hey y'all, I've got a custom front bumper I put on my '00 about 4 years ago down in NC. It was mint condition until, after just one winter of NY's salty roads, this last year it started to develop a coating of rust in about 12 different spots. The original matte black finish is starting to flake off in a few areas and especially at weld points.

What would you fabricators suggest as a finish I could apply to cover. and prevent further rust? I have a big can of rust oleum bed liner in matte black.

 

I would sand it down and clean with alcohol then apply about 2-3 coats of primer. Once primered I would lay down that bed liner or if you want to a real pro job you can fine sand that primer then apply the bed liner. I did about 7 coats of truck liner on mine it only flaked in areas where I hit something with it. A drunk lady rear ended me at a mcdonalds drive thru once and it held up for that surprisingly.

 

Por15. Google it then problem solved

 

x2 -

I use Acetone instead of alcohol. I use Self-Etching Primer and put down at least 3 coats, with a light sanding after each one (200 grit wet/dry, then move up to 300 grit wet/dry), then several 3 - 4 coats of an enamel paint. (I was using Krylon from Walmart but all my trim is yellow, so I spray paint wasn't cutting it for larger, more complicated pieces. I went to Home Depot and had them color match a gallon of their exterior enamel and now I foam brush into the hard to reach corners, and then roll on with a mini-roller, topping with spray paint where the coverage still isn't ideal.)

With ALL painting, the prep is by far the most time consuming. About 80-90% of painting is prep. Spend the time there and it will come out great.

 

Where you live all I would do is hit it a little with sandpaper then spray it with Rustoleum as needed. Even a really good powder coat won't hold up in the rust belt nor will your XJ sorry to say.


Rustoleum is all I use on my front tube bumper not because of rust but of all the trees/brush I run over making my own trails. Its easy to touchup looks good and not a PITA like the liners and such.

 

My only complaint on bed liner is the sun eats up the finish and after a few weeks it looks faded black. The upside tho is its cheap and easy to just go over it with a new coat every now and then.

 

Rattle can paint so its easy to touch up,Bedliner can work but its not rock proof you can rub it off if you try hard enough.

 

The Best I can't offer as a solution was I asked a friend that is a corrosion/coatings/paint specialist for a Mobile Conveyer manufacturing company........ When I finish most of my fabrication projects I take it to him, he sandblasts it (removes all rust, paint, greases & oils so don't touch with your bear hands''''''use clean disposable gloves) & either get it powder coated or epoxi-etch prime then 3 light coats of top coat....... I sometimes use a Stone Guard for a different look

 

Lots of great input, thanks all! Realizing this is probably going to be an annual or semi-annual type of job here in the land of eternal winter (okay, 6 months) I may go for the sand and rustoleum approach as needed.

This car is probably on its last couple of years and function has certainly overtaken form...but we'll get as much out of her as I can!