w/black top
305tbi, auto, all stock
posi
Check out Phil's Rice Boy Page

 

If you look at the data sheet from PPG, it says that you only need to add the Flexative if the parts are not already mounted yet. But, I would never paint the bumpers, or any of the ground f/x without it. It is harder to color sand and polish 'cause it turns the paint into rubber. Urathane paint is already just like rubber, but when you add the Flexative, it makes it worse.

Even if your best friend painted it, take it back to him. There is no excuse for not doing it right in the first place.

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'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

ummm,,,
(to drunk to answer right now,,,)
I'll just leave it at that to avoid an arguement


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My Firebird

Part Diagrams

 

Flex additive is useless... It's only good for 6 months or so. Just make sure the paint isn't put on too thick and is properly prepped and you'll be fine. I didn't use any of that flex additive when painting my Camaro 9 months ago and have no problems on the bumpers.

 

Well thanks guys for the replys. Although some people say it doesnt do anything...Im still going to get him to redo it. Thats just not right to have your car painted and 3 months later it loses its luster because you can see these stupid "spider webs" all over the front and now on the rear bumper. I figure if it doesnt help oh well, at least it was done right. I refuse to beilieve that it doesnt help anything if they put it on from factory. Like i said i never see 3 month old camaros with spider webbing on the rear bumper. Besides even if it doesnt make ANY DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER(which i find very hard to believe) then at least ill have no spider webbing for the next couple months.

 

(a few asprin later )If the paint is not taken all the way down where it has webbed,, it will continue to keep cracking, flex agent or not.
In urethane paint, a flex agent is not needed as bad because the paint remains flexable. Enamel & laquer paints are usually what need it because they don't remain as flexable as urethane.

 

I humbly disagree with the opinions that the proper flex additive doesn't do anything. I've seen first hand that it works great, if it's applied properly. It's true, you need to mix it in properly, and I'm told it's a pain to shoot (at least comparatively speaking). But it's also true that a pro should have no trouble. The most important thing, though, is prepping the flexible plastic properly. It has to be totally stripped and cleaned or it won't work. Again, not a big deal for a proper, careful pro...but a big deal for someone who's just looking to make a quick buck without doing the prep work.

My $0.02 worth...

 

I'm glad I'm not alone.

The parts are best painted off the car altogether and completely stipped of all paint. Chemical striping liquids do an excellent first clean (Poly-safe, can't stress enough). Then after that, sand and sand and sand until your sick of breathing in the paint and polyurethene (to hell with safety equipment, it just gets in the way).

Then prep and shoot (the shoot is the most difficult, although getting the mixture perfect is hard also, for an amateur like myself). Then the sanding of poly parts is horrendous, bend and flex, hard to keep it even.

Sorry I sounded so pissed off. I was. There is nothing worse than a half assed job done at someone else's expense. I believe in hard work and doing it right the first time. Look at my wreck, no one wanted it, now everyone wants it.

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1989 Camaro Convertible
dark silver w/black top
305tbi, auto, all stock
posi
Check out Phil's Rice Boy Page

 

You know the thing im the most ticked off about...he kept saying how good of a deal he was giving me and stuff...cause hes my cousin through marriage...and he was like "oh my freind came over and asked how much i charged you and said, damn you should be charging him twice that! But you know its a family thing and stuff" And after all that he did a half *** job. I gave him a bunch of business too...all i know is he better take care of this for me cause if he does he can get some good business when it all comes out right...and if he doesnt well then family reunions arent gonna be so fun

 

I agree with u guys that said the flex additive is what makes the paint job come right.

When I got my car, the front bumper and GFX had a few almost unnoticable cracks on it. Then came more and more. Then it started chipping and chipping, so I took the paint off myself all the way to the bumper, went to get it repainted, and I told this guy to do it right and add the flex additive and I know he didn't. Its already cracking and chipping again and its only been a few months. This paint is thick and comes off like paper. I'm going to him and telling him he better do it again, and right too.

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87 IROC-Z 350 TPI
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[This message has been edited by IROCZTWENTYGR8 (edited February 05, 2001).]