[Peekup_Andropov]

Folks,
Here's my first post on the forum, and of course, it has to be an embarrassing story. I've had my 2013 BS for about a month and a half, and I love it to death. Thought I would miss my much loved and driven 2000 986, but this is an entirely different car.

Anyway, I thought I was a careful parker. I was pulling into a spot that I THOUGHT was ok. There was a low parking curb...only two or three inches high. What I failed to see was the 4 inches of rusty rebar protruding from the curb. Long story short, I cleared the curb, but crunched the rebar. I was just sick. Couldn't believe I was dumb enough to do that.

So...from the photo, you can see the lower lip of the bumper is dented in slight, with a bulge above and below the impact area. You'll also note that the PO installed protective film (looks like XPEL, but can't be sure).

Can I do anything on my own to repair, or should I just give in and take it to a body shop? I thought about heating the area with a heat gun and trying to massage the plastic back into shape, but I'm afraid I'll damage the film. I thought about removing the film and doing a sanding/bondo repair, but the film is expensive, and I kind of like having it there. Is it possible to remove a section of the film?

Just wondering if anyone might have a brilliant idea that will save me from an expensive body shop repair. Thanks!

 

[ELP_JC]

First of all, sorry to burst your bubble, but that is the crappiest film installation I've ever seen. Probably done by the owner with leftovers; can't imagine a 'pro' doing that. Anyway, there's no way to fix that by you; sorry on that too. And no, you need to remove that film piece, as large as it might be, since if you try to cut it you'd surely cut the paint. I'm not an expert, but have had my share of such issues, and based on that location, you should be able to get that area fixed and 'blended', meaning no bumper removal required, and no full bumper respray (just that small area, blended around), which is great news for both resale, and no dismantling at all (just protect your interior super well to avoid scuffs, scratches, stains, etc). Some shady shops might suggest full bumper respray for better $$$, but refuse that, since it's not needed, especially that low. I did a similar repair on my brother's Ferrari (with a very hard to match paint), and it was like never happened. But before going to a bodyshop, you need to find a PPF (clearbra) guy, explain your options, have him remove the film needed, do the body repair, then reapply film after paint cures for whatever you're told (at least 2 weeks, I'd say). If you let a bodyshop remove the film, they could bring paint with it. Or overheat the plastic and burn something with the heatgun. Better leave each pro do their job. Good luck.

 

[wasupdu]

I guess it's easy for me to say because it's not my car, but it's really not that bad. I'd personally just drive on if I were you. You're the only one that will notice and the proper repair is waaaay more expensive than it's worth IMHO.

 

[Budman]

Well that sure does suck. Get it fixed right or you'll always look there first every time you walk up to the car. I sure would.:cheers:

 

[inikkor]

$18 fix https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-...d=132260735030&_trksid=p2054436.c100039.m2059

 

[vinceC]

Dent Wizard now has a service to make minor repairs to bumpers. I have seen them work (while getting a couple door dings removed) at their local facility (inside the local M-B dealership) and their work appears to be careful and high quality. They can repair the damaged area and blend the paint. You may want to see if they provide that service in your area.

 

[takeshi]

Just wondering if anyone might have a brilliant idea that will save me from an expensive body shop repair. Thanks!

If you don't already have the knowledge and experience to fix it yourself then take it to a good body shop versus risking more problems attempting it DIY. You don't want to learn on your 981.

Couldn't believe I was dumb enough to do that.

It happens. I just backed into a pipe and damaged the rear bumper cover. Just got her back from the shop late yesterday.

 

[RickH]

Yes, that is ugly. I would have been sick too. Good news is, it's fixable and should not require and new part. But you will definitely have to take it to a body shop. They might be able to fix it in situ but my guess is they will want to take it off, fix it, paint it, and reinstall it.
BTW, I've never figured out why those huge concrete bumper stops are used in the first place. A two inch high strip would do the job for anyone paying attention. I guess it is for all the soccer moms in their SUVs? I usually end up with the *** of my car sticking a foot out in traffic because I'm so paranoid when it comes to those bumper stops that I stay a foot away from them. Anyway, good luck with the fix!

 

[RidgeRacer]

Something I learned to do with my last car, a 2001 Audi TT is use a paint gun. The film is history, but with a little bondo, some wetsanding and some touch up paint, you can easily do a B to B+ job. I’ve used the kits from Scratch Wizard.

But, it’s one thing painting a used 17 year old car yourself. This is a practically new Porsche. I might take it to a shop, would guess about $800.

 

[algiorda]

Actually, I think this repair is more complicated than you think. The plastic looks "warped" and wavy. You will not be able to PDR a plastic bumper. They will surely have to reheat this carefully without causing further warping. You might want to look into a used or new bumper, and a respray with new film.

This would irk me every time I looked at it (remind me of how stupid I was), so I would spare no cost to get it fixed the correct way.

Best of luck with this; we've all been there so take comfort in that.

 

[Mike G]

I would just live with it. Front bumpers on these cars are easy to scuff on speed bumps and steep drive ways. I have a scuff on the bottom of mine. It is a car and meant to be driven. I plan to collect multiple war scares and make one trip to the body shop.

 

[vinceC]

Actually, I think this repair is more complicated than you think. The plastic looks "warped" and wavy. You will not be able to PDR a plastic bumper. They will surely have to reheat this carefully without causing further warping. You might want to look into a used or new bumper, and a respray with new film.

This would irk me every time I looked at it (remind me of how stupid I was), so I would spare no cost to get it fixed the correct way.

Best of luck with this; we've all been there so take comfort in that.

I think my Dent Wizard suggestion may have been misunderstood. Their bumper repair service is not PDR; it is best described as specialty body shop repair, servicing only the plastic bumpers of today's cars. It involves repairing the damaged area with the same materials a body shop would use. Focusing on just bumpers without the overhead of a full service body shop keeps the cost reasonable and is really a natural extension of their PDR services, i.e. minor repairs. I have watched them work and would certainly talk to them as part of any decision on the type of damage to OP has on his car. Dent Wizard is expanding the range of services they offer; they also do wheel repairs now. I don't know how widespread their expansion is yet.

 

[Mike G]

There is a BMW dealer in Atlanta that does a lot of CPO cars. They have a in house guy that does front bumper or cover cosmetic repair like you are describing. If the OP bumper crease is bad enough, it may need to be replaced.

 

[Peekup_Andropov]

UPDATE:
Appreciate all the excellent advice. I took my 981 to a couple of local body shops. RidgeRacer was right on the money, around $800 for a fix that included bumper removal and complete removal of the Xpel film. New film on the bumper was going to cost around $600 installed. Ouch.

So, using my usual flawed logic, I figured that if I could pull off a reasonable looking fix myself, then I just saved myself a bunch of money. If I screwed it up (highly likely), then off to the body shop I would go, and I was only out the $70 spent on paint and sandpaper. Thus inspired, I placed my order on automotivetouchup.com, and about a week later, I had a rattle can of paint, plastic primer, flexible bondo, clear coat, and lots of sandpaper.

I began by working up the edge of the Xpel film with a plastic putty knife. Once I got an edge lifted, it was really easy to pull up. I very lightly scored a line in the film under a crease in the bumper using a new razor blade, being very careful to not go into the paint. The film separated cleanly at the line, allowing me to leave the film on the rest of the bumper. Any remaining adhesive was easily removed with Goo Gone. I now had a large enough area free of film so I could blend the paint. So far, so good.

Next, I scuffed up the area of the dent and applied the flexible Bondo. It was a two-part epoxy, and it was a little tricky to work with as it was difficult to smooth it out. It tends to stick to everything, including the putty knife. I practiced with it on a piece of scrap plastic first. I then applied the bondo to the dented area and smoothed it as much as possible.

After the bondo dried, I started sanding very gently with 80 grit automotive paper in a sanding block. Once the bulge was smoothed out and level with the surrounding area, I switched to finer grits and finished sanding with 1000 grit paper. Let me just say that taking sandpaper to your precious 981 is nerve-wracking, to say the least. But once I saw that this might work, my confidence improved.

With everything smooth and clean, I sprayed three coats of the clear adhesive primer, then started spraying the color. After about 3 light coats, it really started to look like this was going to work. The Automotive Touch Up product is quite good -- I would say it was around a 95% match to the existing color. A little light blending with some 1500 grit sandpaper, and we were ready for clear coat. I let the base coat dry overnight, then sprayed 5 light coats of clearcoat at 15 minute intervals to avoid any runs. I then finished up with a shot of bourbon, because...damn...it didn't look half bad. I mean, it's a decent "4 foot" repair. If you get down there and look close, you'll see a flaw or two. Someday, I'll take it in and have it properly done. But for now, I think we're good.

Thanks again for all the advice, sympathy, and psychological counseling! Kevin

 

[Interpol]

Wow. That looks amazingly good for a first time DIY fix. Nicely done!

 

[Oldboy]

Very nice! Totally acceptable. I’m impressed!

 

[Von Hanstein]

Outstanding work! You have a future in the world of Porsche bodywork repair.

 

[fokai]

Nice work! I think you're good to go!

 

[cobby]

Folks,
Here's my first post on the forum, and of course, it has to be an embarrassing story. I've had my 2013 BS for about a month and a half, and I love it to death. Thought I would miss my much loved and driven 2000 986, but this is an entirely different car.

Anyway, I thought I was a careful parker. I was pulling into a spot that I THOUGHT was ok. There was a low parking curb...only two or three inches high. What I failed to see was the 4 inches of rusty rebar protruding from the curb. Long story short, I cleared the curb, but crunched the rebar. I was just sick. Couldn't believe I was dumb enough to do that.

So...from the photo, you can see the lower lip of the bumper is dented in slight, with a bulge above and below the impact area. You'll also note that the PO installed protective film (looks like XPEL, but can't be sure).

Can I do anything on my own to repair, or should I just give in and take it to a body shop? I thought about heating the area with a heat gun and trying to massage the plastic back into shape, but I'm afraid I'll damage the film. I thought about removing the film and doing a sanding/bondo repair, but the film is expensive, and I kind of like having it there. Is it possible to remove a section of the film?

Just wondering if anyone might have a brilliant idea that will save me from an expensive body shop repair. Thanks!

I think you can do a film "patch" in that area without it being obvious at all. All I can say otherwise is that unless you Really know what you are doing, stay away from applying heat. You can probably sand and putty it down to the point that it's hardly noticeable. Also, I speak from experience when I tell you that if this has happened once, it will happen again.