Someone hit my car and drove off....

[Texarkana]

This isn't a detail related question but I'm hoping someone here is familiar with autobody.

I didn't notice until yesterday but it seems as if someone backed into my car and drove away while I was at a store or in class. The soonest I'll be able to get an estimate and contact insurance is Monday. I'm hoping someone here can tell me if this can be repaired or if I'll be paying for a new bumper.

Imageshack - 20130606115717.jpg (http://imageshack.us/f/850/20130606115717.jpg/)

[chris.ganucheau]

shouldnt need a new bumper

[SR99]

Yes that can be repaired.
It's possible your insurance might not cover it (or the fix might be less than your deductable or potential rate increases). Might get an estimate first, before contacting insurance.

If it does end up that it would be out of pocket, and you don't need it perfect, you might try some surface prep to remove the plastic flakes and just some primer + touchup paint using a very fine brush. I've done that on a previous car with very similar plastic bumper scrapes and it really doesn't look bad at all, afterwards. You wouldn't even notice unless you look directly at it.

Some of your gouges might be a bit deeper that I was dealing with, but it's a low-cost thing to try, and if you end up getting the bumper professionally refinished anyway, that won't affect the cost since they'd sand and fill anyway.

[Texarkana]

I was hoping it would be a simple fix.

[Texarkana]

I'm back again. I took my car in last Tuesday, got my rental and returned about 30 hours later to get my car. I was initially impressed but my cousin used to do autobody on the side and pointed out that the clear coat had small dimples in it from where (rocks I guess) had hit it and in one spot went straight through to the black primer. I also noticed as we were looking at it that they didn't fill in the gouge at the bottom of my bumper.

Is it possible to get quality paint from a bodyshop, if so is it possible to have a better quality job done? The dimples in the paint look as if the CC hadn't set properly. I'm hoping they didn't do a half-assed job and hoped I wouldn't notice.

[Jawzey]

What an asshat whoever did that to you. Hope for the best.

[Texarkana]

Here's the after picture of the gouge in my bumper which wasn't filled.

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/4619/3dft.jpg

[queens guy]

I was hit pretty bad on my maxima where they dented my whole bumper corner. I was so pissed so I feel your pain. Just check to make sure it is worth calling your insurance. If I called for mine I would have to pay the premium and they would cover the rest BUT when my insurance renewed my premium would be slightly higher so I just paid out of pocket to get it fixed. Based on the pic it should not cost you more than a few hundred to get that spot fixed.

[Mike Phillips]

It's hard to own something nice now days... too many people out there with no respect for others or their property...


:dunno:

[Kevin Cullen]

That sounds about right, hit and run. Integrity is MIA now a days.

I would talk to the body shop or complain to your insurance company. Your rates are going up anyway to cover the over priced repair so might as well have it done correctly.

[Texarkana]

Yeah it really is a shame. I've had to park at the back of every parking lot due to my car becoming a magnet for idiots who throw their doors open without paying attention to their surroundings.

I called the insurance, got the number for my claims representative and left a message on her answering machine. They may end up having to sand the entire thing again and fill in the spot they missed before repainting it.

As far as premium going up, they handled it under a uninsured hit and run motorist claim, the premium shouldn't be raised as far as I'm aware of. Here's hoping they'll do a better job this time.

I ended up paying $200 deductible and insurance covered the other $184.

[Lexi65]

This isn't a detail related question but I'm hoping someone here is familiar with autobody.

I didn't notice until yesterday but it seems as if someone backed into my car and drove away while I was at a store or in class. The soonest I'll be able to get an estimate and contact insurance is Monday. I'm hoping someone here can tell me if this can be repaired or if I'll be paying for a new bumper.

Imageshack - 20130606115717.jpg (http://imageshack.us/f/850/20130606115717.jpg/)


F/Y/I... When that happened to me back in 1998, my friend's son initially quoted me with a new bumper. Interestingly, when I
said I needed something more reasonable he quoted me
something w/out the new bumper!!! My understanding is they
fix it by melting the plastic, re shaping and painting. I wouldn't
do it myself. But a body shop shouldn't be charging for a new
Bumper!! Just my 2 cents!

[Texarkana]

F/Y/I... When that happened to me back in 1998, my friend's son initially quoted me with a new bumper. Interestingly, when I
said I needed something more reasonable he quoted me
something w/out the new bumper!!! My understanding is they
fix it by melting the plastic, re shaping and painting. I wouldn't
do it myself. But a body shop shouldn't be charging for a new
Bumper!! Just my 2 cents!

All they told me is that they would sand down the bumper, apply new primer, silver metallic paint and clearcoat. I doubt they melted the plastic, the damage to the paint was cosmetic but the gash is a bit nasty. I guess I assumed they would fill it in, but the adjuster took pictures so it should have been obvious, especially to the tech who did all of the work on it.

[hernandez.art13]

They probably just painted over it, without actually fixing it, because to the blind untrained eye the customer would have just been happy to get their car back.

[Texarkana]

They probably just painted over it, without actually fixing it, because to the blind untrained eye the customer would have just been happy to get their car back.

Well all the scuffs on the bottom of the front bumper were sanded pretty much flat, but I learned my lesson about "looks" when I had my car hacked up last august by a local detailer.