Bumper Hit and Run Damage

T

toml

New member
This past week, someone backed into the rear bumper of my brand new 2005 Accord (less than 2000 miles) and caused some damage. I've attached some pictures. There's a fair amount of scraping as well as a "welt" in the bumper where it was split. No note or anything.





I went to a local body shop recommended by the dealer (and one that I've used before to replace a mirror), and they said I would need to replace the bumper cover if I wanted it like new again ... the estimate was $700. The other option was to try to fix it without replacing the cover, but that estimate was around $400, and they couldn't guarantee it would look much better. My insurance deductible is $500, so rather than file a claim and have the insurance company (USAA) pick up $200 of the repair (and run the possibility of a rate hike), I'd likely pay for this out of pocket if I get it fixed. There's no real rush as there's no issue of rusting involved.



In terms of anything that I could do, I don't think ScratchX would work. And David's scratch repair method using touch-up paint doesn't look like it would work either due to the number of scratches and the area involved.



Are there cosmetic fixes that you think would work?



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Damn sorry to hear. I feel your pain, bc I recently had my daily driver partially repainted, which included both bumpers. Not less than one month went by before I started noticing people backing up into my front bumper. I ended up putting a rubber bumper guard on the front bumper to avoid further damage. Luckily the bumper guard integrated well with my paint, and it blends tastefully with the car's paint and trim scheme (although I tried in vain not to put it on).



It looks like in your case, at the area where you were hit, a bumper guard wouldn't have done much to prevent it. Some people put these strips at the corners, and I've seen people put them all around the bumper. They are unsightly, depending on what style and how many of them you put on, but with these painted bumpers being the norm, and if you drive daily in a congested area, scuffed, scratched and dented bumpers will end up being a normal nuisance. Good luck in the repair.



Edit: see thread



http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49985&highlight=lbls1
 
Imacarnut, thanks for the websites for touch-up supplies. The paintscratch website said not to use a touch-up pen unless you were repairing chips up to the size of a pencil eraser. A spray can might work.



And Josh, no, I haven't tried ScratchX yet. Part of the reason for my posting was to get some feedback on what would and wouldn't be helpful given the pictures I posted. Have you used ScratchX on similar damage, and did it help?
 
I will be using #80 and a PC to polish my paint and remove some light winter marring in a couple weeks. Do you think this combo would improve the damage to my bumper? My thought is "No" because much of the scratching can be felt with my fingernail, but I certainly could be wrong.
 
Tom,



I'd start by claying the area first. Sometimes you get lucky and the majority of the scuffs are from the other car. It's worth a try.



After that, you need to polish it out. Start with #80 and a polishing pad to see what that does. Keep in mind that these are deep scratches, you are going to get them *out* but will just minimize them as much as possible so they go unnoticed. After you try #80 with a polishing pad, if that didn't work don't get upset yet because that was a pretty mild start. If that didn't work try #80 again, but with a cutting pad this time. If that still didn't work, step up to #83 and a polishing pad, and last a cutting pad if that didn't work either. After this point, what you see if what you have to live with. If you do end up having to use #83, follow behind it with #80 to smooth it out some more and remove any hazing you introduced. Keep your PC on speed 5 and move it around the area very slowly but don't stop, keep moving and be very patient. Don't use any pressure, try to let the PC do the work.



After this, I am thinking that will barely even notice them anymore. It doesn't look *that* bad so most of it should be extremely reduced if not taken out entirely.



Good luck and don't forget to post pics after you're done so we can see how it looks!
 
JDookie said:




Start with #80 and a polishing pad to see what that does. Keep in mind that these are deep scratches, you are going to get them *out* but will just minimize them as much as possible so they go unnoticed. After you try #80 with a polishing pad, if that didn't work don't get upset yet because that was a pretty mild start. If that didn't work try #80 again, but with a cutting pad this time. If that still didn't work, step up to #83 and a polishing pad, and last a cutting pad if that didn't work either. After this point, what you see if what you have to live with. If you do end up having to use #83, follow behind it with #80 to smooth it out some more and remove any hazing you introduced. Keep your PC on speed 5 and move it around the area very slowly but don't stop, keep moving and be very patient. Don't use any pressure, try to let the PC do the work.
Click to expand...



Jason,



Thanks for the reply! Really appreciate it!!:up :up :up



I plan on getting a yellow Propel pad as part of my order of pads from Patrick. From what I've read, that would match up with #83 nicely. Is that the type of cutting pad you're thinking of?



I think I'll be off to the Sample exchange post to see who has some #83. It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to buy 32 oz. of it.



And how did you increase the size of the pictures? Was there something I could have originally done in the post?
 
Tom,



The yellow Propel pad is exactly what I'm talking about when I mention a cutting pad, but don't use that one until you have already tried everything else. Remember the Autopia motto: Always try to use the least aggressive method as possible achieve your goal.



If you want to trade off for some #83 that's up to you, but to be honest it's really one of those polishes that's nice to keep around. Every detailer should have at least one moderate/heavy abrasive polish in their arsenal. You might not use it often but it's worth it's weight in gold when you need it. Besides, #83 is a really good *all around* type product. There are some people that have learned how to use #83 so efficiently that they can go straight to LSP.



As far as your pics, all I did was find the pic in your gallery and right click on it. A window pops up. Highlight and copy the picture URL, then come back to your post and click on the IMG button, another box will appear, then paste your copied link and click OK. Your picture will be inserted.
 
Jason,



Thanks for the recommendation to get a full bottle of #83.



In your sequence of product and pad, #80 with a cutting pad would be less aggressive than #83 with a polishing pad, right?
 
They would actually be very close but yes, #80 would still be a *little* less aggressive. You'd be surprised what you will be able to get out with #80 and a cutting pad. On the other hand, some people don't even bother. If the polishing pad and #80 doesn't work, most go straight to #83 and get it overwith. You will see what you need to do after a couple passes with #80 and a polishing pad.
 
Thanks for the clarification. I just read Scott's post about #80 not being sun friendly and a similar post about #83 ... as well as Patrick's post about #83 being "hard enough in the shade."



I'm not sure what makes #83 so hard to use, and I did find a link giving a good explanation on how to use it (http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49110 ).



Are there other products similar to #80 and #83 that are sun friendly and easier to work with? A quick search brings SSR 2.5 and 1 to mind. I really only want to have one set of go-to polishes, one to remove light marring and one for more heavier work (the above damage and the like). And for me, versatility is more important than some difficulty with the product. You can minimize difficulty ... it's hard to maximize versatility. And yes, I am new at this!
 
Don't take one negative post about #80 and #83 and use that to determine if it's any good or not. If you look back at most of Scott's posts, he almost precedes 75% of all his details with #80 so that should tell you something. He had a bad experience with it, as I'm sure all of us have every now and then with our favorite products. Sometimes they just don't want to work with you.



In general, it really doesn't matter what polish you go with. As LouisianaJeeper recommended, 3M products are great, and so is Poorboy's (which is probably the most versatile of the group), and then you have Menzerna, Sonus, Pinnacle, Mother's, Einszett, Clearkote, and the list goes on and on.



If you are going to primarily detail your car in the sun, I would probably lean toward the Poorboy's because they are designed with that purpose in mind.
 
JDookie said:
Don't take one negative post about #80 and #83 and use that to determine if it's any good or not.
Click to expand...



Jason,



Good point. Thanks! I know #80 and #83 are quality products ... enough people here use them!
 
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