Plastic body parts — repair (Mazda Capella GC)

1. With the increase in the number of plastic body parts used by car manufacturers (such as bumpers, spoilers and, in some cases, main body panels), the question of repairing more serious damage arose. The basic repair technique involves making grooves along the crack line in the plastic part. The damaged section is then welded using a hot air injector to heat and melt the plastic filler rod into the groove. Then the excess plastic is removed and the area to be repaired is leveled. It is important to use the correct filler rod, as body parts can be made from different types of plastic, such as polycarbonate, ABS, polypropylene.

2. Less serious damage (scratches, minor cracks, etc.) can be restored with epoxy resin filler. The filler usually hardens within 20-30 minutes and is ready for sanding and painting.

3. If you are restoring a part entirely with epoxy resin filler, the problem arises of choosing a suitable paint to finish the repair that will be compatible with the type of plastic used. At one time, the use of universal paint was not possible due to the complex range of plastics encountered when repairing body parts. Standard paints will not stain plastic or rubber at all. But now it is possible to purchase plastic body parts that come with primer and paint for surface treatment. First, the damaged part is repaired and dried (up to 30 minutes). Then a primer is applied and allowed to dry for an hour before the special paint is applied. As a result, the color is correctly selected and the paint has the properties of flexible plastic or rubber.