Old timer told me to skip primer on a bumper repair, what a mess

Guy named Bill at the parts counter swore up and down that modern urethane bumpers don't need primer if you scuff them good enough. Tried it on a 2018 Civic rear bumper last Thursday and the paint started peeling in spots by Monday morning. Had to strip the whole thing and start over, cost me an extra 4 hours and $50 in materials. Anyone else run into this kind of advice that just doesn't hold up?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_charlie16d ago

Had the same thing happen with a beat up old Ford Ranger bumper in '19. Listened to a guy named Earl who swore by skipping primer and using adhesion promoter instead. Ended up with paint that looked like a cracked desert floor by day three.

reesemiller16d ago

cracked desert floor" is a pretty generous description, @the_charlie. I've seen that Earl guy's advice floating around and it's basically a shortcut to disaster. Primer is primer for a reason, you know? Sounds like you learned that one the hard way, and I bet that bumper looked like a dry lake bed after the first rain. At least you didn't listen to the guy who swears by using floor wax as a clear coat.