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c/auto-body-repairers•iris927iris927•6d ago

Got laughed at for using a heat gun on trim clips, saved me 2 hours today

Everyone in my shop swears by the panel popper tool for stubborn clips on bumper covers, but here in Phoenix the plastic gets so brittle that it always snaps on me. I started hitting each clip with a cheap heat gun set to low for about 20 seconds before prying, and I popped an entire 2018 Camry rear bumper in 15 minutes flat. The old way took me close to 2 hours on a similar car last month with broken tabs and customer anger. My coworker says it's a lazy shortcut, but my repaint had zero filler work because the clip channels stayed intact. Has anyone else tried warming plastic before pulling, or am I the only one who ditched the popper tool for good?
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spencer_owens58
Isnt that how most shortcuts work, using the right tool for the job instead of the popular one?
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