BRZN Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Back on September 24th and 25th I did a full paint correction and wax to my 2007 Dodge Magnum company car. I plan on buying this car when it gets revolved out of service (probably next fall) and want to try to keep it looking nice. Three weeks later on the morning of October 6th, I'm at the gym and I'm walking back into the building from running on the track. I hear, "CRUNCH!". I turn to look in the direction of the noise (coincidently where my cars parked too) and there's a White Toyota Sequoia backed up into the left front corner of my car. My heart and stomach sank as my blood pressure rose. The guy had parked his large SUV in an area that didn't really have the room for that size of a vehicle to maneuver around in easily. I park in the upper section of the lot to avoid door dings, guess it wasn't a good place to avoid a backing into! The guy was good enough about what he did and has paid for the damages with a certified check. The car goes to the body shop next Wednesday for repairs. Well, onto the pictures: Here you can see where his rusty receiver hitch got me right in the corner of the bumper, pushed it in and then the receiver hitch and his bumper scrapped across my bumper and headlight to the edge of the grille. The body shop quoted me $1,200 for the new bumper cover and headlight including labor and paint. I explained to him I had Headlight Armor over the lens, I don't think he understood, or knew what that was. There is no way I could drive this car looking like it did for an entire month. I used heat on the indented portion of the bumper and within 5 minutes it came back. There's still quite a wave across the bumper but not near as bad as the dent. I also broke out the rotary working from rubbing compound on a wool pad down to my PC with FMP on a white pad. I even tried FMP and the white pad across the Headlight Armor with no success there. Not bad, huh? I've since pulled off the Eyelids and Headlight Armor. I think I may be returning some money to the guy that hit me. Replacement headlight $279 while new Headlight Armor was only $50. I purchased a new set of Eyelids and I'm going to have this set painted body color. Oh, I now park on the far side of the lot where hardly anyone parks. Longer walk, but hey I'm there to exercise anyways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05COBALTSS Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Much better !! Nice job. Now all you need is this : http://www.drcolorchip.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1anonly Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Nice job. I don't know about returning any money. If you still plan on buying the car, I might want to get the bumper repainted. Granted you don't have to get a new bumped cover now, but paint jobs on bumpers are not cheap. I'm getting my Corvettes bumper repainted again (long story) next week for no charge. When it was the done the first time two years ago it was $800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRZN Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 Oh, I'm still getting the work done, which includes a new Bumper cover and paint. Touch-up paint won't fix it, those remaining scratches are gouges. I'm just saying I'll return the guy some of his money if the bill is less than the estimate due to not needing to replace the headlight, just the Headlight Armor. I don't have a good picture of the wave in the bumper, but you can see it somewhat here, near the missing paint. Where the dent was the bumper material stretched and can't lay smooth so there is this wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolth Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Much better !! Nice job. Now all you need is this : http://www.drcolorchip.com/ I used Dr.colorchip on my black car worked great, but that was just paint chips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris@Adams Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Bummer Dave! However you did a nice job, I will have to remember that trick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiterp199 Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Way to go Dave. That is some good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krewsman Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Dave, The Maggie does look pretty acceptable for now--but what we really need to see is the new BRZN Hovercraft! When will that be unveiled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010vette Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 That's cool, bumper looks like it was just scratched. How did you apply the heat. This is a new trick for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRZN Posted November 2, 2010 Author Share Posted November 2, 2010 Dave, The Maggie does look pretty acceptable for now--but what we really need to see is the new BRZN Hovercraft! When will that be unveiled? Hovercraft you ask? Still have to work the bugs out of my wifes first! That's cool, bumper looks like it was just scratched. How did you apply the heat. This is a new trick for me. Used one of my daughters industrial strength hair dryers. Just kept working the outside edges of the dent in concentric circles. As I did it, the dent kept working itself up and out. Again, the plastic of the bumper is stretched from being pushed in, so there is a wave to the bumper now where the material is stressed. Off to the body shop later today to do the repairs correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70'sChevyGirl Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 At least the other driver had the courage to stop and didn't hit and run. It really doesnt look that bad now. Good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRZN Posted November 2, 2010 Author Share Posted November 2, 2010 Have no idea if he had any intention of staying or leaving. I was in the parking lot and heard it. I immediatly ran up to him: he was out of his SUV looking over the damage. I think I said something like, "Dude, that's my car", he wasn't going anywhere at that point. She was dropped off to the body shop today along with a new set of eye lids to paint body color and clear. Took that picture yesterday, once I realized there was bird crap on the bumper I had to wash her. She went to the body shop nice and clean. Can't wait, the holes for the NY license plate will soon be gone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRZN Posted November 4, 2010 Author Share Posted November 4, 2010 I dropped her off to the body shop Tuesday late afternoon. Yesterday I drove by and noticed the car was inside. I had to stop in, you know I had to stop in! Looks like the headlight I thought would be okay due to the Headlight Armor saving the lens isn't okay. There is a ball and socket type of arrangement that mounts the headlight to the car. At least two of the sockets are broken, of course you can't just buy the little sockets, they come with the entire headlight assembly. The sockets attach to the car and the ball on the headlight snaps into them. I suggested a rubber grommet in their place? We'll see. The bumper though: he says to me, what did you,...how did you,...I can't believe what the bumper looks like!" It doesn't need replace, I can fix that. Then he says, "man, that car is clean, you missed your calling, you should have been a body man", I said, "No, it's just a little hobby of mine". The bumper cover was quoted to me at $340.00 for the part alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
70'sChevyGirl Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Sometimes finding a good bodyman is tough. I am glad things are working out alright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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