Guys,

Got bumped today by a lady while stopped at a redlight. Very SAD day for me and my baby (the G).

The damage I have is the small paint chips below the tag mounts (not hidden by the tag) and 2 small scapes (hidden by the tag).

I prefer not to have the bumper removed and repainted for this as the body shops want to do.

Any suggestions? Are there any "professional" touch up businesses around that will work on something like this? Her insurance will pay "if necessary" so costs really isn't an issue. Then again, I am an honest guy and don't care to take her money and run, but do want it fixed right. I got a police report and all that good stuff.

EDIT: To give everyone an idea of the damage, the largest "chip" you see below the tag bracket is only the size of the end of a pencil eraser. Also the other 2 spots are not seen with the tag on.

EDIT: Some people have told me that the damage is too small to risk having the bumper removed, repainted, and reinstalled. Then, I do see the argument of "why not have it fixed right?"

Therefore, I'm in a dilemma of not knowing what is "best" for my G. I appreciate and want any and all comments. I need help in making a decision.

Please advice with recommendations! Thanks everyone!

 

Why not have it fixed properly? I'm missing the reason why you don't want the body shop repaint the bumper and fix it properly.

 

I am assuming it was the other driver's fault. Why not allow her insurance company to fix your G the proper way?

 

I am an honest guy too, but when someone does x amount of damage to your car, they should pay for it. Someone ran into me in my old car, the insurance company offered me $450. I could have got it fixed and sent them the bill. I took the $450 since I wasn't planning on keeping the car very long. Why not get it fixed right? If you don't your car is worth less.

 

Thanks for the comments above. In my response here, I'm not arguing your points, but simply stating why I'm hesitant about having a body shop remove and repaint the entire bumper:

Personally, I have had poor experiences with having small things like this fixed in the way the body shop wants. I understand that to properly paint the bumper, it is necessary to take the bumper off. I just worry about alignment not being "correct" after installing again, paint matching (we all know the complaints of bumpers looking different than the rest of the car), etc.

I was thinking there may be a professional touch-up service that could do just as good of a job.

I got 2 estimates already and everyone is right at about $500 for removing, sanding, priming, painting, reinstalling, etc, etc, etc. Her insurance will definitely pay, but I just fear poor work on the part of the body shops. As I said, I haven't had the best luck with body shops in the past.

 

I see . . . Well, from what I can gather from your sig, you have a sweet ride. I trust regardless of how you plan to repair your G, that you get it back to its' original state . . . Good luck.

 

The way I see it, you have 2 choices:

1/ -have a professional touch up done , yes there are such pros, and in my area the one I know of is called "CarsMetics". They can do a great job on plastic pieces without removing it, all for a minimal cost. Look in the phone book under Auto professional Touch up.

That option won't be nearly as good as:

2/ -have the bumper removed for repair and proper repaint. I understand your hesitation to do this, but the bumper is removed and installed so easily, you wouldn't know it was off.
The concensus here is to have this done, including me. It's such a simple thing to do. All you need is a recommendation on a good body shop.

Put away your fears, bro. A reputable body shop will do a fabulous job, and you'll be glad you chose that fix.

G/L with repairs.

C.

 

All.. Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have a reputable body shop near me remove and repaint my bumper. The damage isn't bad, but I know I won't be happy if it's not perfect.

Not sure why, but I kinda feel sorry for the lady that bumped me. For so little damage to my baby, she's gonna be forkin out a fair amount of dough. I know she's gonna flip when I tell her the amount (est $509). Maybe it's just that I can imagine being in her shoes, seeing the little damage done, and hearing the estimate. All the shops I visited today are right within $15 dollars of each other at approx $500.

Wish me luck with the repair and working things out with her/her insurance company. I'll post pics and results when the work is done.

Again, thx for the advice, and if anyone else has any more recommendations, please post!

 

Do your homework when shopping for a body shop. You'll find a reputable one that can do the work right.

 

i would leave it alone and get some touch up paint.

 

One last question/concern regarding my "bump". I have decided that it is probably best to have the bumper repainted. Has anyone had any issues with body shops matching Diamond Graphite (especially on bumpers)? This is really my only concern now. I have a reputable body shop in mind and have gotten a quote, but want to make sure no-one has had paint match issues with DG. I know metallics can be "tricky" sometimes.

Thanks alot!

 

ask your dealer what body shop they use for their cars.

 

To be honest with you, I don't think it's that bad of a scratch. Some touch up paint and buffing might do it. I mean we all love our cars but to rip out a bumper to repaint for a very small scratch, I am not sure if it's worth it. Just my opinion.

 

I was thinking the very same thing that it might not be worth the risk of a paint match variation, bumper alignment, or something like that going wrong, just because of a scratch. I'm gonna look for a professional touch-up place and see what they think they can do before I definitely settle on repainting. I "might" be able to touch-up and buff myself but prefer to leave it to the pros. We'll see. Her/her insurance will be paying for whatever I decide to do.

The only scratch that is "visible" is the one at the very bottom of the bumper, right above the black surface on the bottom of the bumper. The black paint chip is only about the size of a the tip of a pencil eraser.

Anybody know the best way to find a "professional touch-up service"? The dealers around here are all telling me to go to a body shop and they suggest repainting the bumper. Again, I don't know if it's worth the risk.

None-the-less... It will be fixed to perfection whether repainted or touched up. I'm extremely picky with my cars.

 

I see your concern since the damage does not look all that bad. I agree with you in that we are so picky, that if a re-paint job is not flawless, we go nuts. I had my DG bumper repainted b/c someone slightly rear-ended my car, which created a small cut and a scratch. I had it repaired and painted at a highly recommended shop, but nonetheless, I was not 100% satisfied with the work they did since I wanted my car to look exactly the way it did before it was hit. Since it was not a brand new bumper that was painted (just the repaired one), it did not look as smooth/glassy as the orginal paint. No one else can tell but when I look at my repainted bumper, it looks a little yellowish (slightly) compared to the other panels and front bumper. Not very noticable but little things like that get to me. Also, I always have concerns about new paint not being as good (long lasting and durable) as the factory paint.

To bad she can't just cut you a check for $500 out of her pocket for the repair. Most people have $500 deductibles anyway and so it works out better for them too. Then I would touch up your car and save the $500 in case you are not satisfied with the touch up work or if at a later date you decide to repaint the whole bumper. If you do get it repainted, take some before pictures from various angles and different lighting and take them with you to the body shop and make sure they agree that they can match, no excuses.

Just my 2 cents.