2003 Front bumper repaint

Hello all. This is my first post.
I have a 2003, 4 cylinder, basic cab Tacoma. The problem is with the front bumper. About 3 years ago I had the bumper replaced due to flaking paint and now the problem is back. I am just thinking of removing the bumper and repainting with a hammerite paint but I need to separate the steel painted part of the bumper from the plastic part. Any advice on how to do this would be great......Thanks

Andrew.

 

welcome to tw

 

Why do you need to take it off? What I would do is just tape off the parts that you don't want to have painted.

 

I agree! It will save you in time and money!

 

Thank you.

 

I guess I could do it like that and it would save me a lot of time. I just wanted to get it right is all. Thanks for the quick reply.

 

You might also want to cover the entire front with newspaper and tape it down to prevent overspray. Grill, lights, fenders, at least the front part of the hood.

Also, a great pre-paint (can't think of the word...) like getting all the current paint off and wet sanding along with a good primer will give you much, much better results than just painting over whats on there now.

 

Yes! I think the prep may take longer than the actual painting. I was even thinking of getting it sandblasted but I guess taking the bumper apart may be a bit much. As long as I get all the old paint off it should not be a problem Hammerite will bond to anything, even rust.

 

I apologize for bumping up such an old thread- but it appears the posters question was never really answered anyways... How hard is it to separate the painted (or chrome) steel section of the bumper from the lower plastic part? How is it connected? A body shop told me it was held together with clips that often break when disassembled. Anybody with personal experience willing to confirm or correct that? Thanks in advance,
Jon

 

iirc, mine was held together with screws. it's very easy to take apart/remove and reassemble/reattach.

 

Thanks! Now I just need to find a chrome one...

 

I have an '03 dbl cab that i just removed the stock bumper. The color matched portion is gold and also has a couple holes drilled in it from a previous owner. I can sell you the whole thing if you want, or I can remove the chrome section if that's all you need. LMK.

 

Sweet! I just need the chrome part I guess (my truck is green but my top bumper piece is just bare plastic)... The chrome doesn't have any major scratches or anything, right? If so then let me know what you want for it.. I can get one off eBay but I'm afraid it might be junky chrome or something. Thanks, Jon
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-...p5197Q2em7QQcategoryZ33640QQitemZ330357083311