Front bumper question

[sherryberry]

Hi All,

Last year, I had a little run in with a snow bank: My yaris spun out of control and hit a snow bank and caused my bumper to crack. I've been ignoring the issue since I had no money for a new bumper. I was looking at getting a new bumper but it's at least $300 to get one painted same color as my car.

Question here is: If I buy a primed bumper, how hard is it to do the paint job myself? What is needed and any advice would be great. Thank you all!

[cali yaris]

I would say "don't try this", in general, but....

It depends on your tolerance for flaws. There will still be sanding, prepping and primering, then painting in a dust-free environment with good quality paint, then clear coat, then wet or color sanding, then polishing.

Blazing blue will also be very difficult to color match, and if you're buying paint in a can, you'd be taking a chance to get lucky on the color.

I've been too chicken to try it.

[sherryberry]

So sounds like I should just go for the bumper that they paint for you?

[Betrivent]

If you've no experience at all, then yes.

[Geoff Peace]

Hi All,

Last year, I had a little run in with a snow bank: My yaris spun out of control and hit a snow bank and caused my bumper to crack. I've been ignoring the issue since I had no money for a new bumper. I was looking at getting a new bumper but it's at least $300 to get one painted same color as my car.

Question here is: If I buy a primed bumper, how hard is it to do the paint job myself? What is needed and any advice would be great. Thank you all!

I apologise for being pessimistic but I will save you a lot of time money and heartache. You will never match the colour yourself, it will look terrible and will annoy you every time you look at the car. A lot of experience is needed when mixing paint to match. Even then, in the case of a bumper it may match one wing but not the other. ( Sorry, fender is the name I think!) You may think they are the same colour, they are not. This is where the skill of a professional sprayer comes in, blending to two or three panels to give the illusion that they are all the same. Hope this explains things a little more.

Geoff Peace.