Approximate cost of scuff buffout?

[Aiken Drum]

I got bumped into (pretty lightly) from behind this morning. Luckily, it was pure bumper-on-bumper and all I got out of it was about a 6"x1.5" scuff on the bumper. I can feel some slight ridges in the paint, but there doesn't appear to be any deformation of the bumper itself.

Naturally, being b******ds, the local paint shop won't give me even a ballpark, non-comittal idea of how much something like this would cost to buff or touch-up unless I bring it in. (They know someone is more likely to actually use their service if they can get them on the lot. Pisses me off.) I don't have time to go by until the weekend and I was hoping someone here would have some clue.

Anyone?

Thanks...

 

[KSNSX]

They will have to decide if they can get the scratch all the way out or not. Buffing they will charge you around $75. If they havr to color-match and repaint the bumber, figure around 250.00-300.00.

 

[hlweyl]

You can always try yourself with a little elbow grease. For heavy scratches, I would start with 3M rubbing compound, then 3M polishing compound, finally your favorite wax.

Don't be too hard on them for not estimating over the phone. You would be hard pressed to find any good body shop that would do that. It's impossible to tell over the phone whether the job needs re-sprayed.

good luck

 

[Aiken Drum]

My issue was that they wouldn't offer figures at all, e.g. "if we buff out a scuff that big, it'll be at least X, if we have to repaint the bumper on a 95 NSX, it'll be Y, and we cannot guarantee the price over the phone."

I don't think that's unreasonable.

 

[nsxtasy]

For heavy scratches, I would start with 3M rubbing compound, then 3M polishing compound, finally your favorite wax.

Those compounds are very abrasive. Yes, if the scratches are heavy, this may be what you need. But before you go that far, I would try getting them out using a milder abrasive, such as swirl mark remover (Meguiar's and 3M both make these). The advantages of using a swirl mark remover are that it may remove the marks without removing too much paint, and also, it leaves the finish smooth enough that you can wax right over it and you're done. If the scratches are too deep, and the swirl mark remover won't remove them, then you may have to use the compounds (and follow up with something that smooths out the finish), but it's worth trying the SMR first.

 

[Aiken Drum]

My wife kindly took it by the paint shop for an estimate. The scuff got down into the plastic in one place, so it has to be stripped, smoothed, and repainted. The whole thing is in the $600's.

Boo for misfortune, but hooray for being at a total stop and the other person having insurance.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Aiken, did I meet you in one of those local Claim Jumper meet?? I haven't been there for the whole summer, I have the red one with enkei rims.

My car is in a body shop at Seattle now, if you are interested, you may bring your car to their shop for an estimate too, they may give you better deal than $600 quote you got in Bellevue area. Here's the good point, if you have problem making arrangement in the weekdays, they work relatively late to other shops... If you need, I can give them a call and let them do the estimate at night and weekends for you..