progress on the front bumper

[lostforawhile]

ok i've made some progress on the front bumper,here is the kit i will be using to fix all the years of dings and dents,scrapes etc. on the front bumper cover. this is a flex bumper repair kit from nappa part number 765-1540. it contains enough material to repair minor damage to both a front and rear bumper and costs around 25$ it's like using autobody filler but it's flexible epoxy based. you mix it one to one. i've used it before on other cars,it's just really important to follow the surface prep directions. this makes a nice sandable repair. the amber fog lamps have been restored after a lot of work,and i will replace the broken driving lamp as soon as i can. the plans are to paint the bumper cover trim black like the rear one, and black out everything but the new grill i'm making. even the light housings will be black. except for the lenses of course:). i'm probably going to go back to the black grill on the front instead of the chrome one,talking about the one attached to the hood. with a black and white car,I only want a little bit of polished stuff or shiny stuff on the front. just enough for an accent. the power steering cooler loop is going to go,I have the auto transmission radiator in my car,and it has the extra cooling tank in the bottom. I will use this for the power steering cooler. I also have to clean up all the wires for the lights,so they are hidden, I'm thinking of getting some special radiator paint from eastwood for the ac condensor,this allows you to paint it without impairing heat transfer. tomorrow I am going to pull the bumper cover off and get busy. first step is to remove the last lonely grill bar remaining and fit my new grill in there,so i can install the mounting bolts. want some pics?
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/grill001.jpg
this is devcon polystrate, it will be used to fix the one crack i have in my front bumper,it bonds to almost anything plastic ever made,even those washer fluid bottles.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/grill002.jpg
one of the restored amber fog lamps
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/halloween004.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedlight001.jpg
ok here is the new billet grill,the tapped holes on the bottom are for stainless button head cap screws,I only made it two rows because thats all you can see anyway due to the lights. it still needs to be polished up and clear coated. this will be the only polished part on the front.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/grill011.jpg

[lostforawhile]

oh i will be taking a lot of pics tomorrow and will post it as a how to on fixig bumper damage

[lostforawhile]

hmmm found one in the camera i forgot about,milling the holes in the new grill
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/grill009.jpg

[lostforawhile]

ok we got a lot done today,the bumper cover is off and being worked on,my wife painted the grill that attaches to the hood,and she painted the pieces that attach under the lights. I was able to get that ugly ass power steering cooler off, and got the power steering system hooked up to the cooler in the radiator,the only major problem i ran into was trying to get one of the clamps that hold the hoses to bolt up. I spent three hours trying to get a stupid bolt in by the ac compressor. ended up cpvered in dirt and ps fluid but i got it done. I'm in the process of mocking up the grill right now,to get it bolted in,and we ground down all the bumper gouges and got them ready to fill.
cathy shaking up the bumper paint
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork001.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork003.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork004.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork006.jpg
you can see some of the new grill here,of course it hasn't been polished yet or anything.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork005.jpg
the huge and ugly original powersteering cooler loop
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork007.jpg

[3G Jester]

you forgot the / in the end bracket. lookin real good tim, its great your wife joins on that. what color did she paint it? black?

[lostforawhile]

i fixed it now you can see the grill,yea the covers are black,everything on the front of the car will be black except the grill bars,we got rid of the chrome insert grill that attachs to the hood and painted one black instead. that lower grill bar gets twenty one stainless steel button head cap screws for show.

[lostforawhile]

ok a few more,I filled some more of the spots,I will sand them tomorrow, this stuff is like sily putty,you have to apply it with a wooden stick.
my lights in their temp home. :sad2:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper2001.jpg
some of the damage,it has already been ground and sanded,and tackragged.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper2002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper2003.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper2004.jpg
the bumper with the spots filled,it's about 45 degrees here,so i'll let it dry until tomorrow,then sand it.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper2005.jpg
I was going to pull an all night overhauling thing,but it's too cold and i'm exausted from fixing the cooler earlier. so the bumper will have to wait until tomorrow.

[lostforawhile]

got a little more done,this stufff is really hard to sand,it's like sanding an eraser. it doesn't want to feather worth a crap. if anyone tries this to fix your bumper make sure you wear a good dust mask,this is epoxy based and is really nasty and bad for your lungs.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/morebumperpictures005.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/morebumperpictures004.jpg

[BDaccordguy]

LUKE... I AM YOUR FATHER. haha, but seriously, good work.

[b8er]

yea man, looking good, cant wait so see it on the car

[lostforawhile]

I can't eithier,the car drives like crap without it. still a lot to do,twenty years of flying garbage on the road have taken theit toll.

[gp02a0083]

ahhh the bumper fix stuff , yah it sucked using it , its the resin epoxy type or the stuff u mix like bondo ?, not all the flexable products feather well to begin with

[lostforawhile]

it's a two part flexible epoxy,theres more on it at the beginning of the post,it doesn't like to feather well,when i'm done i'll put a couple of coats of flex primer on it to fill the imperfections,like i did on the back one.hmmm,I wonder if it would fix the imperfections on those dogs teeth?>

[gp02a0083]

yah probally would lol, liek u said probally the best thing is to use a high build flex primer and then sand it smooth

[lostforawhile]

we will probably use that,i will take some pictures tonight,at school when we work on it some more. it's gonna take a lot to fix all that old road rash,I could have just gotten another one,but this one is original :) :)
r

[lostforawhile]

ok a few more,I am making progress on filling all the unnessary screw holes and things, I fitted the new grill, and i reinstalled the metal part of the bumper on the car.
working on fitting the grill
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper4001.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper4003.jpg
some of our mess,this is what we are cooking up today cheeseburger!!:lol: mmmm epoxy
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper4004.jpg
well the car looks like something out of mad max now,no front bumper cover,and the big steel inner bumper across the front,no grill and green primer. all i need to do is hook up my big fog lights on the front. for proof mad max goggles!!
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper4005.jpg

[lostforawhile]

ok progress,the bumper cover should be ready for paint soon,my wife will be working on it tomorrow while i'm at work,there is more to fill,and i need to make some grillls for those plastic ones that go in the bottom of the bumper,they always fall out. the grill paint looks like gunmetal over the matte finish aluminum,so we are going to stick with that. and the small plastic grill is done.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper5001.jpg
the new plastic grill part
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper5002.jpg
school supplies
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper5003.jpg
new aluminum grill for the bumper cover
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumper5004.jpg

[A20A1]

I'll wait for the completed pics. :)

[carotman]

Nice. I wonder if having the PS cooler in the radiator will not get hotter than if it was in front of the rad like from the factory. I know that Honda used the same setup on the 4th gen Accords but the loop cooler had little fins all around it.

[lostforawhile]

it doesn't seem to have any effect so far,even with the engine warm,the ps hoses are still cool to the touch,it makes more sense,your power steering pump works hardest while you are moving slow,when there is no airflow for the original cooler. this keeps the temp at a constant at all times. ok here are some more bumper progress pics.

the back side of the crack around the light,the panels were aligned,and it was filled with plastic epoxy. the panels were warped enough to require cutting out part of the bumper plastic to make the two parts of the crack line up.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair005.jpg
after the epoxy cured it required cuttting a groove with a dremel in the opposite side of the crack,this was to give the bumper repair filler somewhere to go.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair003.jpg
the bumper repair compound requires mixing in a 1:1 ratio,it's real fun to mix at 30 degrees outside.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair006.jpg
the filled repair
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair007.jpg
after it's dry you sand it like body filler,but is a permanent part of the plastic bumper,in the last two pictures,you can see part of my new grill.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair008.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair010.jpg

[Cheeseburger]

nice job tim, ur car is going to look sweet when its done

[lostforawhile]

ok got the front clip painted,the upper grill installed and test fit,the wiring harness for the lights installed on the metal bumper,and more done on the bumper cover.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/upperbumper5004.jpg
the wiring harness being made
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/upperbumper5006.jpg
front clip painted semi gloss black
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/upperbumper5008.jpg
metal inner bumper painted
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/upperbumper5009.jpg
better pics of the grill i made for the bumper cover
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/uppergrill001.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/uppergrill002.jpg
the old chrome grill next to the new one
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/uppergrill003.jpg
new upper grill
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/uppergrill5002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/uppergrill5001.jpg
my little friend who kept trying to help
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/upperbumper5001.jpg

[carotman]

Hehe Cute Cat!

Looks like this bumper filler works great. It must indeed be a pain to mix a 30 degrees but I bet it's more stable when you sand it down.

[lostforawhile]

yea the filler is a flexible epoxy,it's not like regular body filler,once it sets it's part of the bumper. you can do repairs with it,fix broken pieces or even mold small plastic parts with it. it warmed up during the day so i was able to get more done . it's just nasty stuff,a dust mask is a must when sanding it,and gloves are mandatory,it'll burn the crap out of your skin. i think it'll look nice with the front of the car blacked out,everything you can normally see behind the bumper will just disappear. I'm going to fill the small holes in the hood on monday,being stamped out in a die,they are raised a little,so i need to hit them with a body file before i fill them. I'm thinking of making a pattern from the bumper cover while it's off and making a lip for it, has anyone on here molded their own fiberglass front lips yet? I am going to make a wood blank from the pattern and use that to lay the fiberglass on. it's easy to shape the wood,then the fiberglass is an exact shape of it. probably lay layers of matting over it,then gelcoat the top layer

[BDaccordguy]

that Honda emblem in the grille is saweet!

[lostforawhile]

ok i got the initial coat of primer on,this is a guide to show me where all the high and low spots are,then i started sanding it with 600 grit sandpaper,since this is a semirigid plastic,all the really shallow imperfections can be filled with glazing putty. the flex compound is primarily for the deeper areas. i'm typing this while i'm waiting for the glazing putty to dry. then it's sand fill,sand fill,sand fill,you get the idea. i hope by wendsday night to have the paint on it,i'm going to do more work tomorrow,and some more tonight. they said it would be in the thirties,but it's about seventy degrees out.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/primer003.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/primer002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/primer001.jpg

[lostforawhile]

ok got some of the wet sanding done
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/wetsand003.jpg
this is the area where i had to cut out the material to make the bumper edges line up
before
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperrepair003.jpg
after,the arrow is the area i had to cut out
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/wetsand002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/wetsand001.jpg

[mkymonkey]

wow its coming together nicely. job well done

[russiankid]

what mkymonkey said

[lostforawhile]

ok i'm here today because the accord refused to start due to the extremly cold weather and wind we had all night,but here are a few pics from school on monday night. cathy was finishing up the three areas on the bumper where we had cut away original plastic grill.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/freezing001.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/freezing002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/freezing003.jpg

[mkymonkey]

wow, man if only my girlfriend was half involved as your wife....id be a very happy man












you lucky bastard

[lostforawhile]

in monster garage mantra-DONE!!! cripes theres about 200 hours in this bumper now but it's finally done
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper001.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper002.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper003.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper004.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper005.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper007.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper009.jpg
the only problem i ran into was one bad ground pigtail which means none of my lights worked and involved removing the entire bumper over again .

[russiankid]

dam thats looks sweet

[gfrg88]

that looks great, i think it would of looked better if you had somewhat mold the fog lights into the grill some how....

[lostforawhile]

well I had thought of that,but these lights are huge,there just isn't enough room,the upper grill bar is seperate from the lower two because it bolts to the steel part of the bumper,the lights attach to it,the lower two grill bars attach to the plastic part of the bumper so they float with the bumper. we have a lot of unlit country roads around here so the lights are a nescisity, as i have explained before on here they are a system,they switch automatically with high and low beam. the amber for low beam and the clear for high beam. the outer amber lamps are antique hella lamps,and the inner two are cyber white simulated H.I.D beams from navigator. they had the city blue light extra bulb in them that has been converted to an amber bulb,they function with the side turn/marker lamps. I just replaced them because i had broken one. they are extremly bright. as far as the bumper i'm done except for a few small runs,I'll let the paint cure for a couple of weeks,then wet sand those out and recoat them. The only thing left to do is finish the grills up that go under the bumper on each side,where the plastic grills keep falling out. it was a bitch with that ground, I had it bolted directly to a nut that was welded to the frame from the factory,it was tight,the crimps on the pig tail were tight,but it still wasn't grounding. I had to pull the bumper back off and move the ground. for a laugh I had stood that bumper cover up in the shower and wet sanded it with a hand held shower because it was too cold to do it outside last night. this was at 3:00am

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/bumperwork005.jpg

you can see the small amber bulbs in the bottom of the lights,these are naxl 194/or 194naxlbp2 these will replace most of the push in bulbs on lights with city lights that can be removed.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/finishedbumper004.jpg

[crazykamper]

wow, really does look like a mon star, (i know how to spell, lol.) it looks great, i wouldnt mind doin somkind of fog lights, just need to find time and $$$$$.

[lostforawhile]

all right i made the grills that go up under the bumper,I'm sorry the pic sucks,bad lighting,they are aluminum and painted to match the new grill.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/moultriemanicmechanic/school10.jpg

[Sporno]

i love that kinda grilly ou have ... reminds me of an old supra.. i think it would look nice off on the right side

[lostforawhile]

you must be talking about where it says honda,thats off of an 81 civic,I thought of moving it to the side,but the center support on the grill made it eaisier to mount there. on the lower grill bars I had to cut 11 inches out of one side and move the dividers around in order to mount the ps cooler in there. I made a small piece that fits on the opposite side. this makes the grill look like one big piece again.

[A18A]

i didnt read through the whole thing so dont kill me, but was the bumper at all warped? if so, howd you de-warp it?

[lostforawhile]

It shouldn't warp,theres a steel bumper under it, the top is held to the steel bumper by a bunch of screws at the top and the bottom and screws to hold it at each side. it's prettty well held in position on all sides. it might appear to warp by sagging.but this is caused by the rubber bumper mounts. this can be fixed by removing the mounts,and installing metal metric washers in them,this makes them rigid. the rubber in the mounts deteriorates