New Bumpers - Powder Coat or Custom Paint?

[atacar]

Hi All,

I just ordered Tom's Impact Series Front and Back bumpers. What is best: Powder Coat or Custom Paint?

Personally, I'm leaning towards powder coating because of its perceived durability, but am really curious about the thoughts of all of you.

Thanks!

 

[SteveL]

Rustoleum. Easy to touch up dings or mods.

 

[aisawalsh]

Custom paint and then have 3M installed to reduce dings and scratches.

 

[CowboyGrin]

A lot of people recommend Steel-It: https://steel-it.com/pages/automotive

 

[Madgyver]

Rustoleum. Easy to touch up dings or mods.

best to rattle can it. can you imagine what you will do when you hit that bumper on a shopping cart and the powder coat chips off?

Will you remove the whole bumper to powder coat it again?

 

[Bronco-Brian]

I have the same bumpers. I went with powdercoat to thoroughly cover everywhere so no rust will generate in the cracks/crevasses near welds. Powdercoat is way tougher than even the best urethane paints. I also applied 1 coat of satin clear urethane over the silver vein powder to cut down on the gloss. So, paint over powder is also an option for you.

 

[Rustytruck]

Clean the metal and acid etch then prime with rustoleum rusty red primer and in my case gloss black rustoleum paint. Every 5 years or so scuff the visible areas and shoot another coat of gloss black. easy to maintain and durable enough. easy to touch up if you get rock scars.

 

[1970 Palmer]

Powder coating is a very convenient refinishing system, you drop off your dirty, rusty parts, pay your money, and pick it up an a week all shiny. In todays world, it's cheaper, MUCH cheaper than doing a quality paint job.

It's NOT very durable. It can chip and is not easy to repair with the same coating. You will very likely end up using paint to repair the chipped powder coating. My largest concern is that it is not UV protected. Standard coating will fade and chalk in less than two years if left in the sun. A quality primer and paint job will out last powder coating by years in the same weather conditions.

I'd sand it, clean it, prep it, epoxy prime it, and shoot it with a quality automotive paint. A quality paint is going to use activator, and hardener as separate components. Pick your local auto paint supplier, single stage, or BC/CC it will all outlast Powder coat job.

John

 

[EPB72]

Powder coating is a very convenient refinishing system, you drop off your dirty, rusty parts, pay your money, and pick it up an a week all shiny. In todays world, it's cheaper, MUCH cheaper than doing a quality paint job.

It's NOT very durable. It can chip and is not easy to repair with the same coating. You will very likely end up using paint to repair the chipped powder coating. My largest concern is that it is not UV protected. Standard coating will fade and chalk in less than two years if left in the sun. A quality primer and paint job will out last powder coating by years in the same weather conditions.

I'd sand it, clean it, prep it, epoxy prime it, and shoot it with a quality automotive paint. A quality paint is going to use activator, and hardener as separate components. Pick your local auto paint supplier, single stage, or BC/CC it will all outlast Powder coat job.

John agree completely

 

[73azbronco]

I have the same bumpers. I went with powdercoat to thoroughly cover everywhere so no rust will generate in the cracks/crevasses near welds. Powdercoat is way tougher than even the best urethane paints. I also applied 1 coat of satin clear urethane over the silver vein powder to cut down on the gloss. So, paint over powder is also an option for you.

I live in dry AZ and even with that spots on my powder coated protofabs show a little dab of rust bleed out of holes and such. Not enough to worry about. But I agree, PC is best on bumpers but need to keep it out of sun for long term color fade

 

[Huckit36]

Depends on if your wheeling it. I was considering powder coating my new bumper. After talking to someone, I’m going to go with steel it. Mine will get banged in the rocks, so the coating will be getting chipped up. Steel it comes in a rattle can, so will be an easy fix when I hit.

 

[tatersalad]

I powder coated my protofab bumpers, frame, transfer case, roll bars, the skid plates in 2000 and they all still look great. I don't rock crawl but I do go off-road.

 

[bigmuddy]

In my world (salty midwest) If you get a ding in the powder coat then rust starts, then if you drive in the winter the powdercoat will start coming off in sheets.

High build quality paint, or do the rattle can thing..