Front Bumper help needed. frickin plastic
08-01-2007, 11:42 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Front Bumper help needed. frickin plastic
I have an 07 WDP TL that I purchased new 6 weeks ago and kept it parked in a condo parking garage for most of the time that I owned the car while fishing in the keys.
Yesterday I drove the car back to North Florida from Miami. Today I washed the car and noticed several short deep scratches on the bottom lip of the front bumper. The scratches are competely through the plastic coating. I honestly cant remember hitting or scraping anything since owning the car.
There is also a small dent on the bottom of the bumper. I can decompress the dent with my thumb by pressing the back of the bumper at the site of the dent but when I remove my thumb the dent returns. If I could fix the dent it would be possible to touch up the paint and repair the damage.
Does anyone have any experience working with plastic bumper covers or ideas on how to repair the dent?
Yesterday I drove the car back to North Florida from Miami. Today I washed the car and noticed several short deep scratches on the bottom lip of the front bumper. The scratches are competely through the plastic coating. I honestly cant remember hitting or scraping anything since owning the car.
There is also a small dent on the bottom of the bumper. I can decompress the dent with my thumb by pressing the back of the bumper at the site of the dent but when I remove my thumb the dent returns. If I could fix the dent it would be possible to touch up the paint and repair the damage.
Does anyone have any experience working with plastic bumper covers or ideas on how to repair the dent?
08-02-2007, 05:50 AM
#3
If the scratches are at the bottom, the cover can be sanded and sprayed in that area. The dent can be repaired by applying heat to the backside of the cover and massaging the area back to normal. It will take someone that knows the routine, as too much heat can damage the paint, but if the area is to be repainted, no problem, as long as the cover isn't destroyed.
Probably the exact paint match will be a problem, but if it's at the bottom maybe it won't matter.
I'm not very fond of repainted bumpers as most shops don't use the proper flex, and with the harsh road conditions, the paint has the possibility to chip off.
The wife struck a deer while driving our Grand Cherokee and needed a new front bumper cover. After 1.5 years, needed to take it back to have the lower part repainted as the paint was chipping off. The original repair came with a 5-year warranty so they'll need to correct any deficiency whenever it occurs.
Stay back from the concrete stops at the front of parking areas, or be careful when parking headon into curbs. Just a thought.
Probably the exact paint match will be a problem, but if it's at the bottom maybe it won't matter.
I'm not very fond of repainted bumpers as most shops don't use the proper flex, and with the harsh road conditions, the paint has the possibility to chip off.
The wife struck a deer while driving our Grand Cherokee and needed a new front bumper cover. After 1.5 years, needed to take it back to have the lower part repainted as the paint was chipping off. The original repair came with a 5-year warranty so they'll need to correct any deficiency whenever it occurs.
Stay back from the concrete stops at the front of parking areas, or be careful when parking headon into curbs. Just a thought.
08-02-2007, 06:23 AM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Turbonut
If the scratches are at the bottom, the cover can be sanded and sprayed in that area. The dent can be repaired by applying heat to the backside of the cover and massaging the area back to normal. It will take someone that knows the routine, as too much heat can damage the paint, but if the area is to be repainted, no problem, as long as the cover isn't destroyed.
Probably the exact paint match will be a problem, but if it's at the bottom maybe it won't matter.
I'm not very fond of repainted bumpers as most shops don't use the proper flex, and with the harsh road conditions, the paint has the possibility to chip off.
The wife struck a deer while driving our Grand Cherokee and needed a new front bumper cover. After 1.5 years, needed to take it back to have the lower part repainted as the paint was chipping off. The original repair came with a 5-year warranty so they'll need to correct any deficiency whenever it occurs.
Stay back from the concrete stops at the front of parking areas, or be careful when parking headon into curbs. Just a thought.
Probably the exact paint match will be a problem, but if it's at the bottom maybe it won't matter.
I'm not very fond of repainted bumpers as most shops don't use the proper flex, and with the harsh road conditions, the paint has the possibility to chip off.
The wife struck a deer while driving our Grand Cherokee and needed a new front bumper cover. After 1.5 years, needed to take it back to have the lower part repainted as the paint was chipping off. The original repair came with a 5-year warranty so they'll need to correct any deficiency whenever it occurs.
Stay back from the concrete stops at the front of parking areas, or be careful when parking headon into curbs. Just a thought.
Thanks for the advice, you were right about the heat, a Vidal Sassoon #4591 hair dryer (wife got a little pissed) and massaging the backside of the dent repaired the defect. Now I'm sanding and filling the scratches. The damage is at the very bottom of the bumper cover and will hide nicely with a little more work.
Thanks for the advice.
jp
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