eggbert52

Hey, carbon grey 2007 TSX with Navi and while pulling out of the unlit parking lot in Boston I scraped the passenger side bumper.

However, I did not touch ANY of the metal just the plastic bumper part from the inside of the tire all the way back to the trunk. But, it's all just on the plastic bumper, nothing on the trunk either.

My question is this, what are my best options to get this fixed? I know I don't have pictures yet because it is dark but I'm trying to get an estimate and the best way to make my baby look brand new again. It was just basically road rash and I'm not sure it can be buffed out. When trying to gage what the damage is think of a decent road rash then very light road rash towards the bottom.

A couple of things:

Will this come back on my Car Fax when I get it fixed?

Am I better off just getting a newly painted bumper?

Your help is appreciated and thanks!

eggbert52

I tried to edit my post but to no avail. Regardless, I am attaching a diagram on my bumper and if you click on the View Diagrams link you'll see the bumper. My damage is on the piece right where both number 13's enclose. It's a little bigger on the car but you get the point. I don't believe there is a way to heat this part and paint it is there?

http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...ACE_%28DOT%29#

Thanks!

kingkong222

dude, are you really 40? Back to your question. You can get an estimate from any body shop of your choice and have the insurance cover it. It will not show up on car fax unless you report it to the DMV. However, the insurance company will know about it since you are filing a claim. This should not be a big deal to get fixed, unless you are making it to be.

eggbert52

Well I usually buy American cars so I'm freaking out about this a little that's all. I'll pay cash so I won't need to report it. It's only road rash type scratches so I'm just wondering if I will have to replace the entire bumper.

I just want to make sure it looks good as new.

Thanks.

bbbuzzy

Take it from someone older (43), just pay out of pocket to have the bumper repainted. No need to involve the RMV or your insurance Co. I just did the same thing a few weeks ago to my front bumper cover. Had it repainted for $275 and it looks fine.

eggbert52

Thanks Buz...I'm not stupid, it's just that when you put 150,000 on your last car (2001 Ford Focus) you are not too concerned with learing about CarFax.

This may explain my ignorance. As for my hyper-reaction...well...I just like things the way they were when I got them.

Very disappointed in myself.

Should I go with a new bumper or post pics and let you guys decide?

Thanks!

LukeaTron

Put some pics up for sure. If the scratches are not down into the plastic, it should be an easy repaint job. If it is down to the plastic you'll have to decide if you want to deal with scratches being evident on the surface or not. From my experience, if the scratches are down low and are not huge gouges, they're very inconspicuous if you just paint over it. There's no bondo like material that can be used on that type of flexible plastic unfortunately.

eggbert52

Thanks Luke...it's pouring here but I'm going to jump outside shortly and put some of the photos up.

In talking to the shop, he said it's better to replace the panel than to replace the entire bumper. He said replacing the entire bumper will be harder to match up the paint on.

Do you agree? I'm wondering if being methodical and searching for a bumper at the junkyard would be better.

Thanks again.

eggbert52

Now hopefully more will look and offer their advice. Thanks.

http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/i...=Bumper001.jpg

http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/i...=Bumper002.jpg

http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/i...=Bumper003.jpg

http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/i...=Bumper004.jpg

JimHolloman

I will give you a reply that will hopefully be the last reply that you will need. First of all, you were lucky to scratch only the bumper and not the body.

No one can answer your question other than yourself because it comes down to a question of vanity and budget. Only you know the balance. If you are really vane -- then dump the car and go buy another new car. If you are really tight on budget, then drive it "as it" -- it does not effect driveability and it will still pass inspection.

I would estimate the cost of replacing the entire bumper at around $650. So that one is easy. I would cover the expense out of my pocket and not file an insurance claim. If you intend to sell, or trade, the car within 5 years, I would suggest going ahead and replacing the bumper.

So, now the repair. I would check with a couple of experienced body shops and see if they are aware of a filler material for the bumpers (I believe the bumpers are made from polyurethane). If they can fill the cracks at a reasonable cost, then I would let them do the repair -- and painting.

Otherwise, I would go to Home Depot and buy a tube of DAP Premium Elastomeric Sealant in a Gray color (or Alex Ultra 230 at Lowe's) along with a calking gun, get me several pieces of relative thin, firm but yet still flexible, piece of plastic (think of a thin, over-sized, credit card) from either Home Depot, Lowes, or a crafts store, a pair of latex gloves (tight fitting), and a medium sponge with tight cells (the dry cleaning type would be good -- but hard to find), a few sheet of cover stock paper (70 lb) and a bucket of very warm water. I would also need an indoor garage that is reasonably comfortable and would stay above freezing for 24 hours. I would carefully cut the cover stock using sheers (heavy weight scissors) to a contour that closely matches the bumper area (you will likely need more than one piece). I would then use the cover stock as a template to cut the same contour in one of the plastic pieces. Using the plastic piece as an shaping instrument (like a putty knife) I would apply the sealant (another word for high grade calking -- or is it chalking) to the bumper and fill in the cracks with the sealant. Using the latex gloves, the sponge and the plastic piece, you ought to be able to fill in the cracks. The chalk will shrink a little as it dries, so you don't want it recessed (concave at all). Have it flush -- or a little convex if possible. Note that this sealant cannot be sanded (or should not be sanded) once applied -- it has too much elasticity to sand. Then, once the cracks are filled, I would take the car to a good body shop to get the painting done. Check to see who Acura recommends. Tell the body shop that the filler material is a elastomeric sealant and will gum up if sanded. Because of this, you might want to consider sanding the entire area that will need to be repainted with wet-or-dry sandpaper (120, then 200, then 240 grit) used wet before filling the cracks. The sanding is simply to remove the gloss so that a new coat of paint will adhere.

If you are patient, and have some artistic abilities, you will able to repair the scratches in a manner that will make them unnoticeable to the casual observer. I do not know how long the repair would be effective -- it might be a few months -- it might be many years.

eggbert52

Thanks Jim. I owe $23,500 on the car right now. With the 0.9 financing they have on the newer cars do you think I could break even on the trade? Meaning:

I have only 50 payments left and did a 66 month financing. If I went back to square one with a new TSX or an 08 with Navi at 0.9% would I pretty much have the same payment or less for another 66 months?

Thanks for your reply.

I've got an appointment tomorrow so I'll see what my best options are. I'm not REALLY vane, but it seems like the guy isn't totally confident he can match up the color perfectly.

LukeaTron

Those scratches are way to deep to be repaired. I mean no disrespect to JimHolloman but I think the technique he's describing would look about as good as painting over some old dog crap rubbed into the cracks. Jim is this something you've tried or are you just speculating on what you think might work?

The reality is there isn't a way to repair the ABS plastic they use to make these parts. I think if you wanted to take a stab at it, your best bet would be to use some heat and try to flatten the plastic back out against a piece of metal or something. The chances of being able to bring the bumper back to anything close to it's original condition are all but non-existent.

The junk yard is worth a try but I'm guessing you're going to have a hard time finding one undamaged. My advice would be to bite the bullet and drop some coin on having a new bumper painted and installed. Should be in the $750 range.

It could be worse. Two months ago my dad was checking out a job site in his Lexus LS 460. It was some commercial strip mall sort of thing. He was there after dark and just driving by to see how far along they were. While turning around in the parking lot he hit cement pedestal where a lamp post will eventually be mounted. It was about about 16 inches high and completely unmarked. Totally mangled the bottom half of the passenger door then wedged under the car and messed up the under body pretty bad. About $12k in damage. Luckily the construction company is going to be paying for it since OSHA says the pedestal should have been marked with a cone or something. Still, extensive frame damage on brand new top of the line Lexus sort of sucks.

eggbert52

Luke thanks very much, that is the direction I am going in. My only fear is whether or not they will match up the paint well.

In speaking to my friend whose brand new LandRover just needed to have the hood repainted, he says that good auto body shops now adays make it look just like new.

I'll do my due dillgence on a good auto body company but I would like to get some opinions on others who have had damage and how good it looked after they got it repainted.

Thanks to all.

Obviously, if I'm looking to get a new car, money isn't the problem. However, I really hate getting rid of all the equity I have built up in my car over the past 16 payments. The car is actually worth more than what I owe so every payment forward makes it worth that much more to hang onto it. It only has 20,400 miles so I'm leaning towards keeping it.

feuss2

iTrader: (1)

Time for something aftermarket?

JimHolloman

One piece of advice for whatever it is worth. Slow down! Get information and determine your options and costs -- and then do nothing for at least a week. There is no need to rush. You are upset over this -- and it shows.

Secondly, any trade will likely cost you more than what it would cost to replace the bumper. However, I don't know your current interest rate. So, talk with a dealer and compare the numbers. It is the right time of year, and the right economy, to find motivated car dealers. If you jump to an '09 TSX, you will have a different type of car -- one that does not look, feel, nor drive like the 1G TSX.

You live in Boston, right? What are the odds that a new car will suffer a similar fate -- perhaps not at your hands, but at the hands of some other driver -- or at the hands of the elements, like ice and snow. In general, people can not afford to buy a new car every time one needs a minor repair.


> I'm not REALLY vane, but it seems like the guy isn't totally confident he can match up the color perfectly.

If someone told me that that they are 100 percent confident that the could match the color perfectly I would turn around and walk off -- end of conversation. The truth is, no one can achieve a perfect color match. But, does it need to be perfect? Like me tell you, at the BMW plant in S'burg, SC (X5 and X6 models), that paint the entire body, and then remove the doors for the assembly. All the doors are the same. Yet, a costly effort is undertaking to get the doors back on the exact vehicle that they came off so that the paint will match. So, a single plant with a common environment, using the same paint from the same batch from the same vendor can not paint a body one day and the doors another day and get a perfect match. So don't expect someone to be able to do so a year later that is likely not even using paint from the the same source (vendor) -- remember, the TSX is made in Japan.

In order of cost I would say: 1) repair the bumper 2) replace the bumper 3) trade the car. But, as before, make no decision for at least a week. You have nothing to lose by waiting. And, approaching a dealer the last two weeks of December may be the best two weeks of the year.

JimHolloman

Skeptics are nothing new to me -- and I surprise most of them.

When considering options, I look at cost vs benefits. In this case, the total cost of trying my technique, excluding the painting, ought to be less than $25.00 -- plus the time involved.

Others have told me that they can fill cracks in polyurethane bumpers (no mention of ABS), but they did not say with what material or technique. If I recall correctly, I saw, many years ago, a product in an auto parts store that was intended to fill cracks in flexible bumpers -- similar to Bondo for sheet metal. It was in the same area as the Bondo. I need to go do a Google search.

So, without further knowledge, I am inclined to believe that the cracks could be filled, and the area repainted to make the repair perfectly acceptable to anyone other than the most picky. But, I am open, like the original poster, to other opinions.

JimHolloman

Here is some educational information. It APPEARS that a filler is being produced that will fill cracks in flexible bumpers.

Urethane for repairing TPO-type plastics including, Metton (found on many snowmobiles), Polypropylene (found on most Japanese car bumpers, EPDM (found on many European cars), TEO (found on many 1995 and later bumpers).
http://yhst-13811118617756.stores.ya...hannelid=BCOME

Is this the correct filler for urethane bumpers?
http://www.autobodystore.com/forum/showthread.php?t=762

Urethane Bumper repair:
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/uret...air-71349.html

Plastic Bumper Repair
http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_...56.html?page=2

Help - problem with SEM bumper repair
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/fabr...er-repair.html

JimHolloman

And, if you have a dented bumper.

From: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/bump...air-66133.html

"Put the bumper in a big tub of very hot water and the dent will come right out That's how the bumper recycler's do it."

JimHolloman

eggbert52, I believe you said you have around 20k miles on your car. So, in considering a trade for a new car (with less than 500 miles), take that into consideration. At 25 cents per mile depreciation, you are looking at $5,000, at 20 cents per mile, $4,000 dollars, and so on. In other words, getting rid of the 20k miles is of some value -- I would say around 15 to 20 cents per mile-- or from $3,000 to $4,000.

eggbert52

This is actually a really good point. With the depreciation of the car, the change in financing from 4.95 to 2.99, and not having to pay for the bumper...this COULD work out. I'm going to have to negotiate hard though.

But as you mention in a previous post, it won't be the TSX I want.

LukeaTron

You must be one of those guys that loves haggling. Personally, I would never willing enter into that process if it were not a necessity. Yuck.

malnik

I scratched the same way a few months ago. I backed up in to some jagged rocks and scrapped it pretty bad. I got an estimated from a local body shop and they want me to go through insurance and replace the bumper. It's probably just a $150 job but they don't want deal with chicken scraps. In their eyes, every job needs to be at least a certain amount.

zguy95135

Dude no offense but those are probably the riciest looking bumpers you could have posted. Why not something like the Kenstyle kit?

S14 n Tsx

^^ A-spec bumper was only a concept, never came out in market. Rest,

eggbert52

Keep in mind, I'm the guy they screwed over when I bought my first car. Look up my thread.

Anyway, it just might give me some leverage this time around. Still, I'm leaning towards the bumper and I've taken Jim's advice and have chilled out a little.

I'll keep you posted.

LukeaTron

It's good advice. Well heeded.

feuss2

iTrader: (1)

No offense taken... just showing that there are options!

The Kenstyle kit does not replace the bumper, just adds on to the bottom, correct?

SSFTSX

If u owe 23.5 K on 07. Definitely try to upgrade to 09 TSX before 09 calender years comes out.
I am not sure where u located. My 06 TSX had same problems. curb rashes on rims/worn out tires/grill peeling/dings on front & Back bumper. Dealer said it is not big problem for them to fix it so it was not consider in trade in.
Now market is down. U will be lucky to get $20-$21K on 07 TSX.
Now this $2 to $3K can be added to new car price. so try to negotiate lower the 09 TSX price. but rember u get newer better car with more warranty and miles to enjoy along with better fuel economic. There is no point in further investment trying to repair old models.
06-08 TSX are depreciating faster than 2G as there arent that many 2G. only serious long term buyers are in market.