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Car Forum / Honda Cars / October 2005Pops-A-Dent and the plastic bumper
My wife backed our '01 Odyssey into a tree stump adjacent to our driveway. It left a very deep dimple on the portion of the plastic rear bumper that lies beneath the tail light area, where the bumper curves up after following the line of the lower lip of the rear door. She then (without asking me) went to some web site and ordered a Pops-A-Dent thingy for $20 (I think) + shipping. They have not fulfilled the order yet (out of stock). I can still cancel this order if I want. Does anyone here have any experience with this product, and will it do any good on this corner area of the plastic bumper? Thanks! Be i think thats meant for metal where the suction cup thing can get a good grip. > My wife backed our '01 Odyssey into a tree stump adjacent to our driveway. > It left a very deep dimple on the portion of the plastic rear bumper that [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Be > My wife backed our '01 Odyssey into a tree stump adjacent to our > driveway. It left a very deep dimple on the portion of the plastic [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > this product, and will it do any good on this corner area of the > plastic bumper? Can't you just reach behind the bumper and push the dent out from the inside?  SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ On 10/17/05 7:18 AM, in article Xns96F25496A1CDAtegger@207.14.113.17, >> My wife backed our '01 Odyssey into a tree stump adjacent to our >> driveway. It left a very deep dimple on the portion of the plastic [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Can't you just reach behind the bumper and push the dent out from the > inside? No. I got under the car and there is too much structural material in the way, namely the tailpipe and the bumper bars (that are under the bumper skin). If the bumper skin itself could be removed easily, that would be the only way to do it. Be Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! Be > Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! > > Be If you opt to push out the dent, it may be easier to heat it up with a hair drier before doing so. Make sure you move it around and heat it evenly (not just the dent, but some of the surrounding area). These bumpers are usually PMMA and PP. http://www.quesant.com/Gallery/Polymers/bumper.htm If you can raise the temp of the area to over the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the PP, this will make it easier to push out the dent. Polypro Tg is about 100°c, or 212°f. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_transition >> Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > evenly (not just the dent, but some of the surrounding area). These > bumpers are usually PMMA and PP. Interesting. They used to be polyurethane mixes. PMMA is plain old acrylic. Your taillight lenses are acrylic. If you buy a tub of macaroni salad from the grocery store, its lid will be polypropylene. Those corrugated plastic promotional pole signs you see at gas stations are also polypropylene. I wonder why they switched materials? SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>> Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! >>> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > I wonder why they switched materials? I believe the bumpers are polyurethane. Aftermarket bumper covers are advertised as urethane,for better flexibility and no cracking. SignatureJim Yanik jyanik at kua.net >>>> Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! >>>> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Aftermarket bumper covers are advertised as urethane,for better > flexibility and no cracking. Urethane is also cheaper than anything except vinyl. I've been out of the industry for three years, so I don't know if things have changed since I left. Three years ago, all the molded body parts I was involved with were most assuredly urethane. Urethane's natural color is light beige, darkening considerably with exposure to oxygen. Acrylic's natural color is clear. Polypro's natural color is translucent- clear. A bumper skin made of a PMMA/PP blend would look VERY different from one made with urethane. By the way, I negelected to mention earlier that thermoformed styrene lids are replacing injection-molded PP lids at the grocery store deli. You'd have to buy something off-the-shelf like yogurt to find a molded PP lid. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>>>> Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > since I left. Three years ago, all the molded body parts I was > involved with were most assuredly urethane. The cost depends on the grades used. Most PURs I use are in the +$4/lb range for the Dow grades. I think the bumpers made from PUR are actually estane grades (formerly BF Goodrich, now the Estane group, or something similar) and are not as costly. Most PP is quite cheap. I don't use that much PMMA, so I'm not 100% sure of pricing. Of course, I'm not in the auto industry (medical). The Honda bumpers, now that I think about it, are PUR, though the process for removing the dent would be about the same. > Urethane's natural color is light beige, darkening considerably with > exposure to oxygen. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > deli. You'd have to buy something off-the-shelf like yogurt to find a > molded PP lid. >>> Order cancelled. Thanks for warning me off this! >>> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > I wonder why they switched materials? Well, actually, some still are PUR, though the Tg is not much different.......PP and PMMA are less expensive materials (though the petro-chemicals are all going through the roof and some suppliers are claiming Force Majeure..... > On 10/17/05 7:18 AM, in article Xns96F25496A1CDAtegger@207.14.113.17, > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > bumper skin). If the bumper skin itself could be removed easily, that > would be the only way to do it. Reach under and push your hand between the skin and rebar. There ought to be enough flex there for you to wiggle in and push the dent out. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ On 10/17/05 5:59 PM, in article Xns96F2C138AD206tegger@207.14.113.17, > Reach under and push your hand between the skin and rebar. There ought to > be enough flex there for you to wiggle in and push the dent out. I wish it were that close. But the dent, as I described, is at the point of the bumper after it comes out of its upward curve around the bottom of the tailgate, below the tail light. The bumper skeleton blocks my access to that reach, and it would be about 8-10 inches up from the opening underneath if there were no bumper bars blocking it. A very thin item (like a long screwdriver) _might_ fit through, but the thinness of the item would then bring on the danger of poking a hole through the skin from the inside. I don't think in any case that I would have the correct angle of attack. I guess I need a really bright light to be sure. Be > My wife backed our '01 Odyssey into a tree stump adjacent to our > driveway. It left a very deep dimple on the portion of the plastic [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Be Some malls have a "As seen on TV" store that sells the same stuff. A local TV station product-tested this device,and found it to be only partially effective;it would not work on some deep dents,especially with creases.It might even lift the paint on your plastic bumper. You can probably get behind the bumper cover and push it out and save your money. SignatureJim Yanik jyanik at kua.net For your reference, these devices are commonly available at Pep Boys. You could save yourself the shipping charge and also maybe go read the labeling in person. > My wife backed our '01 Odyssey into a tree stump adjacent to our driveway. > It left a very deep dimple on the portion of the plastic rear bumper that [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Be |
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