Bumper and dash repair: Highlander. 4 pictures.

AppliedColors

New member
This customer damaged his dashboard hauling PVC pipe. Toyota quoted him about $1350 for a replacement which he promptly declined.



His wife made quite an impression in his rear bumper (don't they always blame it on the wife/daughter/son/mother?). Bodyshop quote: $1020.



Pictures:



hb01.JPG




hb02.JPG




highlander_dash01.JPG




highlander_dash02.JPG




Process (bumper):



1. Clean bumper. Wax/grease remove bumper.

2. Remove bumper and mask all trim.

3. Sand out damage.

4. Heat and reshape bumper with heat gun, dollies, hands...anything that gets the job done.

5. Prime repair area.

6. Seal repair area.

7. Scuff and clean entire bumper.

8. Basecoat blend area.

9. Clearcoat entire bumper (:wow: this customer paid the extra $125 for a full clearcoat). Infrared heatlamp the bumper to curing point.

10. Remount bumper.



Process (dash):



1. Clean repair area.

2. Sand out damage with 600 grit dry.

3. Fill damage with SEM Flex Weld.

4. Texturize repair area with SEM Spray Texture. Sand with 800 grit dry.

5. Match color of dash and spray .75 oz. of catalyzed vinyl/leather/plastic dye over repair area, curing with heat gun.



Price:

$500 for bumper and $125 for dash. If the customer chose to blend the repair near the hitch, we could have done the bumper for $375.



Time:

Completed in 4 hours by two techs.



Notes:

This was not an insurance job. The customer wanted the bumper fixed--not replaced--and wanted to keep his out-of-pocket cost near his deductable of $500. Look closely, and you can see that the main crease in the bumper was not entirely removed. Nevertheless, he was very happy with the repair and his insurance rate remained the same.



The dash repair was visually a 90% improvement. Touch it, however, and it was rougher than the surrounding dash. We had to add some high gloss clear to the dye to match the sheen of the dash.
 
BTW why would it cost $375 more to fix the scuff by the hitch? Doesnt seem like much more work to correct or maybe it was. The repair looks awesome except for that area above the hitch.
 
Legacy99 said:
BTW why would it cost $375 more to fix the scuff by the hitch? Doesnt seem like much more work to correct or maybe it was. The repair looks awesome except for that area above the hitch.



Are you talking about the reflection of the hitch on the bumper? I am not seeing any damage above the hitch but, a reflection from the hitch. :confused:



To the OP nice work on both repairs!!! :xyxthumbs
 
Legacy99 said:
BTW why would it cost $375 more to fix the scuff by the hitch? Doesnt seem like much more work to correct or maybe it was. The repair looks awesome except for that area above the hitch.



375 is 125 less than 500....



I'm not sure you understand what he said. If he didnt clear the whole bumper and blended it out to the area near the hitch, it would have been 125 dollars cheaper. which is 375.





AppliedColors, nice work. I have a friend who is going to teach me some stuff like that. Never know when you might need to know how!
 
Legacy99 said:
BTW why would it cost $375 more to fix the scuff by the hitch? Doesnt seem like much more work to correct or maybe it was. The repair looks awesome except for that area above the hitch.





Are you talking abotu the reflection? lol
 
Great job, a couple quick questions, Do you own Applied Colors or just chose that as a screenname? And where are you located?
 
Legacy99 said:
BTW why would it cost $375 more to fix the scuff by the hitch? Doesnt seem like much more work to correct or maybe it was. The repair looks awesome except for that area above the hitch.





There was no scuff by the hitch. What I meant was that we could have just painted half the bumper (the hitch would be the split point) for $375. The customer chose to have the whole bumper cleared for another $125.
 
It looks like good work but why only one finished picture of each? You probably put in about 4-5 hours of work into these repairs and I don't think a single picture really justifies it. It makes a good before/after but not much else.
 
lp2137 said:
Great job, a couple quick questions, Do you own Applied Colors or just chose that as a screenname? And where are you located?



I own Applied Colors and a reconditioning shop in Oregon.



There are reconditioners in all major cities. They perform:



1. Paintless dent repair

2. Vinyl/leather/dash repair

3. Carpet dyeing

4. Bumper and panel repair

5. Scratch and rock chip repair

6. Windshield repair

7. Interior plastic panel repair



Reconditioners typically make double what detailers make; some PDR techs make $150k+ a year. Develop a scarce skill and the free market will compensate you.
 
Holden_C04 said:
It looks like good work but why only one finished picture of each? You probably put in about 4-5 hours of work into these repairs and I don't think a single picture really justifies it. It makes a good before/after but not much else.



I want usable photos of every job we do for our portfolio. One good before and after is enough. Finishing on time, on budget, and making the customer happy is the first priority; pictures come second. Occasionally an exotic comes to the shop, and we get a little photo happy. :spot
 
Where do you get training to do all these repairs? Besides the kit on your site of course. Bodyshop experience helps I assume.
 
SilvaBimma said:
Where do you get training to do all these repairs? Besides the kit on your site of course. Bodyshop experience helps I assume.



Our touchup kit wouldn't help with any of the repairs I've posted here.



You can get training at:

rightlook.com

paintbull.com

vinylpro.com

dingking.com

community colleges (body repair basics)



Ideally, it's best to learn from a professional in another city. Shadow him for two weeks and pay him well.



I've learned a lot from hiring veteran body techs.



The auto body repair business is in a slump right now. There's many skilled techs available.
 
I think the reason why the dash was quoted over $1K at the dealer was because of the airbag cover.



Anyways, what a nice job!



Too bad you're not in Vancouver :(
 
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