Jackco711

I have been driving into NYC and Brooklyn a lot more frequently lately and everytime I leave I notice another scratch on my bumper from stupid drivers who dont care about thier cars and dont know how to park!!! Last week walked up to my car after parking in NYC and i had a 5 inch scratch on the corner of my bumper, deep deep scratch and the paint around it started to crack. Really pisses me off. I feel terrible about it and it turns me off from my car every time I look at it. What do the NY drivers do to combat this...

Also Ive been told by some bodyshops that if you paint just one panel like the bumper of hood it might not match the rest of the car and will look stupid. Have any of you done this and had problems matching paint.

And finally, any bodyshop reccomendations in Central Jersey or in Brooklyn..... Im cant drive for the next 4 weeks bc of ACL surgery so Im thinking now would be a good time to get the girl looking beautiful again.
Jack

mikeyboy

If the body shop is really good, the bumper will match the rest of the car but i work with cars everyday and i know what body shops are good and arent. For you i reccommend getting estimates and choose according to price and professional-ness

ripe911

In brooklyn a lot of people put those big ridiculous rubber stick-on guards on their bumpers to combat the problems. I rather have a scratch than drive around with those.

Technics

I posted a simular thread a while ago, during Thanksgiving I walked out to my car to find a nice scratch on the front bumper. To add insult to injury someone had spit on my car as well! It's a shame people don't respect others property.

I try to be real selective when parking next to cars at malls or garages. If you're parallel parking then sometimes you don't really have a choice, like at my girlfriends apartment in Yonkers. It's true most of these people don't care about their cars. Look at front and rear bumpers in any of the five boroughs and you will see just how bad they're tagged up!

LS4fun

Time to plan for a recurring expense of paint in your budget! Don't worry about it so much...regardless of what you do...you can't avoid the other idiots who park and hit your car. Why put extra stress on yourself.....not really worth it!

lexusk8

I agree, it might not be worth the time and money to re-touch or re-paint the bumper when the chances of getting the bumper scratched again in the city are good or great. I've seen a handful of newer ES's and GS's in the city with their bumpers noticably knocked around (especially from the ones parallel-parked).

aliga

iTrader: (147)

i was thinking about installing some metal spikes on my bumper, so the idiot who cant park will get a nasty poke/gash on their bumper.

joshoowa

iTrader: (1)

hahah write up a DIY and lets see how that works .. im just kiding

ddarbs55

JACK,
i feel your pain, my friend. i've had my car in and out of the city for years with no bumps, niks or scratches to show for it.
i went down to South Carolina on vacation where i feel folks are really courteous and nice and -WHAMO -
my front bumper has the nastiest 5 inch scratch in it, right down to the black. go figure...
have to admit though, the metal spikes would give it that Mel Gibson Mad Max. look.

aliga

iTrader: (147)

Maybe some type of spike connected to a system that was retractable. Basically it retracts underneath the car while driving. When you park, you physically set them in place, or maybe even motorize them somehow.

Just some ideas. We need some Monster garage mechanics to make this happen!

D2-AUTOSPORT

Yeah just as ripe said, those rubber strips are a serious NO-NO, just plan on painting the bumper every year or so, most shops will paint one bumper for about 150 so just get used to it man!!

Jackco711

For $150 it might be worth the piece of mind. I feel like when there is that bad of a blemish on the car it ruins the whole car and I dont even want to look at it anymore. Im a perfectionist.

I wish I couldnt have found the car that did it. Unfourtunately it's always when they are pulling out of the spot that they swipe you. Sign me up for the spikes, you could make a lot of money with that idea.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Each time I visit NY, I am amazed that an average of 7 out of 10 cars have dinged/scaped up bumpers. Some to the point where the paint has peeled off in sections. It is jus a fact of life out there. Back up till you hit the car behind you and then the same forwad till your in or out of your spot. To many, that is the ONLY way they know how to park!! Too them, that is the correct way. The only solution appears to be those ugly rubber bumper guards. I would have nightmares if I had a nice car out there. Instead when I lived out there many many years ago, I had a Valare. Never cared about it so I slept well

D2-AUTOSPORT

That is exactly it man, those damn touch parkers!! They just bump, bump, and leave!!! LOL

SC300Es

Yeah, don't put the black rubber strips. Nasty..I see two 2004 ESs all the time, one of them has the one that looks like "/VVVVVVV\" and it looks so ridicuolus.

Most ppl here can't park without touching your bumper 4-5 times cuz most of those don't care about their own cars let alone yours. The GF's Accord bought in May 2003 looks like it's been thru years of abuse. She got a scratch within two weeks, and this weekend I noticed nice dent by her gas door. Someone apparently opened their SUV door on her car. And don't get me started on the SUVs. That is just another story, especially the ones with the tow hitch in the back.

Ed