[TorqueO]

I have a 03/04 Cobra bumper and looking to get the letters filled in...man is it expensive!! Kind of makes me NOT want to get it filled in...anyways
my questions are:
Will they crack after a period of time?
Will the filling show through the paint or leave a bulge?
Is it even worth it to do?

I really don't want the "COBRA" on the bumper for two reason....
1) aholes breaking balls who wont/didn't listen, which in turn I cant stand aholes and who knows what will happen...(Probally nothing, I have a family now lol)
2) I don't have a Cobra and really do like the bumper style of it being smoothed and rolled.
I am trying to get my GT "smoothed" . I am not trying to pass it off as a Cobra. The smoothness and details of the Cobras are so much better than the GT's, which imo the NE (New Edge) GT's, Mach's, Bullitt's, and Cobra's should have been.

I went and dropped the bumper off to a body shop today and the owner was getting me scared about the "fill in" process, the look afterwards, and the longevity of it. Cracking will appear, bulging in the paint on where it was filled, and the twisting and bumping the bumper will go through while driving: will eventally crack the paint on where it was patched and start to peel away.
So over 450 bucks would be wasted in paint, filler, and time if the whole thing "breaks" apart after.

[Lefty]

Actually late model resto used to sell shaved, aftermarket ones. Don't know if they still do or not though.

[TorqueO]

Went that route...waited over 5 long and inconveniencing months, to hear from them that they can not fulfill their end of the sale. Their was a HUGE problem with them and their distributor in China.
Now I have to go this route. Just want to know if anyone has heard, or knows of, people having problems with their paint....because of it being filled in.

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by TorqueO Went that route...waited over 5 long and inconveniencing months, to hear from them that they can not fulfill their end of the sale. Their was a HUGE problem with them and their distributor in China. Now I have to go this route. Just want to know if anyone has heard, or knows of, people having problems with their paint....because of it being filled in.

O, yeah I heard there was issues but I didn't know it was that backlogged.

[TorqueO]

Ya they removed it and are not offering it anymore, it was that bad.
Anyone else have any experiences or input?

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by TorqueO Ya they removed it and are not offering it anymore, it was that bad. Anyone else have any experiences or input?

Honestly, if the body work is done right it'll be fine. If it cracks or the paint chips then find a new shop

[goren813]

Agreed, I think the guy would say that to you just to cover his own ass in case it does happen. As Lefty says, if it's done right it shouldn't be an issue. Think of how many cars have bondo and other fillers on body panels that you never notice. MANY many many restored cars are covered in filler to correct imperfections. If it's done right you shouldn't have any issues, and the shaved looked, especially on a non-Cobra looks great.

[Regulator]

Yeah but most filler or bondo, done right, is just a thin coat so get the contouring and shape right on a body panel. I would think trying to fill up the letters would be awful thick, which is when bondo or filler tends to crack. I'm sure there is something they could use, perhaps some form of plastic epoxy, to fill in the letters, or use a flex agent so that it would reduce the risk of cracks. There is a guy in my town who had it done for his GT, it turned out ok but it looks weird to me to not have letters in the bumper.

[goren813]

True about the thickness, but the lettering isn't THAT deep. There should be something they can use... and I think the "weirdness" of it is just because you and the rest of us are so used to Mustangs having the lettering, we see Stangs daily and know the ins and outs, so not seeing the letters sticks out to us. For someone who isn't as familiar with the cars, it wouldn't look as weird. I like the Cobra bumpers, but having "Cobra" on anything besides a Cobra is lame, which is why the OP is even considering this. Good luck to you and let us know how it turns out.

[TorqueO]

I was going to get the "MUSTANG" lettering air brushed back on a bit larger. The same size as the "COBRA" lettering, but in Kandy Blue...I have a Black GT.

How about drilling one or two holes in the lettering, this way the "Filler" will have something to hold on to?

[travis_afx]

if its done right you will have nothing to worry about. But if the use body filler, it will only be a matter of time before it cracks out. Body filler is not desinged to be put on urethane bumpers that thick. The only time bondo should be used on a bumper is to fill mi.or chips or scratches. Now if they use a plastic repair material it and is prepped right, it will never crack out. If I was to shave the letters on a bumper for someone, I would use SEM's plastic repair material and I would have no problem giving the customer a gaurantee that it will never crack out.

[winnie51189]

Originally Posted by Regulator Yeah but most filler or bondo, done right, is just a thin coat so get the contouring and shape right on a body panel. I would think trying to fill up the letters would be awful thick, which is when bondo or filler tends to crack. I'm sure there is something they could use, perhaps some form of plastic epoxy, to fill in the letters, or use a flex agent so that it would reduce the risk of cracks. There is a guy in my town who had it done for his GT, it turned out ok but it looks weird to me to not have letters in the bumper.

Bondo is a brand of filler not a type. If you want to classify it as a type of filler, then it's cheap crap and has a tendency to crack easily.

If you use a filler use a filler that has a good reputation, such as Rage Gold, its more expensive but is much easier to work with IMHO and you will get better results. Or you could use Rage Gold Extreme, it's easier to work with and tends to clog less.

Keep in mind tho that no matter what you use, if mixed incorrectly it will crack. Also remember it's not a great idea to do extensive repair on Urethane body panels. It would be much smarter to use one of the Urethane bumper repair kits.

[travis_afx]

3 agree with you that rage is good filler, especially the gold, and bondo brand filler is not very good. But any body filler used to fill in the letters on a urethane bumper will crack no matter what. Its just a matter of time. The plastic will flex and the body filler will not because it is rigid, and that will make it crack everytime. The only way to do it without cracking is to use plastic repair material, because that will flex with the bumper. Or cut a square out of the bumper where the letters are and plastic weld a flat piece of urethane in its place. The plastic repair material method wiould be easier, because it is apllied in the same manner as body filler.

[TorqueO]

Ya I'm going to let the body shop go for it...knocking on wood that they do a good job. They are going to use a rubberized body filler and grind into the letters a bit, to further smooth the filler transition.