Restoring 308 Bumpers

I use a heavy silicone on mine, Armorall will wash right off with the first rain..

Griot's Garage makes a black trim renew dressing if the black has gotten faded but usually a few coats of Black Magic do the trick on mine....

 

+1 They grow on you.

 

That blue 328 looks nice!

As strange as it sounds it makes the car have the lines of a Daytona somehow.

Heat shield on carreapers 308 looks cool too.

 

They were both designed by Fiorivanti... IMO they are the two best looking cars Ferrari ever produced.

 

That's the '1977 only' heat shield, rare, expensive, and only fits stock muffler! LOL!

 

Is that custom made? Stock ones look big and clunky.

 

No, as Bubba said:

This'n:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

When I was at the car paint place last year getting paint for the Mondial made, I saw a black bumper paint in a spray can that was "rubbery". I was thinking about trying it out. I'll find out what it's called.

Birdman

 

Sorry, 'climb' it's like this:

1975-76 glass cars and most Euros: No muffler screen
1976-77 US (North American) steel cars: stagger slotted perf metal with oval cut outs for tips
1978 onward: Big metal panel with stamped louvers...more of a "daiper" type thing...$$$$$$$

Because of the fixed dimension of the opening many aftermarket exhauss have lost the panel altogether.

Custom stamped ones with model specific logos appear on eBay from time to time...

A REALLY GOOD 1977 is mentioned on a thread in this section, ya'll...I cannot believe more people haven't chased it..Go, pippo.....go! LOL!

 

You'd need a flex additive in the paint Birdman and good luck sticking after years of surface treatments...like my silicone! LOL!

 

Hey,,,,,, isn't that a reflection of the Reaper in his paint.....?
(See his last photo)

I think I can see a nipple,,,

 

The bumpers can be painted and will look good if done properly. My 308 bumpers were in good shape except for the usual dried out rubber and a few small chips/scratches. Here's what I did. First I cleaned the surfaces really well with lacquer thinner to rid of 20+ years of Armorall type treatments, then sanded the surfaces smooth with 320 grit wet paper. I then started to appy a few coats of "Evercoat Flexible Primer", sanding between each coat with 600 grit, wet. I did use a small amount of glazing putty on a few very small scratches that wouldn't go away with the primer build up. Once I was happy with the surface I shot the bumper with "SEM Bumper Coater". Two coats. This stuff is made for bumper resurfacing. I chose Honda Black as it seemed to be the richest black compared to the others. This product is available at automotive paint suppliers and is available in quarts or spray cans. My bumpers look great! I'd attached some photos but I didn't bring my camera to the shop today. Maybe tomorrow?
No affiliation with SEM or Evercoat, just want to share my experience...

 

Great post Lou!

If you got a before and after picture that would be great.

 

That's the stuff!! What is the finish like? Did you use the standard, or flexible kind?

 

Maybe we (the US bumper lovin' crowd) should start a support group!

 

To all the US bumper lovers: I keep my big old US bumpers, I just refinished them and pushed them in. I used both flexible primer and flexible top coat. I think I have some before and during photos which I can post with some after photos in a few days.

 

I had a buddy who did a fiberglass overlay right over the rubber and painted to match body color for the 328 look, he also "Tucked" the bumpers to improve the look. A lot of work but looked better than new.

 

Has anyone painted the bumpers the color of the body?? If so how does it look?
Tommy A

 

Here's a few photos of my refinshed front and rear bumpers. They were a little dusty when I took the photos but you can still see the gloss, or lack of, and the amount I pushed them in. Overall I'm pleased with the way they look. Much better then they did with 20+ years of Armorall junk on them.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Looks good Lou.

Nice shine on them.

I wonder if I'll screw up the bumper if I try your approach?




BTW YOU ARE MISSING 2 TAIL LIGHTS.

 

Chris, send me your bumpers and I'll paint them for you. Of course the shipping will be a gazillion dollars! I don't know your ability level but if you've sanded and painted anything in the past you can probably do your bumpers. Give it a try. When you buy the material at a auto paint supply shop ask them all the questions you can think of and go for it! Worst come to worst and they get screwed up you'll have to have a body shop take care of it. It really isn't a big deal. It just takes time and patience. And of course this forum is the place for answers.
BTW, I took my tail lights off over the weekend when I replaced the engine lid cables and replated latches. I didn't want to shut the lid to find the cables were not adjusted properly. It turned out I could have left the lights on the car as the cables and latches worked perfectly. Good luck with your project.

 

I'm curious..did you have to rinse off the dust from the sanding between coats. If so did you drive the car to get all the water out of the crevices?

 

Thanks Lou....good info!

Join me in that "Heavy USA bumpers may save you from DEATH" group would ya??

There should be enough take offs to keep us safe for life, I'd think....

 

I'm with ya Tex! I know the DOT has the reputation for trying to ruin all car designs with ridiculous bumpers (just look at the front bumper on the USA Countach. WOW!) but there is SOME sound theory behind requiring that bumpers actually absorb energy. I personally put my family's safety before aesthetics....at least MOSTLY.

Birdman

 

Lou, those bumpers came out NICE!!