rear bumper repair

[Joe Koenigs]

I backed in to an outside water faucet and put a hole in the rear bumper of my 2004 Ford Taurus (black). I have been quoted a price of $600 to put a new bumper cover on. I am thinking about trying to repair it myself with bondo. Does anyone have any suggestions as to whether this can be done and how to best go about it? (I realize it might not be perfect)

[mwt878991]

Do you have the tools and the skills to do the work including paint ?

If yes go for it.

If not you can get a new bumper cover for probably 150 and get it painted at any body shop for 50 to 75 bucks.

You can install it in less than 30 minutes.


Mike

[shorod]

Bondo and most plastic fillers are not meant to be flexed. The first time the bumper gets tapped, the filler will crack and probably fall out. It wouldn't surprise me if just thermal expansion and contraction will be enough to cause the filler to split and fall out. Then all that work you went to will be wasted.


There are products on the market, usually available at automotive paint supply shops, that will remain flexible and are intended for use on the flexible bumper covers, but they are intended for the same purpose on bumper covers as Bondo and plastic fillers are for metal body panels, to fill small imperfections, but not to mechanically repair tears and holes.

You'd probably be better served and less frustrated to buy a decent bumper cover from a salvage yard and have it prepared and painted to match if it does not already.

-Rod

[mrflint]

I had a dime sized hole in plastic bumper cover. repair cost was $800 for plastic bumper cover and painting. I elected to live with an imperfect appearnace, car was 6 years old. Found 3M plastic repair. Searched for plastic/ rubber bumper repair on web. Its two tubes of epoxy thats used like bondo and stays flexible. Cost was about $30 from autobody repair place - sorry don't remember site. Had to use flexible paint and clear coat (which never matched faded paint). This filler remained flexible for the 3 years till car was sold.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by Joe Koenigs

I backed in to an outside water faucet and put a hole in the rear bumper

Looks like the water faucet won

Originally Posted by shorod

Bondo and most plastic fillers are not meant to be flexed. The first time the bumper gets tapped, the filler will crack and probably fall out.

Yep I was just going to mention this. Fiberglass should work but it would depend on how big the damage was AND if a screen was used from behind. Personally I would just use some black silicon sealer. It's around $3.00 a tube, is already color coded, and it's rubber, so it's as flexible as it gets Do a little at a time (1/4 inch) and not the whole repair at once, it will bond better.

[Willyum]

I had my rear '02 bumper replaced/painted for $350 at the Ford body shop. Where I live there are several "Bumper Medic" places, specializing in plastic bumper repair. I would go get an estimate from one of them. The DIY jobs I've seen don't look good. If you don't want to put any $$ in the vehicle put a bumper sticker over it or duct tape.