Repairing rear bumper without having to replace?

[barlowc]

We're visiting my parents for the holiday and my mom backed their CTS into our Saturn. The damage (on our Saturn) isn't too bad and is limited to the rear bumper. It has some relatively deep scratches that I can't do anything about, but I believe a body shop could take care of it. The problem is that there's also a 3" x 3/4" gouge in the plastic. Is this too something that a body shop can probably repair without having to replace the whole rear bumper? Do shops have some kind of polymer filler to fill that, buff it smooth, and repaint the area?

We're probably going to handle this without involving the insurance companies. My folks will pay me back for the repair costs. I'm just hoping that we can get it repaired to my satisfaction without it costing them too much.

 

[JHZR2]

I doubt it will look right.

Bummer.

 

[JTK]

I've had plastic bumper skins repaired in the past and the results were pretty good.

Problem is, with today's parts and labor costs, it would probably be not that much more expensive to replace as opposed to repair.

Joel

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: JTK
I've had plastic bumper skins repaired in the past and the results were pretty good.

Problem is, with today's parts and labor costs, it would probably be not that much more expensive to replace as opposed to repair.

Joel


Agreed. The cost of a plastic bumper is about 200 bucks, with another 400 in labor and paint. So if you figure it's another hour to repair the old bumper, you're looking at 500 vs 600 bucks.

The cheapest way you'll fix it is to buy a prepainted bumper off ebay. I've actually had good luck with this, and if you take a look at feedback there are a couple good vendors on there. Then you're looking in the 3~400 dollar range.

 

[saberz]

I know that there is also some foam/padding underneath the bumper cover that should be replaced as well. Even a minor impact can have a significant effect on how the bumper would re-act in an impact. I'd make sure there aren't any similar marks under the cover.

 

[Newreet]

See if any of the auto salvage yards within a reasonable radius from your home have any Saturn VUEs with good rear bumper covers (fascias), ideally in the same color as yours. The rear bumper covers on Saturns including VUEs are very easy to remove/replace. The VUEs older than yours have unpainted gray bumper covers, would not look strange on your 2007 VUE, and would be a perfect fit.

The auto salvage yard closest to me charges $45 for a bumper cover. Buying one through eBay or the like could end up with a large shipping fee due to the size of the packaging.

If the color does not match then a paint shop might charge about $150 to $300 to change the color of the replacement bumper cover.

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: Newreet
The VUEs older than yours have unpainted gray bumper covers, would not look strange on your 2007 VUE, and would be a perfect fit.

Ours has the chrome package which includes front and rear skidplates. The unpainted gray won't work. It'll change the look of the vehicle in a way that I won't be happy with.

Maybe I'll check eBay and see if I can find anything. Our VUE is black, so I have to believe it'll be an easy color to find.

 

[Trav]

It can be repaired to look like new, no problem at all.
I repaired multiple horrible gashes on my GP and i challenge anyone to find the repairs even with a magnifying glass.

Plastic welding from the rear if its gashed open and filling with 3M plastic material is quick and easy.
Repaint with base/clear coat and its like new.
Total time about 3 hrs and about $100 inc paint and R&R.
Figure about $500 at a decent body shop.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en...FbeQH8HT14PGTgl

 

[barlowc]

That sounds like the solution I'm looking for. Should I be able to find a body shop that'll offer that as an option?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Trav
It can be repaired to look like new, no problem at all.
I repaired multiple horrible gashes on my GP and i challenge anyone to find the repairs even with a magnifying glass.

Plastic welding from the rear if its gashed open and filling with 3M plastic material is quick and easy.
Repaint with base/clear coat and its like new.
Total time about 3 hrs and about $100 inc paint and R&R.
Figure about $500 at a decent body shop.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en...FbeQH8HT14PGTgl


Pics?

First the damage has to be perfectly smooth. Then the paint job has to be right, and on top of that, the paint job has to match the level of fading on the paint.

Sure, two of the three are run of the mill things...

But depending upon the gash and the skill of the shop, it still may not look right - heres to hope that it does.

Care to share pictures of your repaired areas? This would be good to see and know.

 

[Trav]

Sure i will snap a couple tomorrow. Your right the work has to be done properly but the plastic filler is almost as easy to work with as regular plastic filler.

Paint prep is everything, i use a plastic primer and self etching primer then blend the paint in with the bumper on the car if its a metallic using a small amount of paint in with the clear coat to blow it in the area around the bumper.
This car is white so it needed no blending to look right.

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: Newreet
The rear bumper covers on Saturns including VUEs are very easy to remove/replace

Newreet, since you seem to know a bit about the VUEs, am I correct that the rear bumper on a 2007 is composed of 3 pieces? There's an upper, painted part, a lower, unpainted/gray part, and then the plastic/chrome skidplate? If so, I think it's just the upper part that has to be repaired/replaced and that knowledge might save me some money when discussing a quote with a body shop.

 

[Trav]

Sorry for the delay but it was late yesterday. Apologies for not washing the car but i'm just to busy.

The bumper was repaired where needed then i totally resprayed as you can see finish quality is excellent if i say so myself even though i haven't bothered to buff it out yet.

This drivers front corner was gashed about 2 inches and badly scarred.

The following are pics of the rear bumper in the areas i did the repair, to be honest if i don't remove the cover i have no idea of the exact spot.
The pass corner was hit and gashed underneath was badly scarred from someone backing over something. All this damage was from the previous owner, i also replaced all the lights with nice new (non ebay) units.

 

[The Critic]

I would just replace it since OE bumpers are usually not too expensive. A quality bumper prep and spray, even for a new bumper, is probably going to cost you $500. Those mobile guys can do one for $200 but I have no idea how well those sprays hold up...and why the price difference is so significant.

 

[Newreet]

Originally Posted By: barlowc
Originally Posted By: Newreet
The rear bumper covers on Saturns including VUEs are very easy to remove/replace

Newreet, since you seem to know a bit about the VUEs, am I correct that the rear bumper on a 2007 is composed of 3 pieces? There's an upper, painted part, a lower, unpainted/gray part, and then the plastic/chrome skidplate? If so, I think it's just the upper part that has to be repaired/replaced and that knowledge might save me some money when discussing a quote with a body shop.
Yes, for the 2006 and 2007 models it is three pieces. There is also a bracket for the driver's side and the passenger's side that goes between the upper painted part and the lower unpainted part.

The prices for the new parts will give you a heart attack, and you'll see why I suggested used parts from an auto salvage yard.

There are two versions of larger painted upper cover, one for base models and one for the RedLine models. Their MSRPs are $323.19 and $352.76 respectively. The invoice prices are $238.35 and $260.16 respectively.

The smaller unpainted lower cover has MSRP $165.63 and the invoice price is $122.15.

The plastic/chrome skidplate has two versions, one with an opening for a tow hitch and one without the opening for a tow hitch. Their MSRPs are $243.34 and $247.22 respectively. The invoice prices are $179.46 and $182.33 respectively.

There are also two versions of the plastic/black skidplate, also with and without the tow hitch opening. Their MSRP and invoice prices are lower than the plastic/chrome skidplate versions.

In case you're curious, the step pad thing at the top is MSRP $68.22 and invoice price $50.31.

The little reflectors also can be removed and replaced.