Hey all. Question for those of you that work with paint/bodywork.
I just TOTALLY screwed myself tonight and accidently bumped the back left corner of my jetski trailer into my vette tonight. I knew it wasn't gonna be pretty because it bounced off it. My cover was on but still, it's didn't stop the mark from forming. Here's how it looks now:
It doesn't appear to have broken the surface of the paint, although it's very close at one point. I've never owned a fiberglass paneled car before, so I didn't know what my options were.
Am I able to have them just sand down that section and fix it up nice, or will they have to repaint the entire rear bumper?
What have other C4/5/6 owners did in cases like this where an imprint is left in the paint?
I'm really flustered now, and just looking for any answers. Thanks guys.
This will require a filler repair or bumper replacement. I am not current enough to comment which is preferred; I no longer do this for a living. I suspect it can be filled, spot painted/blended then panel cleared. No worries, it's only a car... you did not run over a living creature!
lol yeah i know it's not a huge deal...i've just always been EXTREMELY OCD about the vette.
I figured that filler would be possible, but didn't know how well spot painting turns out as i've heard of it, but never seen it done before. Everything else on the entire bumper is absolutely flawless, so replacing the bumper is the very last thought on my mind.
Tomorrow i'm taking it by our regions top bodyshop to see what they think, but was just looking for insight from those of you that know the vette best.
You can...CAREFULLY with a hair drier and a kitchen spoon. Heat the area up with the hair drier ...until you feel that it is getting soft..and using the spoon on your thumb...press on and around the indention from the inside and SLOWLY get the urethane to come back into position. When it comes out..and it will...but might take some time because you are not using a heat gun....then you can cool it with water and make the cover retain that shape. the cover can take some heat so do not be affraid...and a hair drier does not get no where near the heat range of a heat gun. If you have a heat gun...use it carefully and test it from time to time and you can tell when the cover is able to be re-formed. Patience is required here....it is not rocket science...just be patient.
If you are watchful and patient...you will not damage the paint from the heat. Just don't take your heat gun and go up to it "point blank" and hold it there for a while. Swirl the gun/drier around the area and check it....apply more heat and check and so on. It will get hot...but it has to..in order for the urethane to be able to move.
For what it is worth...I hope that the shop you take it to...Applies CLEAR to the entire bumper cover instead of tring to spot it in. Over time, the line where the fresh clear is applied, where it will meet with the factory clear will begin to show. No way around this issue but to clear the entire cover or you may not be happy. I have done enough to know this.
Yes this really stinks. but if the paint is not broken. you may be lucky and get the shape back and not be so noticeable..
Repairing urethane covers is a real pain in my backside. special fillers, primers and procedures MUST be followed or problems will more than likely result. The shop you choose must really be "on thier best game" to get this right for you.
And with you re-forming the cover from the backside...you are not touching your paint and it should be OK. This works for me...and takes me some time and I use a heat gun..so BE PATIENT.
"DUB"
Thanks for the reply grandmaster. I just might end up trying that. It would require removing the muffler to get behind it, but it might be worth it.
I took it to a body shop and at first the owner couldn't even find the problem. Once he did he told me that if it were his baby, he'd honestly just live with it because it's almost impossible to see unless under the right angle. The more he told me about the process to remove the bumper, the tri-coat paint that's used, and the problems they have with perfectly 100% realigning the bumper without any weird gaps, the more I started to think that it's not a huge deal at all. I might end up just leaving it be, or if it really eats away at me, i'll just try what grandmaster says.
The pictures above were my very BEST I could do to make the mark stick out. It took me a good 5 minutes to even find angles where it didn't blend in lol
Well after taking some time to get around to it, I found out that I can't just get behind it to use the heatgun and spoon meathod because the bumper crush material is right infront of it.
It sounds to me like taking the rear bumper off is a HUGE pain in the butt, so if I take it off I might as well be repainting it. Anyone else have experience in doing such work on these urethane bumpers?
Everyone I know is telling me to leave it alone because it really isn't very noticable...at all. Your thoughts?
Mark is in the bottom left corner...lil hard to see
Last edited by Stavesacre21; 11-04-2009 at 11:36 PM.
The amount of time to remove the bumper and try really isn't that long. Getting it repositioned/aligned...does take a bit more effort...but still isnt that hard to do. But remember I do this for a living....and it is a part of my "everyday life".
When removing the bumper...if you choose to do so...just take careful notes and notice the amount of torque used on the bolts/nuts....so when and if you re-install...you do not tighten the crap out of these fasteners. There are two plastic screws...behind the license plate area...that require a special square-ended wrench to remove. I have this socket...but you can also use a Craftsman screwdriver that has a square shaft...the right size...and grind the head off so you can properly remove these fasteners....or anything that you can figure out that you already have that will work. Other than that....the lower push-in plastic rivets...down by the exhaust...may be a bit tricky to remove...not not that hard. Remove the outer taillights to gain access to the bolts and nuts...and disconnect the taillight wiring electrical connector behind the passenger side taillights. I can have one off in under an hour....easily.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do about this.
"DUB"
Corvette Store
Imprint/dent in paint on C5 - how to fix??
