Smoothing number plate recess?

[Toby]

Morning all.

I know this is a topic which is heavily discussed across car forums, and there seem to be many different views. And so I thought I would ask here..

I'm looking to smooth my front numberplate recess in order to recolate a smaller plate elsewhere on the front. From what I gather there are a few accepted ways of doing it,

1) Using fibreglass to fill it all out, sand down and paint.
2) Melt a piece of plastic in place, and use FB/Filler around the edges, sand down and paint.

I have a ph1, so of course my recess is in the front black bump strip.

Anyone have any thoughts/experience with this? I've read on a few threads that using just filler or fibreglass can start to 'sink' or crack after a while?

Cheers

[ginge191]

Markairey I believe has done this, or at least smoothed other parts, as has pompeymark, they probably have the best insight into this

[mark_airey]

This topic always results in an argument of the "correct" way to do it in my experience and somebody always claims to know better when IMO there are different ways of getting the same result none of which are really wrong, obviously using just P38 filler won't go well as it will most likely end with cracks or shrinking due to the massive area that is the plate recess.

I'm not really going to add anything useful as my smoothed plate bumper is still sat in primer in my workshop so I have no Idea how it will hold up to being on the car but we will see! My current bumper has the lower line smoothed out which was done by using coarse sandpaper and a knife to score it for a good key and then using P40 fiberglass filler just shy of the finished surface level (believe me you will regret it if you put too much on as its an absolute shite to sand back again) and then a skim of P38 filler over the top to get the shape and smooth finish for paint! it held up fine for 2 years until I hit something fury and animal like the other month and destroyed the entire bumper.

I'm not sure how well it will hold up with the plate recess done like this though as its a much bigger area so I'm not about to dish out advice on that until I know!

** I haven't re-read this so it might make no sense at all **

[Toby]

Cheers Mark, that does make sense (mostly! )..

I may look into plastic welding then to reduce the amount of filler/FB needed.

[4WayDiablo]

P40! Then a skim of p38 to finish.. done :-)

[mark_airey]

P40! Then a skim of p38 to finish.. done :-)

Sure someone already said that........................

Although it was maybe slightly less confident than yours!

[4WayDiablo]

P40! Then a skim of p38 to finish.. done :-)

Sure someone already said that........................

I know, i did write out a yeah agree with mark blah blah but phone decided it didnt wanna post it so i couldnt be bothered to re write so just wrote that hahah

[Pompey306mark]

I drilled small holes in the recces and then used fibre glass to fill the vast area that is the reccess, smoothed it down drilled a few more holes/dimples. They used flexi filler from halfords. I have done 2 phase 3 front bumper with all lines removed. Both and turned out well, the second one much better than the first.

[kingy]

i sent mine to the body shop. he said he plastic welded a peice of old bumper (same sort of plastic). as for the swage lines holes were drilled, p40 then p38. hole lot coast me £300 cash. as said before, their are a couple of ways of doing it as long as you dont just pack with p38 (as it will crack and prooberly fall out in the first month) then its just down to how good a job you do. good luck with it whatever you do.