So the rear bumper on my 99 Civic hatchback has a nice "tear". Is this worth fixing, or would I be better off getting a new bumper?

 

Wellllllll, this is how I would break it down:

Urethane right? I think there's a way to 'weld' urethane together, and by 'weld' I mean 'melt' If you could do that, you're going to have to 'weld' it, sand it, primer it, paint it, (make sure it matches) clear it, maybe sand it, buff it.

If you buy a new one, it might be simpler, just taking it to get painted. If it were me, I would fix it. that's just the kind of person that I am.

 

do whatever is cheaper. lol

 

I would go new. If you find a used one in good shape, you just have to do the paintwork. If you try to repair, you have to get all of the required tools for plastic welding, and then hope it turns out well.

The guy that does a lot of collision work for my family (does very good work) refuses to even try to fix plastic bumpers. That leads me to believe that it's not the best way, even though it is definitely possible to fix.

 

Yeah I will do which ever is cheaper. I plan to paint the whole car anyways, so this is a stepping stone in that direction

 

by the looks of it, it already looks like you tried to touch up some scratches with paint.. might as well get a whole new one and new paint. it will be a LOT cleaner plus dont have to worry about warping or such

 

No all the "touch ups" were done by the previous owner. I'm in the process of fixing or selling this car. If it doesn't sell soon I plan to repaint the car and just keep it.

 

theres a million parts for hondas circling the world... i say you just find a stock silver bumper.... the color variation will most likely be slightly off... but saves u $$ and time