Removing the rear apron (below the bumper)

[mr_grumble2010]

I managed to reverse our echo onto a 3 foot high pole on a car park last night.

Has only mangled the rear metal apron just below the plastic bar cover.

Am hoping to pick up another and have it sprayed and simply re-install.

Anyone know what's involved in removing this panel, does the plastic bar cover need to come off first ?

Steve

[rob323]

Get underneath it and shine a torch upwards, you will see the bolted connections to the upper plastic part. It comes off easy enough.

[mr_grumble2010]

Get underneath it and shine a torch upwards, you will see the bolted connections to the upper plastic part. It comes off easy enough.

Cheers Rob, I crawled under late the other night without much light and couldn't see much, I assumed that the plastic bar cover would have to be removed as one piece then seperated.

Am going to give the spray job a go myself, I have the gun and compressor and will need to consult google to learn up on the preparation side....

Steve

[rob323]

There's 4 or 5 bolts and nuts that hold it to the upper plastic part from memory. Carefull, the edges of the metal were quite sharp on mine.

Is your paint colour a metallic? (my car is dark metallic blue and the paint code is 8K8, but yours looks a little lighter than mine) If so, you will need to put a clear coat over it to seal it and make it glossy.

Rather than setting up the compressor and spray guns (and the mess and hassle of the clean up), I would just get two pressure packs made up in your colour and a can or two of clear and do it that way.

[mr_grumble2010]

There's 4 or 5 bolts and nuts that hold it to the upper plastic part from memory. Carefull, the edges of the metal were quite sharp on mine.

Is your paint colour a metallic? (my car is dark metallic blue and the paint code is 8K8, but yours looks a little lighter than mine) If so, you will need to put a clear coat over it to seal it and make it glossy.

Rather than setting up the compressor and spray guns (and the mess and hassle of the clean up), I would just get two pressure packs made up in your colour and a can or two of clear and do it that way.

Yes, it's the dark Metallic Blue, the pic does look a bit lighter than it actually is.

I've never tried the whole aerosol can thing when it comes to cars, do you compromise the quality of the finish using aerosol sprays ?

Steve

[rob323]

Sort of, but you must do all the prep work properly (sanding between coats etc) for it to come up like the original paintwork. I'm lazy, I just prefer 2pak cause you can get a brilliant finish almost without any sanding or buffing at all straight out of the gun.