toytrain13

The rear bumper cover on my 2002 ES300 got pretty badly scarred at the right corner over the weekend (my bad!). My body shop quoted $588 to repair this, indicating that they had to remove the bumper cover to repair and repaint it. I see on eBay that an outfit called SW Auto Body Parts, in Houston, will sell me a "remanufactured" cover, painted in my Code 1CO (Millenium Silver) for $389, shipping free.
I've contacted them to inquire whether the "remanufactured" cover is an original Lexus part, or an aftermarket part. I've also asked if they clearcoat the cover.
Does anyone have any experience with this outfit? They have 99.5% Positive Feedback on eBay.
What is involved in removing the existing cover and replacing it with the remanufactured one, if CL members indicate that this is advisable? I see reference to "captive nuts" on a CL forum. Does this apply to my ES? Thanks!

Nexson

Post a pic, i fix bumpers, thats all i do

I can let ya know

toytrain13

Nexson

$588 to fix this??

I know its in cali and all, but with bumper removed, $330 max I would charge. Stay off ebay, Fix your OEM panels when you can.

mdbrown

Easier said than done. Repair to a bumper cover is a tricky thing.

Nexson

That job is pretty easy, two hours and it is ready for paint.

mdbrown

Pretty easy if you have experience. As soft as that is it's easy to do too much sanding. That is something that requires experience.

Nexson

p180 will feather all that out nicely, then you can primer it, no need for filler unless there are gouges.

OP is asking about price in comparison, OP isn't asking to DIY

SW17LS

That's an easy job, I had a very similar repair done to my old 2003 ES, No deformation of the cover, it's just scraped.

In terms of pricing, it depends. I think the bill to fix mine was like $600. The shop I use is expensive, but they do great paintwork. Silver is hard to match, I'd pay a little more to have it done right.

mdbrown

My bad. When I read your reply it looked like you were telling him to do it himself...

mitmaks

I'd like to see estimate. Is body shop blending pain into quarter panel?
Being a painter I know this can get expensive real quick. Paint alone would run you $150+ then labor of removing/prepping/installing it too.

toytrain13

Mitmaks--Here's the information from the body shop estimate:
Body Labor 2.9 hours at $69.00/hr = 200.10
Paint Labor 3.5 hours at 69.00/hr = 241.50
Paint supplies 3.5 hours at 35.00/hr = 122.50
Miscellaneous 13.00
Subtotal 577.10
Sales tax 130.50 @ 8.250 % = 10.77
Grand Total $587.87
The paint included flex additive, clear coat and R&I (?).

I wouldn't allow paint blending into the quarter panel in any case. The car's paint has no apparent fading- it has always been garaged, so I don't think there would be too much mismatch.

mitmaks

Blending needs to be done if you want it done right. The way metallic is laying on 1/4 panel could be different from bumper cover and you'll notice difference. Especially if cheaper paint is used, they're usually off by a shade or two-which makes it look different.
Perhaps you could find someone who works out of their shop, who could do it for you.
If I were doing this bumper cover repair for you I'd probably charge you ~$250-$300 materials included.

toytrain13

Hi Mitmaks- If you lived in the San Francisco Bay Area I would definitely have you do the work! You seem very knowledgeable about repair/painting.

toytrain13

I mentioned earlier the remanufactured rear bumper covers available on eBay from SW Auto Parts, of Houston. Here's their reply to my email questions: "Yes it is an original Lexus part that has been repaired from scratches,scuffs and nicks,stripped of completely,primed,3 stage paint and clear coated."
So, if I decide to go this route, how do I remove the existing bumper cover? I do see two bolts, one behind each rear wheel.