Hood Replacement

[Templarum]

So anyway, this is a total shit-post with no redeeming qualities. It’s really just me complaining. It started a couple weeks ago. I was going to get my car ceramic coated. A few days before it was time to drop it off, I noticed the infamous rust bubble on the leading edge of the hood. So coating is on hold and I decide to take it to the local Ford dealership to see if they can take care of it despite it being six months out of bumper to bumper warranty. I also wanted them to check out the heated seats that never seemed to actually work.

I took it in and to my surprise they said they’d fix everything, and it would all be covered by various warranties that were somehow still in effect. They’ll have it for ten days. This is great news.

When I had first gotten the car it apparently took a shopping cart to the face in a parking lot, and has a tiny paint blemish about .25 by .25 inch on the very apex of the front bumper. What better time to get it fixed since they’re working on the hood and blending the fenders. I ask the guy to get me an estimate for that and he say no problem. Well, one week and six unreturned phone calls says otherwise. So I decide to just show up and see what the deal is.

I get there and the first thing I notice is my car sitting in the lot missing a hood and with the front end off of it. Weird. My CAI is sitting out in the open, and I know it got a nice bath in the downpour we had last night. No big deal I guess.

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Now the only guy I could track down naturally knew nothing about anything, but he said he could help. I waited outside while he fussed around and emerged ten minutes later with an estimate. He handed it me and I saw that they wanted 800$ to fix this tiny blemish.

Dafuq?

Now, maybe this is reasonable if I was bringing this in only for this repair, but at this point they’re balls deep into the front end anyway so what the heck. I looked at the itemized list. 6 hours labor, 3 hours paint labor, 300 dollars for paint. Just insane.

I don’t know if they’re trolling me and don’t want to do it, or if they’re trying to recoup some of the hood replacement costs. Regardless, I will not be having them touch up this infinitesimal spot on the front bumper.

Have you guys run into anything similar with dealer body work?

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[jacknifetoaswan]

Dealers are generally looking to make a buck off anything they can, and body work is no different. They're not going to discount you, even if they do have the front end disassembled.

I pranged my bumper a couple weeks ago, and ended up getting three estimates - $950 from a local body shop, $1100 from the dealer, and $650 from a guy I know that runs a high end shop that does work on exotics and expensive European cars. I chose the $650 option, and it looks perfect.

JR

 

[RIBS]

Where is the minor nick? When my hood was replaced they did extensive paint blending onto the fenders and front bumper...It might get fixed in that process....

 

[Templarum]

Where is the minor nick? When my hood was replaced they did extensive paint blending onto the fenders and front bumper...It might get fixed in that process....

It's on the very apex front point of the bumper. It would be nice if they fixed it but I'm seriously doubting it.

 

[Bikeman315]

I get there and the first thing I notice is my car sitting in the lot missing a hood and with the front end off of it.

I have to ask why? You do not need to pull the bumper to replace the hood.

 

[Rapid Red]

I have to ask why? You do not need to pull the bumper to replace the hood.

Good question .....

 

[Templarum]

I have to ask why? You do not need to pull the bumper to replace the hood.

That was the second thing I asked. Dude said it was because the lights had to come out to prevent overspray and in order to facilitate that the bumper cover had to be removed as well. It definitely raises my suspicions, and I hate to say it but I'm totally expecting something to be wrong with the fit and/or finish.

 

[RIBS]

They may be prepping it to be blended when they spray the hood....

 

[Bikeman315]

They may be prepping it to be blended when they spray the hood....

So they've never heard of masking paper and tape. I certainly hope I'm wrong but I fear this isn't going to end well.

 

[BlackBoostedGT]

So they've never heard of masking paper and tape. I certainly hope I'm wrong but I fear this isn't going to end well.

When you tape off a car to paint you use tape/paper. Forgot the precise reason from when I went to school for auto body but there's a reason for using the paper closer to the paint then using plastic sheets to cover the rest. It's pretty common to do that. Honestly if I was working in a shop I'd remove the front bumper as well. Would make masking everything off easier as well as eliminate the worry of getting overspray on the front bumper at all. Only reason to leave it on is if you were blending everything into the bumper as well. As for the cost of the bumper they'd have to sand down and do the prep work on the bumper which takes longer if you need to prep a surface that is already painted with damage on it verses a brand new bumper that comes primed from the OE manufacturer (lots of newer OE bumpers come primed) even if not primed the prep work on a new untouched bumper is going to be less then spot repairing then blending a bumper into everything else. Typically no blending just prep and paint on a new bumper 400-500 bucks. Figure extra labor to prep and fix any damage to the spot and that's where the extra money is coming from. Least my best guess without seeing the damage etc

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