Please Help, damsel in distress

[mickyxoxobaby]

hey, unfortunately i hit a fox on the highway going about 80, he cracked my front bumper from the bottom up to just under the fog light and now its all loose on that side. I felt underneath also and it seemed broken haha. but im a girl so im not very sure. Is there a way to repair it? or am i better off getting a new one? i mean the other side is not loose, but the crack is so deep and tall and if i could id really rather get it repaired.

worst case scenario: if i have to replace it, how much do you figure they would charge to paint an already primed bumper cover, b/c i found one for a good deal, 125.00

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by mickyxoxobaby

a fox on the highway going about 80,

Welcome to AF.

Wow, that's one fast fox.

As for the repair, it all depends on the nature of the damage. Modest cracks and holes can be filled, but if the actual structure of the cover is compromised, it's best to replace it.

As for installation and paint, if you supplied the cover..... $250-500 or so, depending on the vehicle, the paint type and how picky you are at getting a perfect match. Get 3 estimates if you want to be sure of the best deal.

Imo you may get a better deal if you tell the body shop that this is not an insurance claim. Sometimes, if shops think there's an insurance company involved, the dollar signs start flying around.

[chaswe75]

Give a little more information:
Make-
Model-
Year-
Color-
Post some pictures. If you do need a new cover, consider the value of your car and determine whether you are concerned about putting an aftermarket cover on it.
*The majority of the time, aftermarket parts will NOT have a satisfactory fit, look as good, or equal the quality of OEM parts
*They will lower the value of the car and raise suspicions that the car was in a collision if spotted by a potential buyer when the car is sold (Have LKQ, CAPA stickers rather than OEM identifiers which for some makes have a VIN label on almost every part)
*Consider salvage or used parts. They are OEM and fit like new parts. The condition of
these parts is not always great, but the majority of the time you can locate very clean and undamaged salvage parts.
Great resources for salvage:
http://car-part.com
http://www.craigslist.org

Rough estimate based on $40/hr. paint and body labor, paint supply $28/hr:
body labor- 1.7 x 40
paint labor- 2.4 x 40
clearcoat labor- 1.4 x 40
clearcoat- 1.4 x 28
paint supplies- 2.4 x 28
+ 5% tax = $331.72 Remove and Install/paint bumper ONLY
**add cost of bumper**
*This could be more or less depending what the rates are in your area. The figures will change some if the bumper can be repaired**