I just bought an 85 TA and overall it's in decent shape, bodywise, but the front bumper cover is heavily pitted, crackled and chipped.
What's the best way to strip it, prep it and re-paint it?
There is one small rip in it. Is there some repair material other than bondo for these flexible bumpers?

Any help would be apreciated.

Hugo

 

Well depends if you are making a daily driver or a show car?

For just a daily driver, the best thing for the cracks and the rip is to line up the outside material as best as you can. Then back it with some fiberglass mesh and reisen(strip the paint off the areas). Once all the cracks are backed for structural support, you will want to remove the paint around the cracks on the front, use some fiberglass filler to smooth over the cracks lines and bad pits. Then use some of the bondo glase to fill in the small pits, or you can use more fiberglass filler. But to be honest by the time you spend doing all the work, you could of worked some overtime and gotten one from the junkyard or even repo for $150 from the paddock and probably less somewhere else.

BTW I do not do professional body work, I have painted three cars though, not great but good. This is how I fix it, someone with more traning/experiance might have a better solution.

I'm too much of a perfectionest when it comes to body work the slights dust or nic in the paint drives me up the wall when I do my own body work.

 

I did look at year one's catalog and they want $279.00 for it.
I guess I'll check out GM Sports Salvage tomorrow and see if they have one in good shape.

I'll pull the cover out anyway and play with it. If I screw it up I'll be forced to buy one.

I do have an 82 plain jane bird parts car with a good cover but it's not the same as the TA (I just stole the headlight motors off of it today).

Hugo

 

for the cracks you could use some sort of fast drying epoxy. for pits, just use some body filler. and to strip the paint you should find something that is compatable with the material of the bumper. once this is done and all the prep work is done, you can prime it(just remeber to use flex). after that sand the primer with 600 git sand paper(do this wet). after that , was the car and it is ready for paint.

 

For the stress cracks (paint) you should strip it down. I have tried the spray can stripper for plastic, but had no luck, so sanding is probably your only option - just take your time and do it evenly!! It is plastic and you can make it VERY uneven. For the split in the plastic, they make a 2 part epoxy ( I can't remember the name, but you can get it anywhere that sells auto paint. be sure to get 3m or SIMS cause they are the best. Take a razor and bevel the edges just a little in the split so the epoxy can get into it, and be sure to coat both sides of the bumper! After everything is fixed you will need to spray your bumper with polycoat - then primer, paint, and clear. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!!