Help! I need advice on removing minor scratches/scuffs in flat paint on bumper

**bourmb** · 12-15-2009, 08:08 AM

My damn wife didn`t pull the new Buick Enclave up far enough in the garage and the garage door scuffed the back bumper in about a 5"x4" section on the rear bumper in the flat paint. On my truck, I have had great results using my PC and Menzerna products on the gloss clearcoat. Would I royally screw up the flat paint on the bumper if I used the same technique on the rear bumper to remove the scratches (PC/Menzerna)? If a PC could damage the flat finish, would doing it by hand be better? The last thing I want is a glossy 5x5 spot in the center of a flat bumper! Help!

**BobD** · 12-15-2009, 08:13 AM

Your best bet is to repaint that bumper. Using any type of polish on it could make it looks worse being that it`s flat. Flat black is easy to paint yourself if you wanted to go that route.

**Setec Astronomy** · 12-15-2009, 08:16 AM

They went away from the textured black/gray plastic and went with flat paint? Either way, you`re likely to wind up with a shiny spot. The least intrusive way might be some solvent to remove the garage door paint without polishing the non-glossy surface, unless it`s purely mechanical damage without any paint transfer.

**bourmb** · 12-15-2009, 08:47 AM

The mid/lower section of the Enclave bumpers are flat paint. I figured using a buffer would make the situation worse. That sucks as there are minor scratches in the paint. I am a consumer, not a detailer, or body repairman, so this would cost me a lot of money which I don`t want to spend. Damn!....wife....

**BobD** · 12-15-2009, 09:12 AM

It`d be really easy to fix with a $4 can of flat black man. Maybe someone on these forums from your area could help you out. Where abouts are you from?

**bourmb** · 12-15-2009, 09:28 AM

I am in Washington, IL. The paint color is not black, but graphite, though. Here is a website showing the lower cladding color.

2010 New Buick Enclave CXL at FC Kerbeck Premium Brand Division in Palmyra, NJ | Aston Martin, Bentley, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pontiac, Rolls Royce, Saab, IID 4822815

**Setec Astronomy** · 12-15-2009, 09:34 AM

That doesn`t really look like "flat" paint. It`s not as reflective as the rest of the vehicle, but there are still some reflections in it...you are talking about the part of the bumper with the backup sensors in it, not the bottom of the gate or the lower valence panel (the part where the exhaust pipes stick thru)?

**bourmb** · 12-15-2009, 10:00 AM

Your right, I researched on the internet and the finish is "matte" which is not totally flat, but it certainly is flatter than a gloss clearcoat. Yes, it is the section of the bumper where the sensors are located.

Here is a quote from Enclaveforum.net: "As I mentioned the cladding is not clear coated from the factory but when I had my front bumper repaired the â€œGMâ€ process called for laying down a base coat of the satin nickel. The paint was as shiny as the body of the car. Then the satin nickel was top coated with a special clear and the clear top coating dulls while drying and develops the slight texture."

Since there is an obvious texture, I guess buffing would smooth the texture and create a finish that has more gloss than stock.

**BobD** · 12-15-2009, 11:39 AM

If I was closer I could fix it for you man. I`m sure someone in that area will chime in.

**bourmb** · 12-15-2009, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Danase

If I was closer I could fix it for you man. I`m sure someone in that area will chime in.

Since you responded to my original post... Do you think a matte finish would have similiar results if buffed like a flat finish? I don`t want to have an area of my bumper that has a higher sheen than the rest of the bumper.

**BobD** · 12-15-2009, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by bourmb

Since you responded to my original post... Do you think a matte finish would have similiar results if buffed like a flat finish? I don`t want to have an area of my bumper that has a higher sheen than the rest of the bumper.

Yeah I believe it would have the same effect as black when polished.

**archebald23** · 01-13-2010, 06:05 PM

Spam.

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**rescuenut10** · 01-15-2010, 10:04 PM

I agree with Archebald23 the bumper will get glossier the the rest. Even if you get "sling" on the matte finish wiping it off can mess up the finish.

**Accumulator** · 01-16-2010, 11:14 AM

I can`t help but wonder how much a decent shop would charge to redo that properly. For me, the expense would probably be worth it just to get the whole thing behind me.

Guess it`s easy for me to stimulate the economy with somebody else`s money though