1999-2004 Ford Mustang Airless Tab Repair

1999-2004 Ford Mustang front bumpers have a metal bracket that is held in place by three tabs. These flexible hinge tabs are very thin and easily torn. These tabs can be repaired using polypropylene sheets and a nitrogen welder, or they can be repaired using an airless welder, reinforcing mesh, and FiberFlex universal welding rods. We will be showing how to use the airless plastic welder to perform this repair.

This article gives the basics on how to use Polyvance's FiberFlex universal welding rods.

Always wear proper safety gear while working!

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Products Used:

Note: This is a list of the Polyvance products that can be used to make this repair. This list does not include sanders, grinders, or other common tools you will need. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call technical support at 800-633-3047.

• 1000 Super Prep Plastic Cleaner (three options available) OR 1001-4 EcoPrep Plastic Cleaner
• Aluminum Body Tape (several options available)
• 6125 Tapered Burr
• FiberFlex Welding Rod and Reinforcing Mesh (choose a method below):
• 5210 FiberFlex Repair Kit (230V kit available here). The kit includes a 5" x 10" sheet of stainless steel reinforcing mesh and 15 feet of FiberFlex welding rod.
• FiberFlex Welding Rods and 2045 Reinforcing Mesh with the airless plastic welding side of a nitrogen plastic welder or an one of our other airless plastic welders.
• 5700HT Mini-Weld Model 7 (230V kit available here). The 5700HT kit includes a 15 foot starter pack of FiberFlex and one 5" x 10" sheet of stainless steel reinforcing mesh.
• Note: Make sure you are using the 6031 flat tear drop shaped welding tip when using the flat FiberFlex rods.

Video Notes:

• English Closed Captions have been provided for this video. Click on the CC button to turn them on or off.
• The length of this video is in no way representative of the actual time required to perform a complete repair and therefore should not be used for estimating purposes.

English Transcript:

The length of this video is in no way indicative of the amount of time it takes to perform this procedure. It should therefore not be used for estimating purposes.

'99 through 2004 Ford Mustang front bumpers have a metal bracket held in place by three tabs on the plastic bumper. These flexible hinge tabs are very thin and are easily torn. These tabs can be repaired using a nitrogen welder, or it can be repaired using an airless welder and the 2045W stainless steel wire mesh.

Use Polyvance's 1000 Super Prep to clean the repair area. For this particular repair, the tab will be completely reattached, so we'll need to use 80 grit sandpaper to remove the paint from the areas where the tab and the bumper will connect. Remove any excess plastic using a razor knife.

Fit the tab to the bumper and measure the length of the reinforcing mesh that you will need later, then trim using snips. This repair calls for two strips equal in length. You might want to finely measure the mesh before you move on. Attach the tab using aluminum tape. We will now apply the reinforcing mesh.

Since these tabs were designed to bend, we'll embed the wire mesh into the bumper and the tab, allowing the mesh itself to create a flexible hinge. Melt the mesh in place using an airless plastic welder. Use a screwdriver to push the mesh deeper into the plastic and repeat as necessary.

Use Polyvance's FiberFlex universal welding ribbon to weld the tab in place. Melt the FiberFlex onto the plastic and bury the wire mesh. Use the welder's heat to smooth and feather with the base material. Melt a crease into the plastic where the tab and the bumper meet to create a flexible hinge. Once it cools, remove the aluminum tape from the repair.

Remove any excess plastic using a razor knife. Sand using 80 grit sandpaper, mechanically or by hand. Once you've finished, you may want to do some additional sanding in the crease by hand. Using whatever rotary tools you have access to, open up the bolt hole. Remove any masking tape and then reattach the metal mounting brackets.

You may now apply primer or paint if you wish, but because this tab will not be seen on the vehicle, it is not necessary to do so. Just like that, you've completed this repair with help from your friends at Polyvance.

Look to Polyvance for all of your plastic repair product and training needs. We offer I-CAR Industry Training Alliance courses, as well as other hands-on classes in addition to the video resources you can find on our website and on our YouTube channel.