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Guys, I recently got into a "small" accident. The result is an ugly, 3-inch long/1-inch long widehole at the left side of my car's rear bumper and some scratches.
The impact was strong enough that the object my car hit pierced the bumper. The metal in the hole area is twisted.
The hole is ugly, noticeable... like a sore thumb, multiplied by 1000.
I know that without pics it's hard to guesstimate, but to get this fixed, how much am I looking to spend?
Count on spending a lot more than you think. Once a bumper is compressed, the entire bumper will need to be replaced. I'd get your insurance company involved, this could easily run you between 1 and 2 grand.
Count on spending a lot more than you think. Once a bumper is compressed, the entire bumper will need to be replaced. I'd get your insurance company involved, this could easily run you between 1 and 2 grand.
Sorry for the ignorance but what does it mean when a bumper is compressed?
Well, a bumper these days is basically thick chunk of really dense styrofoam underneath a plastic cover. Once that styrofoam has been "squeezed in" by an impact, it doesn't "unsqueeze" and the bumper loses its functionality. The whole thing will have to be replaced, and that's a fairly expensive proposition, which involves more body work than just fixing a hole.
Well, a bumper these days is basically thick chunk of really dense styrofoam underneath a plastic cover. Once that styrofoam has been "squeezed in" by an impact, it doesn't "unsqueeze" and the bumper loses its functionality. The whole thing will have to be replaced, and that's a fairly expensive proposition, which involves more body work than just fixing a hole.
Ok. thanks.
now, the reason I was planning to pay out of pocket was because this is a brand new car (hence my frustration and anger at this whole situation) but also because if I get insurance involved at something that is "minor," my monthly premium will fly off the roof.
Do you still recommend getting insurance involved? I pay 130 a month and that's a pretty affordable rate for me right now - and I stand a chance of having it lowered by summer.
Also - Is there NO way that this can be properly repaired without having to get a whole new piece?
Go get an estimate and let them know up front that you don't want to turn it into insurance. Hopefully they'll give you a better price than if insurance was paying.
Whatever you do, don't call your insurance until you know if you want them involved. Even if they don't pay, they may raise your rates based on your report of an at fault accident.
You don't say what model car you have. It is possible that just the bumper cover is pierced. Even the cover, on some cars, requires rather expensive paint work. There's always duct tape
Guys, I recently got into a "small" accident. The result is an ugly, 3-inch long/1-inch long widehole at the left side of my car's rear bumper and some scratches.
The impact was strong enough that the object my car hit pierced the bumper. The metal in the hole area is twisted.
The hole is ugly, noticeable... like a sore thumb, multiplied by 1000.
I know that without pics it's hard to guesstimate, but to get this fixed, how much am I looking to spend?
Get on-line and price a new rear bumper, maybe you can just change it yourself. A fast search showed the rear bumper to be $63.00 and the reinforcment to be $178.00 so you could replace those parts and then have it painted to match for alot less than a body shop will charge.
If you are not *real* insistant on a factory-perfect job, you might consider letting a trade school or community college body shop do the job. Sometimes you get 100% quality, sometimes you are the "victim" of a student that is not too talented - sort of like getting a haircut at a beauty college. Typically at these community college shops you pay for materials and maybe a little more but the labor is generally free.
This is intended to supplement, not replace, RoadDog's advice - talk to the school first of course, but you can probably buy the main parts online, have the school shop install, and paint. You would pay the school for the paint and supplies.
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