It's been a bad winter on the East Coast. I tapped a snowbank last month with my 2008 Clubman...that turned out to be an immovable pile of frozen slush/ice. The left corner of the bumper flexed and broke loose several of the top mounting tabs as well as the molded-in mounting bracket behind it and tore the black rubber air dam and fender lip loose in several spots. The marker light bracket on that side is also rattling around loose now. I can make everything look nearly right by inserting the remaining tab from the air dam into the slot in the lower fender lip but it pops out after a few miles and sags several cms. So my question is:

1. Repair or replace? I'm an experienced DIYer, including fiberglass, but I don't know what works on this type of plastic. I can build a metal bracket to hold the bumper in place again and fix the light bracket but there are some cracks in the thin section under the front grill. Also, some idiot backed into me in the parking lot a while ago so there are a few little cracks near the center-mounted (sorry, guys, it looks OK to me) license plate. So I'm thinking I should just replace the whole thing, but...
2. If replace, new or repaired? There are a lot of them for sale on eBay of both types. What years/models will fit?: I've got a 2008 Clubman base (not S).
3. How difficult is it to get painted correctly (pepper white)? I've heard aftermarket paint, while very expensive, doesn't flex very well and will start to crack after a while. I've got a good body shop I've used before: should they be able to match the paint properly with something that will hold up over time?

Anyone got a pepper white front bumper from an aero swap lying around in their garage?

TIA,
Chip

 

mmm wrong forum try the clubman threads

 

Maybe your insurance will cover it. In any case, I'd go with new parts.

The paint should be easy to match. After market paint is probably better than the factory paint.

Dave