califas_1987

So I came out of work today to find that some jerk backed into my stang. No major damage, but the a'hole did leave a quarter size hole in the bumper cover, along with spider web cracks in my paint and slightly misaligning the driver side of the bumper cover.

So I am left with two options (I think only 2 options, but please provide feedback)...

1) report it to insurance, but...
a) I didn't file a police report, although I figure I could still do it
b) I think my insurance will go up and I get screwed on the long run anayway
c) I have a 500 dollar deductible, is reporting it even worth it? I figure the cost of repair would be more than 500 bucks if I take it to a shop, but still worry about higher insurance payments

or

2) Fix it myself...
a) I'm comfortable doing body work, have done it several times in the past
b) What would work best to fill the hole in the plastic bumper? I was thinking fiberglass resin, or bondo
c) BUT how can i make this repair last? Bondo or fiberglas arent the best for plastic bumpers, right?
d) I have a Mineral Grey Metallic color. My biggest concearn is, where should I buy the paint, and how can I make sure I get the best match and shade?
e) Should I buy the paint that I can mix and spray from a can, or go all out and rent a compressor and paint gun? My dad has a small compressor, for like a nail gun, that probably wont have enough psi, right?

I would really appreciate some feedback, from body work gurus, or from some of you who have insurance insights. Right now I'm just trying to get past being p'd off, and the best way for me to do that is by fixing it ASAP. Dude, didn't even leave a note X(

Chopper

I'd take it to a body shop and let them look at it.They can give you an estimate and then you can pick it apart for labor charges.By this I mean,you can decide how much of the work you can do yourself to save money.It would be a good idea to have the shop in on these discussions since cleaning up others mistakes is also expensive.(I'm in no way trying to cut down your ability to do bodywork.It's just that some shops have different ways of doing things and their way is best if you know what I mean)
It used to be that grey/silver was the absolute hardest paint there was to get to match.If that is still true it might be best to let a pro do the final paint work.
Painting urethane is not for the faint of heart and special equipment is needed.Respirators are a must since the hardener is poisonous.The small compressor might work since the pressure used now is much lower than in the olden days.HVLP guns use around 35 psi I think.Good HVLP guns are also expensive BTW.There are two part adhesives that mix themselves in the tube and use a "caulking gun" type aparatus to apply that i think will fix the bumper hole.The paint sales shop will know what they are.
That brings me to the professional paint sales shop.Call some body shops in your area and ask them where they get their paint.There are probably several in your area and it's been my experience they will help out in anyway they can to see you get a good outcome.Screwing you now means you'll never come back later so they try to be helpful.If you seem knowledeable but not a potential know-it-all they will kinda' take you under their wing so to speak.Be mindful that they've been selling this stuff for a long time and they get feedback about their products almost instantly so listen to what they say.If they tell you something won't work,you can believe it.
I figure to replace the bumper with a Ford part and repaint will cost around $1,200 so a call to the insurance co. to see about rates would also be worth doing.If you've been accident free and a long time customer they'll probably let you slide on this one.If not, it's time to shop around for a new insurance company to compare rates.

jrherald420

do it yourself new bumpers are cheap. i was quoted 200.00 to have a new bumper painted Mineral Grey when i hit some one and put a hole in mine. i also had a 500.00 deductable. total cost for a new bumper,shipping and paint was 350.00 ish with me doing to install.

sick89

Im an estimator at a shop and I would not try to do it yourself. Like already stated the gray metallics are very hard to match. If there is a hole in the cover the shop will probably replace it with a new one which means it will have to match the quarter panels in order to look right since there is no room to blend. Most shops wont paint or do work on something if it has prior work done. So you wouldnt be able to fix it yourself and have them paint it. I said most. You might be able to find someone. I would recommend calling your insurance and reporting to to them and see what they say about rates. They cant ding you if you dont end up filing a claim.

fordchuck

I don't see why a body shop couldn't fix this for less than your deductible is? Reasearch for some good shops in your area and have them take a look at it.

jrherald420

the body shop wanted 300.00 just for my front bumper. i was quoted 500.00 and 550.00 from 2 shops for just a 2 inch split in my front bumper.

fordchuck

I paid $300 to repair a gash made from a spear-shaped chunk of metal puncturing my front bumper. Like I said, shop around...and any cost around the deductible amount is worht not having it on your insurance record.

califas_1987

Thanks for the feedback fellas. I've been exploring quite a bit and doing a bit of research on painting urathane. It doesn't seem to be extreamly difficult, and I think if worse comes to worse, I will do it myself. I'm going to take the advice and call the insurance to ask about how it will affect my rate, but only after I shop around and get a number of quotes. If I can find a place to do it for less than my deductible, I'll go ahead and do that. I also got a cousin who is an estimator at a shop about 80 miles from me. I haven't seen him in forever, but I'm going to be calling him as well.

Now I'm going back to work on Monday and all I can think is if I should waste my time trying to look at bumpers and see if I can match the one who hit me.

ChalknCover

You really can't repair a hole in a cover, you would just get a new cover and have it painted. It shouldn't be too bad either way.

I am an estimator, give me your email, I can shoot you a quick one if you like.

Edit: I have it, you would be looking at $634.60 if it came to me. Break down is this:
New Cover: $263.16 from Ford
Paint: $164
Paint Mats: $102.50
Body labor: $72

Naturally, you can always find a cheaper aftermarket bumper, do the body labor yourself. If I were you and in your position with a $500 deduct, I would buy my own bumper, let a shop paint it for like $250. and install it myself. It is a hard match without having the car, but if you have a Mattos around, they can scan your car and give you the paint too, which will match. We do it all the time for bumper jobs. Or you can save your ins. going up and just take it to a body shop. Since it will only cost like a hundred more than your deductible.