Wife's 4R hit. Rear bumper replacement question.

So her car was hit in the drivers rear corner (parking lot scrape really) Damage is light, just paint no dent no cracks. I want to use the money to buy a CBI bumper but the cuts necessary will leave some of the damage above the cut line.

Body shop (just the one I talked to no independent shop yet) says they won't touch the vehicle after I cut the bumper cover to fit the CBI bumper. They just put it back to stock, that's it.

Anyone have experience/success in a similar situation? I don't want to fix the bumper for the $1500 estimate only to cut it later (and pay for the CBI bumper on top). I'd rather do the CBI and fix what's left for a lesser price out of pocket.

 

You’ll probably have better luck with a “custom” body shop. My buddy was grafting a c8 corvette front clip onto a c7. Most shops are barely putting things back to stock correctly.

 

Just call around and find one willing to do custom stuff.

Remember the $1500 is probably parts and labor for stock only. I'm going to guess the CBI is more expensive than stock and more labor since it will be custom. You may have to pay more out of pocket.

 

I'd install the bumper myself, just want to pay a shop to fix what damage is left. I've been looking for a custom shop. Luck me I'm in DFW and have tons of options...

I was hoping to cut off most of the damage and pay less for what's left.

 

Now that might get tricky because they won't know what work is left until you install the bumper.

If you insurance requires a quote before hand good luck. It will probably be high for the body shop to make sure they are covered if they are even willing to give a quote.

I'm sure there will be a body shop willing to do it just not so sure all insurances would play ball.

 

With my experience body shop said no to install after market bumper by getting insurance check for the stock bumper + customer pay the balance.

 

I'm sure they will do it, but not as part of your claim. Get the $$ from your insurer, buy CBI, cut the bumper, take it to them for the cosmetics. Otherwise there are a bajillion shops I'd imagine who would take your money.

 

I think so too... I had a buddy in PHX who removed his bumper cover and brought it to a shop to paint... $400. That was a few years ago. I had forgotten about that.

 

Update. Sorry been doing some digging...

After trying a few shops, I called a mutual friend who works at an autobody shop a ways out of the area, for the Auto Body Shop 101 Class. Very informative about the economics of the industry. The take away: Yes they will make money from me but they will make more from their time, equipment, and manpower doing bigger jobs. AND they don't like not making money from the markup on parts. A lady at one place told me they only do a job from start to finish. I replied, well, I bring in the car after I install the bumper, you start the job, you finish the job, what's the problem? I was getting the feeling I needed to leave after they hit me with their warranty requirements. I asked if they had a waiver I could sign on it. NO. I said if it warranties the work you do, then wouldn't it apply to just the paint if that's what I had you do? Jesus... I left.

NOW, My mutual friend hooked me up w/ a fellow painter in his shop who has his own paint booth in his shop and does small side jobs for extra cash as well as painted a few custom cars and won his first car show. So before I get the Back Yard Breeder/rattle can paint comments. My mutual friend is an amazing painter, fabricator and body guy. Worked on antique Ferrari's fabricating new sheetmetal and restoration work, and has had hotrods under his care in magazines. (His shop wouldn't take the job or I'd have asked him to do it.) He is also a very stand up guy. SO...I trust his recommendation 110%. I've talked to his coworker today and sent him some photos and a video of CBI's install so he can see the cutting involved and will get an idea of what I'm looking at. Sweet!

Now lets see how all the numbers crunch out. A buddy up in ID offered to pick up the bumper and meet me in Moab or possibly in the 4 corners area we grew up in, for a visit, and to pick up the bumper from him to save a bit on shipping, or at least spend the money from shipping doing something fun...I don't know about Moab in Jan/Feb

 

Yeah, unfortunately it’s not as easy to upgrade your vehicle after an accident.

If you own your vehicle outright you have better chances of “collecting” the payout.

 

I mean some plastic aesthetic damage covered up primarily by an off-road bumper

think the 2 go hand in hand

save the cash n forget the scratches

 

If it were my 04 Taco, I’d live with the damage. This is the wife’s baby, so the damage will be fixed. We all know how that goes. The bumper cover is completely fine with the exception of missing paint. No dents no creases no holes. That’s why I’m in need of minor sanding and painting. I attached a pic. You can see what’s left after making the cut for the bumper. About 5 inches of repair give or take?

 

Lol she does. But the remaining damage left after install will be fixed.