This is sort of a piggyback thread on the "Just Had an Accident" thread I started a couple days ago.

I just found out the preliminary estimate on my car from the body shop ($1167). They have to order a new wheel and will be removing the rear bumper, stripping the paint, priming and repainting it.

My experience in the past when my Miata got rear-ended and the paint was repaired was that after a year or so, the paint was peeling off the bumper.

Now, the body shop the RX-8 is at is supposed to be a very good one. But I'm wondering what other people's opinions of this process are? Should I push really hard for a new bumper, or do I have nothing to worry about as far as the paint repair if it's a good body shop?

Thanks, I'd appreciate any input or advice you guys have!

personally i would get a new bumper. ask them what the difference in cost will be between painting or new bumper. maybe you could pay the difference.

I'd bet that a new RX-8 bumper comes in primer and will need to be painted anyway! It's not like any other replacement body panels arrive painted - aside from the accessory catalogue, all the Mazda replacement pieces will only be primered. There really shouldn't be any difference between your current bumper being painted and a replacement bumper being painted - it comes down to the quality of the work done by the body shop. That said, there's no reason why paint should be peeling after 1 year - that was just a crappy job. Done properly, paint on a repainted bumper should last just as long as your original paint.

Regards,
Gordon

New bumper, all the way. It shouldn't cost that much more. New car deserves new bumper.

Originally posted by desmo996
New bumper, all the way. It shouldn't cost that much more. New car deserves new bumper.

Well, the OWNER deserves a new bumper.
The car wont know the difference. Its just a car, after all.:D

Originally posted by desmo996
New bumper, all the way. It shouldn't cost that much more. New car deserves new bumper.

But why? If the original bumper is just scratched up and only needs paint... and the new bumper will need paint... what's the difference?

Regards,
Gordon

The difference is higher insurance premiums for all.

If you have a good body shop and good insurance most likely the guy at the shop will recommend a new bumper if he removes it and sees it's more damaged then the estimate took into consideration. They contact your insurance company and push to get you the new bumper. This is why people pay higher premiums for companies like Allstate and people who use Geiko will often get the shitty repair and paint work.

It's not up to you to decide you need a new bumper. You certainly can push for one yourself but if the rep contacts the body shop and the shop says the bumper is fine you won't get a new one.

Just choose a shop carefully and question them about the life expectancy of the paint on the bumper. Ask them what will happen if you're not happy with how the paint is matched. Will they respray it? The most difficult thing they will have to do is match your paint. Additives that are required when painting plastic can change the color of the paint. That's why it's a bitch to match.

Oh and don't forget to claim your diminished value on the vehicle if your state allows it. That's the estimated loss of value on your 8 because it's been in an accident.

Good luck

RotaryStalker

Thanks everyone for your responses. Very helpful info! The body shop guy did say that a new factory bumper would have to be painted anyway. I guess I'll hope for the best and be very careful about inspecting the car when I do get it back.

And yes the body shop who did my Miata sucked. :mad:

Had my 2002 mazda protege 5 bumper painted and after a year and a half it still showed NO SIGNS of chipping or peeling......as long as they do it right....do they guarantee the work?

I was just rear ended with some dents on my bumper. I have a sunlit silver RX-8, and the body shop quoted me $400 to fix it. Upon its return, the bumper looks like new. My only gripe was that he had to fix the black part of the bumper as well. The paint had a really shiny, dark color to it. Actually, it looks better, in my opinion, than the dull black color of the original. If I had opted for the new bumper, he said it would probably cost me a little over a grand. Hope that helps.

Thanks, cruzdreamer and stownz, for sharing your experiences.
I am feeling better now that I'm hearing that you guys have had good luck with paint repair.

cruzdreamer, they do guarantee their work, but I'm getting conflicting info from the body shop and the insurance company as far as how long they guarantee it. The body shop seems to think the insurance company guarantees it for as long as I have the vehicle. The insurance company thinks the body shop guarantees the work for 1 year.

I will DEFINITELY be getting this in writing before I take the car back.

One part of my $3,500 body shop bill -- an 80 year old lady drove her Caddy DeVille into my car -- was for repainting the rear bumper. The insurance estimator mentioned that there would have to be additives to the paint to make it adhere to the plastic. My dealer's body shop did a sloppy job, overspraying everywhere. They had to remove the bumper a second time to fix the overspray on the black part underneath. The sunshine silver color looks OK to me, but I'm not an expert or super critical.

Gord is right about the workmanship.

Painting over plastic bumper covers has more variables than sheet metal. The plastic is designed to move, flex and bend. This is anything from leaning on it to temp changes. All of this will "Flex" the material.

A "Flex" additive is used in the paint, along with a special primer just for this purpose. All of this has to be done and done correctly to insure a quality job.

Bumper cover repainting (new or repainting a repaired cover....) unfortunately has a history of peeling or chipping very easily. Sometimes it will have tiny spider webbing cracks also. This is usually from not enough flex additive in the paint, or improper primer used in prep.

Finding a good body shop is very hard. In my opinion most are not very good. However, when you do find a good one, they will paint plastic bumpers to wear and look like new.

Your lucky in that the bumper being repainted is the rear. It is less prone to rock chips that will sometimes show the vulnerabilities of a repainted bumper cover.

The question about new or repaired. I would approach it like this......If they will be using filler to repair a deep scrape or tear, I would opt for a replacement. Filler is not flexable and shouldn't be used on a bumper cover. They do it all the time anyway. If it is just light sanding and refinishing, then your OEM will be just fine.

Good luck. The best thing is just what you said earlier. Get the warranty in writing.