My buddy scratched his Accord's rear bumper, and he asked me for help. The scratches are pretty deep and tore off the paint, exposing the black underneath.
I honestly have no idea how to "properly" repair it, so I could REALLY use some help please.

My only idea would be to really sand down the entire area that got scratched, add some putty to fill in the gap. Then use a spraycan of the same color paint, spray it, then put a clear coat on it. But in past experiences when I've used touch-up spray paint and clear coat, I've noticed that if you only do a small area, it's noticeably different, and stands out. Is there a simpler way to do it? BTW the scratches are too deep for any type of scratch remover.

Anywho, here's some pics:







thanks in advance.

 

touch up paint isnt going to make it look right, i would definetly take it to a body shop and have them just do that area.. ask them if it would make it cheaper by sanding it down first or maybe removing the bumper and bringing it down off the car

 

Get an estimate from a body shop to repair the existing bumper. Then find out how much a it would cost to have them just replace the bumper cover and shoot it. I asked one of the estimators at the body shop next to my shop and he said the price was pretty close if you take all the hardware and lights off yourself.

 

How hard is it to take off the bumper? I'm sure those side markers are just attached with screws, but is the bumper just attached with bolts? Could I just jack the car up, get under the back and unbolt it?

 

i have never taken the back bumper off mine, but i know i have done the front and theres a total of four bolts and its off. the back shouldn't be hard.

 

This type of job would cost you between $100-200, depending on how well you know the guy and how many shops you're willing to haggle with. A body shop would insist on painting the whole bumper(as it is easier to color match and will look cleaner). Labor alone is $75-80 an hour(NYC rate).

I just got my front bumper done(a freakin' rolling construction cone hit it at 80 mph). It was all bent, disfigured, and the paint peeled all over the place. The guy at the shop estimated $275(I gave him $300, cash). When he was done, you couldn't tell anything happened to the car, except for the fact that the bumper looks slightly newer than the rest of the car.

As soon as I got it fixed though, an SUV left me a parting gift of a five inch scratches on the upper end of my right rear bumper(while I was parked and car unattended). I say SUV, judging from the height and angle of the gash, almost to the tailight lens.

If you don't live in NYC, consider yourself lucky.