On the bumpers, I just said the heck with it and skim coated the entire surface with glazing putty,
and spent quite a while sanding it back. Give the large number of small chips, gouges, and other assorted
damage on the surfaces, it seemed like the thing to do. And it was, as touchups have been almost
unnecessary.
Rearview mirrors are off, the front doors are stripped to the frames. The rear doors are staying intact,
as I discovered that I'd have to pull the glass to get the rear doors stripped to the same level, and my
response to that is, "Screw that! I'll just be really careful with the masking tape!
I've learned something important about Camry doors. You should know it if your car is built in the same manner.
There's a plastic film barrier on the inside of the doors between the inside door skin and the door body,
and it's there for a very good reason. I've had to replace door handles before, (who hasn't, if they have
a gen 3 Camry?
) and wasn't careful to put that plastic barrier back the way it came and spend the
time to readhere the black adhesive tar strip where it should be. Well, I've got a little water damage
to the inside of each front door trim panel (which is a form of chipboard, covered in vinyl) and had to
make repairs to each of them, using some very badass silicone sealer/adhesive I picked up. It'll be fine,
but that damage can be avoided by taking the extra time needed to be sure that plastic barrier is put back
PROPERLY. It only takes a minute, and prevents water damage to the door panels.
CJ
