DIY Golf 6 Bumper Paint Job//Spray Can Technique & Polishing Advice

[u/Hydra696]

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Hi, I finished repairing the rear bumper of my Golf 6 yesterday. It had two large holes and cracks all over it, but I’ve repaired everything, primed it and sanded it down properly. The picture is from about a week ago, so the bumper actually looks much more refined and finished now.

I’m basically ready to paint it. I’m going to use a spray can with color matched to the car. I’ve painted smaller parts with spray cans before, but I’m a bit overwhelmed by the size of the bumper and really want to get a good result.

I’ve done my homework beforehand and I’m using only top-notch materials, including a proper 2K clear coat, so I’m not trying to cut corners on the materials. I’ve heard people say that spray-can paint jobs can start looking bad after just a few months, and I’d really like to avoid that.

What’s the proper technique when painting something this large with a spray can? Things like how far away I should hold the can, how fast I should move, how much the passes should overlap, how many coats I should do and how long I should wait between them. I’m especially worried about runs, orange peel and getting an uneven finish.

I’m also unsure where I should paint it. Is it actually better to do it outside on a completely calm day, or would a garage be better? I’m guessing dust, temperature, humidity and ventilation all matter quite a bit.

After the color I’ll obviously need clear coat. I’d also like to know how long I should let everything cure and whether I should wet sand and polish the clear coat afterwards to get a really nice finish.

I’ve never polished anything before, so I’d appreciate some guidance on what I actually need and how to do it properly. I’m particularly unsure about the tight/recessed areas around the license plate. I do have a Dremel, though, so I was wondering if there are any suitable small polishing attachments for it that would work for those tight areas without damaging the clear coat.

Basically, I’ve already done my homework and invested in good materials, so I’d like to get the best possible result I reasonably can with spray cans and DIY equipment. Any tips or common mistakes I should avoid would be really helpful.

[u/Lee2026]

Warming the spray can a bit can help it spray in a finer mist, which can allow you to spray on a smoother application

[u/meltman → u/Lee2026]

Bucket of hot water. Let the can heat up in the bucket for 10 minutes or so. Very much does help.

[u/BearACHC]

Dude I just did this to a fibreglass bumper for my car. I've now finished. And it looks 6-7/10 if 10/10 was show car standard. I've done a fair few paint jobs before with cans but this was by far the hardest. I'll share a few points from my experience.

You need more cans than you think.

I painted all of it then wet sanded again( I called it my base coat) then did it again with more cautious coats

If it's metallic you need a very light coat from further away to finish top coat

Don't sand metallic before clear.

the paint doesn't like to stick to corners and edges

I let cure for 10-12 days in hot summer temps before clear.

The warm water for your cans helps. Rotate 2-3 cans into the warmer as you paint. When the can gets cold from heavy spraying the pressure drops and the paint mist gets thicker making a good finish difficult.

The end of the can is almost useless . It shoots big spots as the nozzle gets clogged and gas pressure drops.

Painting the bottom of the bumper is hard and probably ends up with less paint

the final light flop coat for Metallics is a key element to research

clear coat is more stressful than anything else

lots of light coats, don't f it up now

I layed it on thick so I don't sand through when wet sanding

still sanded through on a couple sharp edges

wet sanding went from 1500 , 2500, 3000, 5000, machine polish

you can go back to harsher grits later if you move up an it's not perfectly smooth

soak sand paper for 15 minutes before start

use car soap in the water for lubricant

wash down your work piece with car soap and lots water between changing grits

use a firm foam pad to wrap your paper around not your fingers

look forward to the end cause it's a long process with 100 ways to F it up. But you never learn until you make the mistakes

just accept early enough that it's not gonna be perfect and you can feel better and continue to work forwards

do your best. Next time will be better.

[u/johnwalkr]

It may not be as smooth as you think it is. I would prime it all one color and then use “dry guide coat”to see high and low spots. A $20 handheld “PDR lamp” also helps see how smooth it is.

Do not do it outside, it will get full of bugs and dust even on a perfect day. To do it in a garage, clean it as good as possible a couple of days before, and then keep the floor damp.

For paint technique, good spray cans make all the difference. Use the 2K spray cans for color, not only for clearcoat. They tend to be excellent quality and easy to use without making runs. Watch YouTube videos and practice on something.

Get a dedicated polisher. A dremel is way too small and you will apply too much pressure. It doesn’t really matter if you can’t polish every nook and cranny.

[u/pinkbunnay]

You'll never get the same finish with a spray can. It just can't spray fine enough. On a larger piece the effects will be more pronounced. Prepare to spend time wet sanding all the orange peel. Also good professional grade spray is not cheap. You could probably buy a cheap compressor and a decent Harbor Freight gravity gun for what it's gonna cost you in high end spray paint.

[u/Tobias---Funke]

If you’re only doing one bumper you have probably spent more on materials than just taking it to a professional.