Bad bumper scrape - what to do?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by bobzchemist, Oct 13, 2016.

  1. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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    So, when pulling into a parking space next to an unusually high concrete curb, this happened:
    upload_2016-10-13_14-30-14.png

    The bumper cover is deeply scratched - and I really can't afford to replace it. It's fairly ugly looking, so I want to fix it somehow. I was thinking that my best move would be to sand and repaint myself, but then I realized that this could easily happen again, and painting the bumper over and over could get costly very fast.

    Removing the bottom three inches of the bumper doesn't seem like a viable solution, as much as the low clearance on my 2010 Prius keeps annoying me.

    I wasn't sure what to do (actually, I'm still not) - should I glue a piece of heavy bumper guard material on each side? Or buy a premade stick-on guard? Or maybe use the black scuff-prevention film that's used for door sills?

    But today, I saw my bosses Lincoln MKS in the parking lot. and it's got a pretty large area of matte black rubberized material on the lower sections, running all the way up to the bottoms of the doors. It looks great on the Lincoln:
    upload_2016-10-13_14-42-37.png

    Now I'm thinking that maybe spraying black PlastiDip or something a little bit more durable, like Halo EFX Covert Black all around the bottom sections might be a better looking option for my Prius, as well as being more easily re-doable after the inevitable scrapes.

    So, I'd appreciate getting folks thoughts about this, and maybe other options I haven't considered? I'm looking for a relatively convenient, yet not hideously ugly solution.
     
    #1 bobzchemist, Oct 13, 2016
  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Try the PlastiDip, it's easily removable if you decide it's hideous lol. If it looks good, then you can use something more permanent/durable the next time around.
     
    #2 xliderider, Oct 13, 2016
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Try some rubbing compound and polish. It'll get much lighter and more bearable at minimal costs
     
    #3 JC91006, Oct 13, 2016
  4. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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    The picture doesn't make it look nearly as bad as it really is - the worst scratches are about 1/8th deep and well past the paint into the plastic bumper material. Rubbing compound won't help enough - I'm going to have to sand the area down, fill the scratches, sand again, apply primer, sand again, and then paint/clearcoat.

    I was thinking that if I could apply something thick enough over the scratches, I'd only have to worry about sanding once.
     
    #4 bobzchemist, Oct 13, 2016
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Touch up paint is only $10 and It'll look 5 times better
     
    #5 JC91006, Oct 13, 2016
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  6. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    You can call a mobil bumper repair guy, they will just fix the area that needs repair. Should not be to costly.
     
    #6 orenji, Oct 13, 2016
  7. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

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    My two cents:
    May happen again.
    Then the future of door dings and rocks chips.

    Yes, touch up paint $10.
    Yes, professional dentless repair $250.

    No, do not repaint the entire bumper.

    Good luck with your solution.
     
    #7 Kenny94945, Oct 13, 2016
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Start with the rubbing compound suggestion (per @JC91006), see how that goes. If you're not satisfied with the result a body repair shop can do it properly: fill the scratches, polish the area and then blend-paint, just within that zone. It's down pretty low, and just plastic, too.
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Oct 13, 2016
  9. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

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    Rubbing compound is not going to work, these are deep scratches, it needs to be sanded and painted.
     
    #9 orenji, Oct 13, 2016
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  10. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

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    Sand, prime, paint, clear-coat. I've used this place for a perfect paint match and any other necessary stuff >
    Touch Up Paint and accessories | AutomotiveTouchup


    I did mine over the course of a day, allowing proper cure times after every spray.

    In the end, there's no sign whatsoever anything ever happened.

    Have fun!
     
    #10 KennyGS, Oct 13, 2016
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  11. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    Thanks for the link!
    I have the exact same scrape on my car
     
    #11 Jimi1976, Oct 13, 2016
  12. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    My two cents - I realize some folks just can't stand the fact that minor scrapes/dents happen and must be repaired. I, however, living in the NYC metro area, have learned to live with my car's battle scars. Even if I fixed one, another one is bound to happen, so I grin and bear it. There are too many other issues that are higher up on my radar...
     
    #12 RRxing, Oct 14, 2016
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    One thing, the lower the scrape, the less I care. That said, OP''s case is pretty visible.
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, Oct 14, 2016
  14. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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    I'd have to say that it also depends on the culture where you live.

    I've lived in NY and in NJ, where RRxing's attitude is fairly common. (In fact, in northern NJ, the more banged-up your car was, the less aggressive many drivers were towards you - shiny, expensive cars whose owners didn't want their paint jobs scratched got cut off a lot more.)

    Down here in the suburbs of Atlanta, though, everyone's car is as pristine and perfect as they can possibly get it. A scratched, scuffed, or dented car that goes unrepaired actually says something not too good about your social class and/or financial status.
     
    #14 bobzchemist, Oct 14, 2016
  15. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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    #15 bobzchemist, Oct 14, 2016
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    They're basically doing the "poor man's" version of what a body shop will do. What you're paying for when the body shop handles it:

    1. Convenience obviously. You don't get your hands dirty, stress, they handle everything.
    2. They have professional grade equipment.
    3. Most importantly, their experience. They will color match properly, and blend-in, a process where they gradually fade the color coat to clear, as they move beyond the damage area. If they know their stuff, it'll be seamless.

    That said, again: the lower down on the bumper, the less obvious it is. If it was completely at the bottom edge, just a bit of fill and sand, followed with a can of color-match applied sparingly and feathered out (don't even bother with clearcoat), it'd be gone. Your call.
     
    #16 Mendel Leisk, Oct 14, 2016
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2016
  17. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    I hear ya - my cars are nowhere near perfect, and I very easily shrug off scratches and dents. Life happens - and a car is not an investment.
    You should see our Subaru wagon!
     
    #17 Jimi1976, Oct 14, 2016
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Too, the bottom edge of the (low) front bumper is the most scrape-prone part of the car.
     
    #18 Mendel Leisk, Oct 14, 2016
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