snapier

Okay so I was parked in the city and came back to find that someone's license plate holder had slammed into the back of my car while they were trying to parallel park.

So the paint is gouged now and I really want to take it into an auto body shop.

I was looking for suggestions as to whether to take it to my local place or to an Acura dealer. Also, what questions should I ask the person who is going to work on ym car to make sure I get a good quality job? I don't know that much about paint, but I put Zaino on my car and am pretty fanatical about its looks!

Thanks in advance for any help here...

briny319

First, where are you from. Maybe someone from this forum can recommend someone in your area. Second, if possible I wouldn't recommend going to the dealer. Usually the dealer just calls a local guy and charges you extra. I know that's what my local honda dealer does. So I asked someone who works there what body shop they use and took the car there myself. Third If they need to replace your bumper make sure they replace it with an oem bumper.

Damn that sucks. I really hate stupid people. I want an armed guard to sit in my car 24/7 and shoot anyone who comes within an inch of it.

NoHandle

Yeah, I want to know where you live too. I'm in Chicago and if you look at the rear bumpers of any car on any block in Chicago, 80-90 percent will have hacked up rear bumpers. Doesn't matter how expensive the car is. Simply no respect for anything in this town.

I've already got 4 seperate hacks in my rear bumper and I don't even park on the street. The wife, parks at a garage at work and they've put all the marks in the rear bumper from backing into other parked cars.

My beef is, the manufactures could help us out on this:

Better license plate holder on the front of cars so the screws don't gouge.

Color matched plastic (within reason) for the bumpers so that on a light car you don't have black showing thru.

Built in pnumatic hammer that pops out of the trunk and smashes the hood of the car that hits you on contact. (You know, something Wyle E. Cyote would have)

But alas, with chopped up bumpers they get to sell more replacement bumpers and gouge you better when it's time to trade in.

Brad

I have one license plate nute gouge on my rear bumper. It didn't break the paint, but the gouge is there.

My Acura dealer suggested Dent-Pro. I haven't tried them yet.

snapier

Yeah I'm from Philadelphia so if anyone can reccommend someone in the area, that would be great. There is a place that I've taken other cars too, but I'm not really sure how good their work is (I've never really tried to keep a car in as good of shape as I am with my TSX).

Yeah, these bumpers suck they're all junky plastic. I thought it would be able to hold up better, but yeah then they get to sell more replacement bumpers. Maybe I'll just wait until I move out of the city and get an entire new bumper slapped on there.

DEVO

yeah NoHandle is right. the manufacturers could do a better job of placing the plates to that no damage occurs. the problem is that all manufactures have to agree to this... and everybody buying cars need to comply as well... and then you have to retrofit... so it's a big problem that won't be solved for many years. but a start to the problem is to make them inset now.

ortiz

My bumper and ground effect got hit too. I caught the person who of course did not have insurance.
My insurance company payed all my damages.
They even went through the trouble of...
1) taking her to court to get the money back.
2) Having her license suspended for one year.
3) imposing a $1000 fine.


California has some stiff penalties for not having insuance.

ortiz

If you do get if fixed make sure you get the right color code and they a couple layers of clear coat paint on top.

Any good paint and body shop will warenty their work from fading and oxidation for life.