OK, so, I was hit a little while back by this lady. Left a little damage, but nothing to call the cops about. (I don't need a ticket, neither does she). It left a few marks that I still can't get off with just washing and such. Thought maybe some paint and buffing...What do ya thing?


Then, I was hit on the back right corner while in the Walt Disney World parking lot. It happened while we were i nthe park, and there was no note left. This looks like a replacement job to me. To save money when we got ther MINI we changed our deductable to $500. So Im not sure if any of this would amount to that. Any suggestion??? Thanks!

 

Check www.paintscratch.com. That is where I have gotten some from in the past.

 

Those marks do like like they can be buffed out to me. Get a pure foam applicator and rub in back and forth motions only. If you want to try to get something local try Meguiars ScratchX at AutoZone or WalMart. (Although it's not my favorite.) Or you can try a finer compound like Sonus.

For anything that goes through to the primer, I agree, Paintscratch.com has a good match. You can also pick up factory paint sticks at the dealer.

 

Thank you very much!

 

Just confirming things here, but I will second (or third at this point I think) Painscratch.com. Good product and good service. Used them on my restoration.

 

Isn't the chrome piece of the bumper a seperate item held on with two sided tape? If so it should be a pretty easy fix to repace it.

 

Can you just buy another one on my own? Or is that a dealer thing?

 

Sorry to see the careless lumpen masses got your baby twice!

The scuffs on the left hand side of the backup lamp look like they'll buff out. I suspect the other car's paint transferred over on top of yours, and the your yellow is hiding underneath, waiting to be liberated. A little Meguiar's Scratch-X (From the local auto parts store) and hand rubbing with a cotton cloth should remove the offending smudges. :smile:

For the right rear corner damage, the chrome insert is a separately replacable piece, and should not be very expensive from the dealer parts counter. It should be little trouble to replace this part yourself, as it is most likey held on by double-sided foam tape. Just peel-n-stick, after you clean the tape residue from the old one off of the bumper cover.

The small tear in the right edge of the rear bumper cover appears be a fairly simple repair for a competent body shop technician. To do properly, this repair will require removal and reinstallation of the bumper cover to allow access to both sides of the repair area. This will also ease the bumper cover respray. If you plan to have the bumper cover plastic repair done, hold off replacing the chrome strip until this is completed.

The good news about the bumper cover is that is is plastic, and it appears that if you elect to leave the tear alone, it will be much less noticable once the gray plastic wheel lip extension is properly reseated on the edge of the bumper cover. With any luck, there are no bent brackets holding open the gap between the side edge of the bumper cover and the wheel arch molding extension, and the two parts can simply be snapped back into their proper arrangement to close the gap. Since the cover is plastic, the tear won't rust if the edges are left exposed.

You may also be able to file a claim under the Uninsured Motorist coverage on your insurance policy (if your policy has that coverage.) Typically, the deductible for UM coverage is lower than your $500.00 collision deuctible- usually in the $100-$250 range per occurrance. State law, the provisions of your policy, or both may stipulate that a police report needs to be filed for the incident to qualify for UM, so check with your insurance co. for details.

(Do so anonymously if possible, as some people have reported that their insurance carrier set up a claim automatically, just based on an inquiry requesting information. You may decide that it's not in your interest to file a claim after your inquiry, but the option to decide for yourself is lost if they set one up without your consent. That innocent-sounding request for your name, policy number, and VIN at the start of the phone call means they have everything they need to establish a claim, as soon the rep who answers your call knows what you've called in about!)

 

True true.. I think I will talk to my family member that works on cars and see what he can do with the crack. He took a look at it and said it would be a pretty easy fix. I will tell him about the bumper. I guess my dealer might sell me one. I'll have to ask when I ask about my missing light button. Thanks for the advice. I am going to try to buff out the other smuges, I hope they come out. I'll update after the fixes. Thanks!