Shoutout to the guy at the junkyard who showed me the heat gun trick for old plastic bumpers

I had this 2002 Camry bumper that was all warped and looked like a lost cause. Instead of trying to replace it, I used a heat gun on low and slowly worked the plastic back into shape over 20 minutes. It actually held the form after it cooled down and saved the customer over $300 on a new part. Has anyone else tried this on older model cars with good results?

5 comments

5 Comments

kelly.troy2mo ago

Watched a guy do this to a sun-faded Saturn bumper cover once. The plastic went from chalky and brittle to looking almost new after he worked it over with a heat gun. It's one of those tricks that feels like a magic act when you see it work.

noahgreen2mo ago

Ever wonder if that heat gun trick works on old garden furniture? @kelly.troy, your Saturn story makes me think it might, since I had a plastic lawn chair that looked brand new after sitting in the sun all summer, which seems backwards. Maybe the heat just brings the color back out.

jessicap822mo ago

Oh man, it totally works! I tried it on some faded plastic planters last year. The trick is to keep the heat gun moving so you don't melt anything. It's not a permanent fix, the sun will fade it again, but it buys you a few more seasons. Honestly feels like cheating.

brooket4318d agoTop Commenter

My neighbor tried this on a old plastic hose reel that was all chalky and gross (think 80s beige turned into sad white). He got so into it he ended up doing all his outdoor storage stuff, even a few plastic chairs. The whole yard looked like a factory reset by the time he was done, haha. It's kind of addictive once you start, like watching dust turn back into color.

wader7118d ago

How long before it fades back to chalky again?