Summary:
Will there be a difference in paint quality between applying it on oem primer and a primer applied in a paint shop? My oem primer is ruined and a paint shop applied primer to the bumper. Should I accept my brand new oem bumper returned to me with primer applied by a paintshop afterwards? The oem primer looked smooth and evenly distributed, probably applied by a robot.

Back story:
Since my engine is dead, I loaned my brand new 99 oem bumper and front spoiler to a friend because he wanted to see if he could get it replicated. I wasn't very keen (told him the quality will be crap and cost saving would not be worth it) but he insisted and I always like to help others if I can so I gave the parts. However I was very clear that I would not accept the parts if they were damaged or modified in any way during the process, and would not even allow them to be replicated if that was the case.

Not even going into how long he had the parts for, I had to call him to find out what's happening with my parts and told me the parts are not ready because the primer is not dry. WTF!!! The bumper is primered because obviously they applied something on it to ruin the original primer. And the front spoiler lip has been painted with black plastic paint. Anyway he knows he is in the wrong and accepted to buy me a new bumper and spoiler lip.

Although I am not happy about the situation and will definitely get him buy me a new front spoiler, I am not sure if it's worth making him spend $500 to get me a new bumper. I am yet to see the bumper but before i see it I wanted to know what paint experts in the forum think.

And a piece of advice which is generally hard to do with friends but "it is better to say NO at first and be the bad one than to regret not saying it after stuff happens".

 

In prepping your new bumper the shop has to sand whatever finish came with it from the factory. In the process most of the factory primer would be removed. Otherwise there would be no adhesion. It's no big deal. If it's a modern shop they're likely using better material than MAZDA anyway, since removing it for refinish is expected. I think now they also have a binder of sorts that also aids adhesion on urethane. Regardless, a special purpose flex additive must be used with primer/sealer and eventually the color and clearcoats.

 

what color is your fd? i read that the vintage red and cym have 3 stage paint. So if you end up getting it redone, make sure they do it 3stage

 

No matter what you put on, it'll be better than the paint they put on the car in the early 90's when the EPA came into the picture.
The reason we see so many crappy paint jobs on FCs is because in the late 80's, the EPA mandated that there be no lead in automotive paint. There wasn't really a good substitute until the mid 90's.

 

I don't know what kind of primer job they have done because the bumper will come back primered, I don't know if they sanded off the existing primer. I guess worst case, I will get my painter to re-prep the bumper to be sure. My car is red.

But looks like I won't need to ask for a new bumper. I will definitely get new front spoiler/lip because apparently it is now painted in black.

 

well isnt it black stock? i think lips look better black than matching the color of the car with it

 

It is black plastic iow it is plastics natural colour not painted. Now they painted it black so it is not the same.

 

curious as to how it looks... got any pics of it?

 

Not yet, he still didn't return my parts.