I came across this youtube video showing how a dented bumper can be easily repaired by the DIY. great tip with the hair dryer...when i had a honda a few year ago i backed into a rail and dented it not knowing how to pop it back out, i spent $600 to have it repaired. check it out. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I5pQa_8oA3w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I know you can't bring back the past (or can you...), but the one thing that bugs me here is the term "bumper". Today's bumpers are in fact fairings: fragile, painted shells, out in front like glass jaws. Our 81 Civic (fairly typical example of that era) had a steel rail, capped with plain black rubber, and mounted to the car with hydraulically damped cylinders.
I don't think they are more fragile. The bumper itself is quite rigid -metal, shock absorbers - though there's Styrofoam on top of the metal to help keep the bumper cover looking OK on low speed 'bumps'... The bumper cover can get dinged up, but as the video shows (I've done this), the cover can often be popped out. Takes 30 min to remove the cover, get a heat gun, fix it.....
Even if you don't know how to pop it back out, there's a paintless dent removal place on every corner next to Starbucks and it'd be cheaper than $600.
