Shade Tree Body Work - Bumper
10-06-2004, 09:43 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 116
Shade Tree Body Work - Bumper
A few days ago my girlfriend managed to back her '02 GSE against a bumper hitch in a parking lot. This caused a dimple in the right corner of the rear bumper cover. Dimple size is probably between 2 1/2" and 3".
Fortunately I can reach in and feel the back of the dimple just above the actual bumper structure. However I couldn't get enough leverage to push it out.
Thought I'd try again. What I intend to do is gently warm that area with a hair dryer. I'm not trying to toast it with a heat gun. Just get it up from our recent fall crisp weather to about the temperature you'd expect on a hot sunny summer day. I'm hoping this gives it a little flexibility.
Then I'll try pushing it out from in back again. If not I'll try it with a short length of 2x4 with the end rounded a bit.
I suspect when and if it pops out I'll still have some crackled paint from where the crease of the dimple was and some scuff marks. The paint near the crease doesn't looked cracked right now but feels like it's starting.
We'll see how it looks. I'll try some serious buffing but may end up with a small respray at a body shop.
Anyone else done this and what results did you have? Any advice or tips on how to do this? Seems like a fairly straightforward operation but I know I've thought that about other things. Feedback from a forum like this can point out the "oh yeah, should have thought of that" before going down the wrong road.
Fortunately I can reach in and feel the back of the dimple just above the actual bumper structure. However I couldn't get enough leverage to push it out.
Thought I'd try again. What I intend to do is gently warm that area with a hair dryer. I'm not trying to toast it with a heat gun. Just get it up from our recent fall crisp weather to about the temperature you'd expect on a hot sunny summer day. I'm hoping this gives it a little flexibility.
Then I'll try pushing it out from in back again. If not I'll try it with a short length of 2x4 with the end rounded a bit.
I suspect when and if it pops out I'll still have some crackled paint from where the crease of the dimple was and some scuff marks. The paint near the crease doesn't looked cracked right now but feels like it's starting.
We'll see how it looks. I'll try some serious buffing but may end up with a small respray at a body shop.
Anyone else done this and what results did you have? Any advice or tips on how to do this? Seems like a fairly straightforward operation but I know I've thought that about other things. Feedback from a forum like this can point out the "oh yeah, should have thought of that" before going down the wrong road.
10-06-2004, 10:03 AM
#3
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 191
probably one of the most common places for a dent. There's a terrible blind spot there. I did it on my Y2K and then on my 2K2. Both times I tried to do exactly what you plan on doing with no luck. The trip to the body shop cost me $300 each time for the deductable but I got a new skin out of it.
I hope you can do it. Good Luck.
Trex
I hope you can do it. Good Luck.
Trex
10-06-2004, 11:39 AM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 116
Originally Posted by MaximaPolak
Why not just take the cover off?
wouldn't that be simpler that heating and hitting?
wouldn't that be simpler that heating and hitting?
Dziekuje, MaximaPolak,
That would make it easier to work on the dimple. But how hard is it to remove the cover? And is it tough to realign when you put it back on?
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