[OwenRW]

My replacement bumper was sprayed with moondust silver paint from halfords and it's a lightly flatter colour than the rest of the bodywork.

You can't really tell from a distance, it's only if the light catches it in certain ways, or if you're quite close to it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for how i can make it look a bit less flat and a bit more like the rest of the bodywork?

(It's not that the paint is matt, it's still shiney, it's just the colour looks, well, flatter)

[luke]

have you lacquered it?
if not, do
if you have then try a couple of coats with a good polish, this might bring a shine out.

[pumapilot]

I learnt long ago, that spraying Silver onto Silver doesn't work, unless you are an expert with a spray gun.

Yes it will go flat looking, but i do not know how to rectify it, short of respraying the whole bumper.

[OwenRW]

Luke: Yes, it's been lacquered, had a couple of coats. I'll give it another go polishing it and see if that helps.

PumaPilot: It was the whole bumper that was resprayed... it was primed and then sprayed with a couple of coats of paint then a couple of coats of lacquer. Would it have been advisable to not give it more than one coat of paint?

[pumapilot]

There is an art to paint spraying, and a Halfords spray can is ok for small areas, but not a total bumper respray.

Dont know if anyone of the bodyshops here can help: http://www.pumapeople.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=92233

[downhuman]

Have you clayed the bumper?

[Matt & Tiggr MKIII]

In the past, I have used a dilluted cutting compound with a random orbit mop. This takes the top coat back slightly to a flat surface which can then be polished. This then comes up a treat.

Easy to do, but easy to cock up if you are not careful.

[l33cw35tw3ll]

I would be very surprised if the car body was a two pack paint job originaly unless its been totally resprayed so cannot see why you have laquered it. So no wonder you have different finishes...

This post has been edited by l33cw35tw3ll: 08 June 2009 - 10:44 AM

[OwenRW]

I would be very surprised if the car body was a two pack paint job originaly unless its been totally resprayed so cannot see why you have laquered it. So no wonder you have different finishes...

Eh? It was lacquered to protect the paint and beacuse the paint recommended to finish it off with lacquer... Also, the bumper has a very nice finish, good colour, even paint ditribution (no drips, or bubbles only 1 tiny crack), smooth finish, it just happens to look flatter than the rest of the car.

Downhuman / Matt & Tiggr: No i haven't tried claying it or moping it, (yet)

PumaPilot: I think getting it done 'professionally' will have to be a last resort unfortunately, as i can imagine they will want to charge me a fair bit...

[l33cw35tw3ll]

How old is the car ? taking into account oxidization, weathering, general wear and tear. You have brand new paint on the bumper not on the bodyshell of course there will be a difference now you've sealed it with laquer as i have a 10 year old milly with varying shades of paint all round my only option is a total respray as its impossible to get it all to match and how much i've tried then i'd have a two part paint finish...theres photo's of my car in the gallery

[pumapilot]

PumaPilot: I think getting it done 'professionally' will have to be a last resort unfortunately, as i can imagine they will want to charge me a fair bit...

Thats what i thought, until i asked around, and got rusty bits cleaned up/sprayed - for 50% less than i thought too.

[OwenRW]

I might look around when i get a bit more money, especially having come back to the car last night to find some idiot has taken a huge chip out the top layer of paint on the drivers door (about 2cmx1cm). GRRRRRRR.