Quote:
Originally Posted by Zigner  It is entirely possible that the bumper has been damaged to the point of needing replacement. |
Exactly... To look at the painted side of a bumper cover and say "I can repaint it and make it look new" is gullible, unproffessional and it shows that this guy knows nothing about paint and body repair!
The plastic/fiberglass mix that makes up the bumper is much more pliable than metal and dents cannot be filled with the same filler
(Bondo) used for the metal parts. So regardless of how many times it is painted, you might still be able to see imperfections in the paint. Additionally, structural supports on the bumper itself might have cracked/broke off due to the impact. Those obviously cannot just be "glued on" if they are damaged, therefore the bumper must be replaced.
Also, and in addition to the
bumper cover that might have flexed and popped back to its original shape after the impact, an experienced repairman would have to inspect the
bumper support (a re-enforced metal part that sits behind the bumper cover/it is responsible for offering the most amouont of protection from impacts (not the bumper that you see on the surface)) for any dents/damage. If that part is dented, and since it can crack if one were to try and force it back into shape, it must be replaced.
Lastly, the bumper support attaches to the vehicle's chassis via
pneumatic/hydraulic shock (supports) which must be tested and measured to specs after any impact. If they do not measure up then
-for safety reasons- and in hopes that they will perform as designed in case of another accident, they must be replaced as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdyer ....accordind to the collision repair mechanic...the BMW dealer is just hard up for cash...he thinks the bumper is fine... |
I wold think the bumper is fine too if I was hard up for cash myself...
First, BMW dealers usually do not do paint/body repair. They usually subcontract the work to a Paint/body work shop which is certified by BMW (they would have to have the knowledge and expertise of BMW manufacturing and painting specifications - these shops usually have employees who have attended manufacturer sponsored training about the required repair procedures). The dealers usually do not make much of anything on a customer’s car that comes into their shop and ends up going straight to the body shop. The body shop will purchase any needed parts from that particular dealer but even then, the dealer will only charge his cost for those parts in return for such services as touching up a hood or buffing out a small scratch on a door on new cars that come in with minor damages like that which occur in transit… as well as detailing services to either used cars the dealer is selling or new cars that may have sat on the lot for an extended period of time.
So saying “the BMW dealer is hard up for a little cash” is only an indication that this body shop will say anything because they are even more hard up for even lesser cash. Times are tough, I guess.
Lastly, your son, borrowed/took/used a car that had a bumper that at least seemed to have been in perfect shape. The only fair thing is to bring it back to the same shape that it was in or that which you would want for your own car if this BMW was yours.
In fact, I am willing to bet that if this was your car and let’s assume that the insurance would have recommended this independent body shop, you’d be on here asking “what can I do to get my insurance to pay for me to take it to the dealer?” Right?
Fair is fair… and usually, it is not that hard out figure out what is fair!!!
Sorry for the long post... And no, I never worked at a body shop nor a BMW dealer!
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