Need bumper resprayed

[3GGG]

Well I can stop worrying about getting a ding in the MINI now, cos tonight I was parked by the kerb and was starting to reverse back a little to give me enough room to pull out from behind the car parked in front of me, there was nobody behind me, when suddenly bam! - an ejit in an old grey Peugot wreck came flying in from the other side of the road and hit my offside rear bumper.

I got out and somehow remained calm and objective, he asked if I was reversing as he couldn't understand how he misjudged it - could have been something to do with him having to cross the road and narrowly miss a central island to get into the space...

Anyway, he did say sorry, was not worried about about his car , and did not even look at his front bumper.I didn't think it was worth getting insurance involved as it was one of those situations where there would be no conclusion as to whose fault it was and we would all end up losing our no claims bonus, besides he was a kid and we all make mistakes, I know I did when I was young.

I was very lucky that he only grazed the rear offside black plastic wheel arch (actually the rear 'mudflap' which fits over the original arch) and has scuffed the bumper, right down to the under lying plastic. Has not dented anything thankfully.

Having told you all of this, I feel a bit better but need some advice on repair - I'm not feeling flush enough to replace the whole rear bumper for this as I'm sure it would be expensive by the time it gets sprayed (Indi Blue) - but is it possible to get the part of the bumper where the paint is rubbed away resprayed to match, can it be done without removing the bumper?

Any advice welcome, I live in Fife so am looking for somebody local to do the job.

[GAJ]

:blackeye::blackeye:

Sorry to hear the bad news.

Well done keeping the heid, not sure that i would have been able to! :mad:

I can't help with advice regarding any bodyshops for the repair I'm afraid but I would have thought it would be best getting the whole bumber resprayed. I don't imagine this would be any more expensive than having only part resprayed and I reckon it would look better - remember that the paint has a clearcoat. But what do I know, I'm only guessing:I

Anyway, good luck and try to avoid therest of the idiots in bangers.

[3GGG]

quote:Originally posted by GAJ

I can't help with advice regarding any bodyshops for the repair I'm afraid but I would have thought it would be best getting the whole bumber resprayed. I don't imagine this would be any more expensive than having only part resprayed and I reckon it would look better - remember that the paint has a clearcoat. But what do I know, I'm only guessing:I

Thanks - One thing that worries me is that the bumper has the rear parking 'radar'
ultrasonics transducers fitted. (Ironic that they didn't save me as the car approached from the front avoiding the radar, a dirty trick if you ask me). This might mean a more costly job as the transducers have to be removed and masked I guess before spraying.

[Willie M]

Distraught to hear your news David :disapprove: You certainly did well to 'keep the heid'. I'm afraid I would probably have completely lost it :mad:

Thankfully no major damage appears to have been done.

I'm going back a good few years but a couple of my friends used to swear by Mitchell's in Kincardine for paint jobs, etc. I think they're still on the go, certainly had a very good name in the trade.

Hope your MINI is back to it's pristine self soon :)

[Wul]

What a nightmare 3GGG! I'm afraid i would probably flipped too!

I reckon your best bet is to go round a few places for prices! You will get a much better job if they take the bumper off - it will be possible with it on but there would always be the risk of masking edges showing. not sure on the parking sensors better to ask as their more common place on cars these days.

Ask your dealer first of all who they use and then go direct to them for a quote(assuming they don't have their own spray shop - not many do!)

I have also heard of a good place in Bo'ness - i think it's where all the rice boys go in west lothian so they would probably be quite reasonable.

Good luck!

[3GGG]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys - I will go round a few places today if I have time.
As for 'keeping the heid'- I think it must have been the shock as much as anything, I actually feel angrier this morning than I did at the time.

To give me some sort of price reference, does anyone know what a replacement rear bumper for a Cooper with PDC costs?
Do they come presprayed or just primed ready for spraying?

[Linda M]

Sorry to hear about the 'bump' David :( Hope you get it sorted ok !

I've mellowed 'SO' much over the years (Willie's un-mellowed, can't possibly have anything to do with living with me for all these years :evil:) and now when anything happens I just think 'whats the point of getting all worked up'. This showed on the recent windscreen incident, I wasn't a bit bothered !! Daisy finally got her new windscreen fitted yesterday :)

[3GGG]

quote:Originally posted by Linda M

Sorry to hear about the 'bump' David :( Hope you get it sorted ok !

I've mellowed 'SO' much over the years (Willie's un-mellowed, can't possibly have anything to do with living with me for all these years :evil:) and now when anything happens I just think 'whats the point of getting all worked up'. This showed on the recent windscreen incident, I wasn't a bit bothered !! Daisy finally got her new windscreen fitted yesterday :)

Thanks Linda - We took a nice trip up to Luncarty today to a place recommended by Gerry and got a quote, then down to my dealer in Kirkcaldy who got another shop out to have a look at it and they were a little dearer, though they were also going to replace the rear rubber mudflap as well.

The good news is that they both say that the original bumper can be removed straightened and sprayed.:)

I also see someone who is selling bumpers on MINI2, but no idea where he is located...:question:

Glad you got Daisy fixed OK. :)

[lightbody]

My car has had a similarly scuffed bumper for over a year since i misjudged a driveway and hit a concrete gatepost. When I was quoted over £250 to get it fixed, I decided to leave it until I do something worse to it!

Having had 2 fairly bad crashes in the past, I now, like Linda, don't get particularly bothered by more minor damage! When I crashed my MX5, I got out chuckling to myself in an ironic sort of a way because the pop up headlamps were still working perfectly despite the front being fairly well mashed...

I think its a shame that bumpers nowadays can't be bumped without being damaged! My Dad's Sierra had great bumpers that took all sorts of hits without being noticeably damaged!

[3GGG]

quote:Originally posted by lightbody

My car has had a similarly scuffed bumper for over a year since i misjudged a driveway and hit a concrete gatepost. When I was quoted over £250 to get it fixed, I decided to leave it until I do something worse to it!


I think its a shame that bumpers nowadays can't be bumped without being damaged! My Dad's Sierra had great bumpers that took all sorts of hits without being noticeably damaged!

I agree it is daft to make bumpers that get so easily damaged and are so darned expensive, why they don't make the things of unpainted rubber defeats me. Either that or make them less expensive.

That quote sounds a bit high, mine was half that.

I do want it fixed though because the car is so new...

My other car which is nearly 5 years old got a similar scuffed rear bumper this year (culprit unknown) and it is staying as it is.:blackeye:

The paint on the old car is much better wearing than the MINI - hardly a stone chip on the bonnet while the MINI has quite a few through to the primer. Guess the old paint was cellulose and the new is water based:question: