I'm an idiot... Bumper repair options???
 

Hi all,

I've been lucky enough to find the one parking spot with a pole mounted low enough for me not to see and get some slight damage on my rear bumper. Dead center at that! It didn't cut the bumper, and it didn't really do much but cause the bumper to have a "dent" in the plastic/paint. Not even a scratch in the paint to be honest! I'll see if I can't get some pictures if this would help but if it were not for that "dent" that is noticeable in the light you'd never really be able to see damage except where the unpainted lower portion got the worst of things.

Anyone know if this is something that a repair shop could straighten out without my needing a new bumper? I mean it is a shame that I barely tap a pole at like .25mph and require to get a brand new ass on a brand new car! I've done some quick Googling and the damage I see repaired is A LOT more than what I've got... So even if this is repairable how in the heck is it done?

Thanks and sorry for the long write up!

Mild heat gun and block of ice - repeat.

Go see a paintless dent repair (PDR) guy and see if they can fix it for you. It will cost about $80-130 depending on where you go.

They'll give you a pretty good idea if they can fix it just by looking at it.

you got lucky.This is what happened when i hit one of those white barriers while drifting. Yes i messed up but i was doing 90mph upon impact. Should i replace it? Also it is like a chunk of bumper was taken out.

IDK, are you done doing stupid stuff in your awesome car? If not then leave it...Ohhhhhhhh TRUST ME! :bonk:

The damage that you're describing can easily be repaired by a body shop. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as other have suggested (ice/heat, for example doesn't work on the type of damage you described, and paintless guys only work with metal, so bumper covers are a no go). What the body shop will do is fill the small depression with filler and sand it completely smooth. Then they'll respray the entire bumper cover. If it's done correctly, you'll have a perfect bumper cover again with no sign that it was ever damaged in the first place.

Cool, I was really curious how a heat gun or ice would have worked on the plastic; however, I am def not the expert so I didn't question it! haha

Do you really think it is worth the trouble to get it repaired then? The paint isn't damaged and is really is just a dent in the plastic... It isn't the most noticeable damage so I think if I had to live with it longer I could but it does drive me crazy though. With what you described a shop having to do to fix this, that returns me to thinking that the best way to fix this would just be to save up for a brand new bumper cover and have the whole thing replaced since it will require painting... With painting and sanding mentioned in your fix I would imagine that would cause the price to rise significantly thus justifying it easier for the full replacement???

Thanks for the input and feedback on this! I appreciate it! :thanks:

If it really bothers you, then just get it fixed. If you can live with it, then don't. But it seems like it bothers you enough that you'll eventually spend the money to get it fixed.

Why would you spend the money on a new bumper cover when a body shop can fix yours for a fraction of the price of a new one? You do realize that a new part will need to be painted too, right?

If you want to save money, why not remove the bumper cover yourself and bring it to the body shop? I mean, if you're comfortable pulling a bumper cover off, then you'll save some money on labor. The body shops in my area charge around $350-400 for a minor bumper cover repair and respray, so it's not too expensive.

I figured that just completely replacing the bumper would cost around $600-650 after they painted it and etc... I guess that would save me a couple of hundred if I had the current one fixed... If I were to get the full bumper it would completely fix the damage since there isn't anything they can do to fix the plastic/unpainted portion on my current cover.

I guess I'll just have to get the quotes and weigh the options... If they could fix my current bumper for 100-300 then I'd be happy but if it goes over 300 then I feel I might as well just replace the whole thing and eliminate all evidence of my idiotcracy.

Thanks again!:thanks: