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Sprucing up the Bull Guard - Finished.
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:21 am
by CREGAN
Need a little advice on making the bull guard look all shiney and new again. I would first like to know if anyone has taken off the remaining "Mitsubishi" letters on it and how they did that. Do you use heat or chemicals, or both? Second, I have had a lot of success using Krylon Fusion Satin Black on other vehicles and was thinking of using that again to paint the bull guard and the step on the back bumper - anyone have a yay or nay? Thanks
Craig
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:26 am
by psilosin
The rest of the Mitsubishi letters on my L400 came off literally with 1-2 light picks from my fingernail. Once you have an edge free a slight pull and they just peel right off.
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:16 am
by jessef
CREGAN wrote:success using Krylon Fusion Satin Black on other vehicles and was thinking of using that again to paint the bull guard and the step on the back bumper - anyone have a yay or nay? Thanks
Craig
yay. works great. will help if you sand lightly and clean well beforehand
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:33 pm
by Artacoma
I used camping gas (naptha) the magic cleaner! to take off the mtsubhi on the front of my rig then soaked the plastic with some auto glim stuff and it came out great.
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:58 pm
by Luisito
Post some pics before and after!
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:15 pm
by CREGAN
Will do. I have a paint cleaning and waxing planned for next week along with some new decals and freshening up the shroud so I will definately post some pics - I feel like I haven't got to show off yet!
Craig
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:15 am
by psilosin
looking forward to the after pics considering how nice your L400 looked to begin with.
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:35 pm
by Van Diesel
I saw a post on either the AUS or UK (or was it CAN) site about someone who used a heat gun to bring back the black to the plastic. Something I have planned to do but have not yet done.
I'd suggest testing this on a more inconspicuous section before doing the whole thing as I cannot tell you that definitely works (I did see before and after pics that impressed me though). And perhaps removing it from the van first so as not to melt the bumper or a headlight.
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:50 pm
by jessef
I used black krylon fusion paint on these 2 bumpers.
a good sand and then a few coats.
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:15 pm
by CREGAN
jfarsang wrote:I used black krylon fusion paint on these 2 bumpers.
a good sand and then a few coats.
Jesse - Where did you get replacement Mitsubishi decals for the plastic bull guard? I can't seem to find any.
Craig
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:50 pm
by jessef
I didn't. All the M.i.t.s.u letters were on that one.
Ask Mardy. He may have some digits laying around.
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:09 pm
by CREGAN
Hey - another question: When I do the bull guard I would also like to do the step on the back bumper. Is it easy to remove? It looks like some of the little knob things come out, do they hold screws to take just the step out?
Craig
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:47 am
by madmazda
yes it's real easy when I put my trailer hitch on just removed 4 bolts and BINGO off it came.... just be careful not to drop it on your face

Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:20 am
by CREGAN
madmazda wrote:yes it's real easy when I put my trailer hitch on just removed 4 bolts and BINGO off it came.... just be careful not to drop it on your face

Do you mean the whole bumper or just the little foot plate? I would like to pull the foot plate off so I don't have to do any masking or anything like. Easier to do with something little rather than a big bulky bumper.
Craig
Re: Sprucing up the bull guard shroud
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:06 pm
by jessef
if you are talking about the tube step (white or chrome plated), then it's as above. 2 12mm bolts on each side (one in the back of the frame and one going up into the floorboard).
Same as the front bumper. Light sand, the degreaser, then dry and paint. The krylon bonds better to the white powder coated stock bumpers than to the chrome plated one's. Which do you have ?