Painting dilema

[griston64]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxPw...2%80%99sGarage

[360beast]

Originally Posted by griston64

I've heard oudorless thinners mixed with boiled linseed oil brings them up a treat

You can also use peanut butter 😂 get the neighbourhood dogs licking your bumpers as they walk past too.

[griston64]

Originally Posted by 360beast

You can also use peanut butter 😂 get the neighbourhood dogs licking your bumpers as they walk past too.

Smooth or crunchy ??

[bob12]

For the faded bumpers and other similar trim items.

I originally used Simonize Back to Black but that's rubbish these days. I then moved to peanut butter (smooth) but found the local squirrels and young fox cubs liked it and started chewing a mudflaps! I then moved on to peanut oil which was much more easy to apply.

Nothing lasts forever and these days I prefer using a heat gun (carefully) or linseed/peanut or vegetable oil. Anything that draws out the natural oils in the plastic or replenishes them seems to work but all only for only a limited time.

Bob

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by griston64

940's had colour coded mirrors and some had the colour coded strips on the bumper as well

I forgot about the later/higher spec models Mark!

Originally Posted by 90Wine745

Thanks guys,
Mine is the 740 SE, 1990.
So I thought original was black plastic. Perhaps it was originally grey??? If it was I would leave it grey....
Dave, What your previous owner did is exactly what I want to avoid. I don't want to bling it up I would prefer to leave as is than that.
All, I agree the 960's look great with the colour coded mirrors and bumpers but I think mine never had them.
Mark, the profile of your car looks fab, (I know it is 940 and I know it is Regent Red) but that is why I though to bring it back to original black, but now if indeed it ever was black....
Sorry, I intended to include this picture the first time....

I'm 99% certain your bumpers were originally a dark grey Mike, not quite black but not really grey either :



^^^^^^^ In need of a wash shortly after i got it!

[bob12]

Dave, when you have a red painted 1990 motor dealing with what were once black bumpers and trim is the least of one's 'colourwise' concerns!!

Bob

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by bob12

Dave, when you have a red painted 1990 motor dealing with what were once black bumpers and trim is the least of one's 'colourwise' concerns!!

Bob

My 32 year old bumpers are a nice shade of Silver-Green Bob so i'm not worried for myself, i think Mike is in a quandary over what to do with his though!

[90Wine745]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

My 32 year old bumpers are a nice shade of Silver-Green Bob so i'm not worried for myself, i think Mike is in a quandary over what to do with his though!

Thank you all so much.
Yes, I am certainly in a quandary. I also think you might be right about the colour Dave. Neither black nor grey.

Interesting all the alternatives to help 'restore' the look of the bumpers. I guess the common thread is 'anything that draws out the natural oils in the plastic or replenishes them' as Bob says. This really sounds like the appropriate way, need to keep the wild animals away though.
Actually, I have used Autoglym bumper gel to great effect earlier in the year. I have to say I like the sound of the boiled linseed oil, thanks Mark .....
I don't mind rubbing something into the bumpers if it the best way to go.

Actually based on Dave's suggestions earlier in the year to periodically rub silicone into my rubber seals they are certainly as good as new now.
See thread here:
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=305454

The other thing I notice from your replies is no real recommendation for a paint job.

All ideas welcome. Again, thanks,I appreciate every comment.
Mike

[90Wine745]

This is an old post but just to update.....
I decided to go with a paint job, original pictures above, I am really happy with the job. I got a professional to do it.
We'll see how long it lasts...........
Mike

[TonyS9]

I think many people assumed you intended to body colour paint, but "original look" paint is really all you can do with faded raw plastic. The plastic itself has degraded from UV and age, there is no material/chemical that can restore that. Any "treatment" is just wetting it and will dry or get rinsed out in a few months.

I got it done for the 360 bumper insert strips which were damaged, but the body painter ruined it with wax damage. I gave them the bumpers apart to paint in body colour (as per original) but on assembly I noticed they missed a bit (quite a few bits), it had taken 6 mths to get the bumpers back off them after getting the car, so when it went for its final defect fixing they ruined the black plastic paint which is not 2k. Quite a depressing exercise in restoration, but I ended up using the car on the track alot (with different bumpers drilled for cooling).

In summary the plastic look paint can be delicate so don't get wax on it.

Also interesting to note that some 940's have a painted lower portion bumper, these seem to be the same ones that have the body painted wing mirrors. My 95 940 Turbo SE has this.