Blending bumper to fenders and hood

[DeleteAccountPlease]

Long story short I got hit and I ordered a new bumper and got it painted. They got the color totally off and it needs to be repainted. Should I tell the new bodyshop to blend it in or should I just tell them to repaint the bumper to try to get it close.

[Vic311]

If they screwed up the color the first time..why would you be going back to the same body shop?

Any good body shop will know to blend the paint..also keep in mind you can never get 100% color match on plastic bumper and the aluminum hood..the different materials reflect the color differently..a good body shop will get it where you can hardly tell but the really discerning eye can.

[DeleteAccountPlease]

Originally Posted by Vic311

If they screwed up the color the first time..why would you be going back to the same body shop?

Any good body shop will know to blend the paint..also keep in mind you can never get 100% color match on plastic bumper and the aluminum hood..the different materials reflect the color differently..a good body shop will get it where you can hardly tell but the really discerning eye can.

So I should bend it? Would you not really be able to notice it? Also I am not taking it to the same body shop

[MilehighM3]

There's no way I would let them paint my car if the bumper is that far off. Any decent body shop can get a bumper painted correctly. If its that far off, imagine what they will do to the rest of the car! No blending fenders for bumpers, period! Make them repaint it. If it still sucks, get your money back and take it elsewhere

[DeleteAccountPlease]

Originally Posted by Bmw135er

There's no way I would let them paint my car if the bumper is that far off. Any decent body shop can get a bumper painted correctly. If its that far off, imagine what they will do to the rest of the car! No blending fenders for bumpers, period! Make them repaint it. If it still sucks, get your money back and take it elsewhere

So I guess no blending? Never had experience with it and I'm scared to even try it

[baba louey]

Am I missing something here. Are suggesting repainting the front bumper cover and then blending the new paint with the old paint up the fenders and hood. I would say just get the shop to do a good colour match with the original paint and just paint the cover. I have to assume that colour matching has improved over the years.

[MilehighM3]

Not a chance a shop should need to blend for bumper replacement only. If they do, their painter is incompetent. Give them a chance to correct their error, but only one more shot. Make sure they verify the paint code prior to repainting the bumper. Make sure to talk to them about it and be clear that you will not accept the bumper if it does not match. Of course if they can't make it right, you want a refund. If that's not acceptable to them, take your refund now. Any body shop I know of has a lifetime warranty on their paint work. Unless you're taking your car to Maaco or Ealt Schieb, then shame on you! Haha

[DeleteAccountPlease]

Originally Posted by Bmw135er

Not a chance a shop should need to blend for bumper replacement only. If they do, their painter is incompetent. Give them a chance to correct their error, but only one more shot. Make sure they verify the paint code prior to repainting the bumper. Make sure to talk to them about it and be clear that you will not accept the bumper if it does not match. Of course if they can't make it right, you want a refund. If that's not acceptable to them, take your refund now. Any body shop I know of has a lifetime warranty on their paint work. Unless you're taking your car to Maaco or Ealt Schieb, then shame on you! Haha

nice answer lol

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by Bmw135er

Not a chance a shop should need to blend for bumper replacement only. If they do, their painter is incompetent. Give them a chance to correct their error, but only one more shot. Make sure they verify the paint code prior to repainting the bumper. Make sure to talk to them about it and be clear that you will not accept the bumper if it does not match. Of course if they can't make it right, you want a refund. If that's not acceptable to them, take your refund now. Any body shop I know of has a lifetime warranty on their paint work. Unless you're taking your car to Maaco or Ealt Schieb, then shame on you! Haha

^This. If the bumper is the only item being replaced and painted, no shop is going to blend panels unless you are paying extra for it out of pocket. Blending panels only occurs when you are doing hood to fender or fender to door or door to door or quarter panel to trunk lid.

[a burrito]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

^This. If the bumper is the only item being replaced and painted, no shop is going to blend panels unless you are paying extra for it out of pocket. Blending panels only occurs when you are doing hood to fender or fender to door or door to door or quarter panel to trunk lid.

+1 .. Any decent shop should be able to match the bumper to the hood and fenders without a blend. Like Tech said, when you start going into areas where you can see more than one panels or if it is a large section (hood, fender, doors, basically anything more than a bumper) then it needs to be blended.

[djantlive]

blending or not is depends on the color and condition of the original paint.

certain colors are very hard to match. for those, blending is needed to make it 100%. without blending, the painter needs to be top notch on metallic colors to make it very close to 100%. your run of the mill body shop won't do.

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by djantlive

blending or not is depends on the color and condition of the original paint.

certain colors are very hard to match. for those, blending is needed to make it 100%. without blending, the painter needs to be top notch on metallic colors to make it very close to 100%. your run of the mill body shop won't do.

Not really true. Bumpers are almost never blended regardless of paint age unless the customer wants to pay the difference as insurance is never going to cover it.

Colors are always harder to match as they age regardless of metallic or otherwise. Regardless, it will always be up to the customer to pay extra if they want something other than a straight paint on a bumper. I have NEVER seen an insurance company pay to blend a panel when a bumper is replaced.

[djantlive]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

I have NEVER seen an insurance company pay to blend a panel when a bumper is replaced.

I have! Of course, I don't use cheap insurance like Geico. They make you buy used or non OEM parts.

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by djantlive

I have! Of course, I don't use cheap insurance like Geico. They make you buy used or non OEM parts.

I worked at a body shop for a long time and not once did an insurance company pay to blend panels when just a bumper is being replaced. Didn't matter if it was Geico, State Farm, AAA or Allstate.

[djantlive]

well, don't know what to tell you. maybe your customers just don't ask. anyways, this isn't about an insurance coverage. it's about whether to blend or not. irregardless of insurance.

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by djantlive

well, don't know what to tell you. maybe your customers just don't ask. anyways, this isn't about an insurance coverage. it's about whether to blend or not. irregardless of insurance.

Yes and no. If a part were needed to be blended, it would be. This is why panels are blended and bumpers are not.