Some idiot hit my car

[Bender78]

Unfortunately that idiot was me.

Moving cars around in my driveway this afternoon I backed up into my Camaro with my son's Sunfire. Forgot it was there......man, don't you hate it when you do something that is just incredibly stupid? I'm still pissed as hell at myself.

Anyway, can a tear in a urethane bumper be repaired? I'd hate to have to buy a bumper cover if i can help it. The rest of the damage isn't too bad, and the bumper really needed to be painted anyway.

So, anyone have any experience with this? I'm going to go and beat my head against the wall some more now...

[/IMG]

 

[jay50]

Have someone to kick your *** as punishment

 

[PDACPA]

They replaced the entire bumper on my BMW when the lower portion was torn about an inch in a little wreck (woman stopped in the middle of an intersection after the light had turned green and we started. They said the cost to repair was not worth it. Cheaper to buy a new cover.

 

[LEVE]

That'll buff out...

Seriously, replace the light assembly, buy a plastic welder and weld up, prime, paint the wrap and you're done with a new tool to boot!

It's a Win-Win!

 

[e-tek]

Something that big is VERY difficult to repair - nothing to hold it together. Plastic repairs are for small dammage where there's somehting behind to hold it togther.

Look for a used cover - likely find one for $100-$150....

 

[Gary S]

I agree. Plastic is a throwaway product. Once cars went to plastic, it is best to consider any damage permanent and not repairable. You are likely money ahead just replacing.

 

[throttlejunkie1]

Your not gonna be able to "repair" that with any plastiweld. New bumper cover or looks to me like its a great reason for a 98-02 front end conversion!

 

[mikeatrpi]

Check EBay for bumper covers. BTDT.

 

[ZRX61]

I plastic welded cracks up to 8-10in long with no problems

 

[scott37300]

I've fiberglassed bumbers like that before. I ground out the crack and scuffed things up. Then I rivited some metal to hold things in place, I used socket rails because the shape of them makes it really stiff. Then laid some fiberglass mat on the back of the bumper to make it solid. Then I started repairing the front of it with some tiger hair filler for the crack and then a thin coat of bondo on top. I've done a couple repairs like this and they turned out really good and have lasted years.

If you can find one cheap it's not worth the repair but if you can't find one cheap then the repair is worth it. Only costs a couple dollars in material if you already have the sanders and stuff for body work.

 

[A_Pmech]

Ooooops! Been there, done that.

and the bumper really needed to be painted anyway.

Yours too, 'eh?

Paint doesn't seem to stick too well to that generation of front bumper. Mine is peeling like it was painted with porch paint.... Probably because it WAS painted with porch paint.

 

[babzog]

Unfortunately that idiot was me.

Moving cars around in my driveway this afternoon I backed up into my Camaro with my son's Sunfire.

I backed into the MIL's brand spanking new Honda CRV in early Feb. In my defense, it was dark out, I'm used to just backing out the garage anytime and I had only vaguely registered the fact that she'd parked in front of the garage (on the van side, but still...). Did little damage to her car (a little bump in the rear wheel well sheet metal and tweaked a mounting tab off the fender liner) whereas mine suffered a busted taillight and displaced the bumper cover. Was heading out on a date with the wife and this cast a pall over the evening for me. Felt so incredibly stupid....

 

[LIVELY]

Have you told your SON yet!!!

He might have to take your keys away !

 

[wssix99]

I just had a similar unfortunate event happen to my composite fender at my own hands. The body shop was able to weld it up good as new. The catch is that a new part may be less than the labor and painting required to do that - but it is possible.

If you take it to someone to be done, be sure (if you take the cover off yourself) that you make sure they don't charge you the book labor for the part, which may include removal from the car.

 

[wewiserangers]

I agree. Plastic is a throwaway product. Once cars went to plastic, it is best to consider any damage permanent and not repairable. You are likely money ahead just replacing.

Cars are a throw away product. I would just drive it the way it is, it will be time to trade in no time.

 

[boostedgt]

Your not gonna be able to "repair" that with any plastiweld. New bumper cover or looks to me like its a great reason for a 98-02 front end conversion!

then it will look like a chrysler concorde nooooooooooo

 

[79firebird]

yes it can be fixed we do some worse then that at work. we use 2 part epoxy and mest at the back and some epoxy at the front. then we use putty for pumper and what not. thats minor to some jobs we get from insurance compenys

 

[Lotek]

There are companies that recondition and repair bumper covers, ask a local bodyshop, and the adhesion promoters they are using now are miles ahead of what that was originally painted with, but proper application is critical.

 

[bgott]

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...olutions/Mobile_Repair/Plastic_Repair/Bumper/

I've used the Duramix two-part products to fix a lot of stuff. I've even used the flexible bumper repair stuff to fix a bumper!

 

[A_Pmech]

a great reason for a 98-02 front end conversion!

Gah!

 

[ZRX61]

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...olutions/Mobile_Repair/Plastic_Repair/Bumper/

I've used the Duramix two-part products to fix a lot of stuff. I've even used the flexible bumper repair stuff to fix a bumper!

That stuff works really well when ya add some of that yellow fiberglass mesh drywall tape. Holds it altogether exceptionally well.

 

[TireTracks]

for a temp fix you can drill holes and "stich" it together with zipties

 

[Bender78]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I haven't checked for a replacement yet, but I want to stay with a OEM part. I've seen some of he aftermarket replacements and they just don't look as good as the GM parts. I'm going to fix this myself; I can't see going to a body shop for something I can do myself.

I've fiberglassed bumbers like that before. I ground out the crack and scuffed things up. Then I rivited some metal to hold things in place, I used socket rails because the shape of them makes it really stiff. Then laid some fiberglass mat on the back of the bumper to make it solid. Then I started repairing the front of it with some tiger hair filler for the crack and then a thin coat of bondo on top. I've done a couple repairs like this and they turned out really good and have lasted years.

If you can find one cheap it's not worth the repair but if you can't find one cheap then the repair is worth it. Only costs a couple dollars in material if you already have the sanders and stuff for body work.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Maybe a sheet metal backing plate glued in with some urethane adhesive, then grind open the crack and glass it up. I'm a couple of years into a Corvette restoration, so I've been getting plenty of experience with SMC adhesives and fiberglass repairs.

Ooooops! Been there, done that.

Yours too, 'eh?

Paint doesn't seem to stick too well to that generation of front bumper. Mine is peeling like it was painted with porch paint.... Probably because it WAS painted with porch paint.

Yea, the front clip of this car has been painted before. I've had this car since it was a year old, and six months after I got it I hit an 8 point buck with it. Took that SOB out at the knees, he landed on the hood and rolled over the roof. It went to the body shop that time!

New bumper cover or looks to me like its a great reason for a 98-02 front end conversion!

Nah. Never been partial to the later design. That's why I bought a 97 instead of a new 98.

 

[Bender78]

I thought I'd follow up with a photo of the repair.

I formed a piece of aluminum to the contour of the bumper and used that to back up the repair from the inside. Used a 2 part urethane adhesive to glue up the crack and mount the aluminum backing plate and clamped it to set up overnight. Then I cleaned up the crack with a ball end cutter in the die grinder then a couple light coats of filler, prime and paint.

It came out pretty good.

[/IMG]

 

[Shadowdog500]

Looks good!!!

Chris