Jump to content
TEAM SHELBY FORUM

Ouch - the dealer drilled my front bumper!


Recommended Posts

Well gang, the new car is truly awesome. Love it. :dance:And, the dealer was really good to work with. They were straight shooters and always pleasant/responsive. The only glitch was that, although we had it written in the order paperwork to NOT drill the front bumper, they had an internal mis-communication and when I went to pick it up, the damage had been done. :doh: The manager truly felt bad about it. They've agreed to repair it at no cost to me.

 

I don't want them spraying the whole bumper. I'd rather them just plug the holes and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Can those holes be filled, sanded, primed, painted and buffed in some manner that will really last? Are there any "buttons" that can be placed in there that will lay close to flush with the bumper surface? I'd appreciate any of your thoughts/suggestions on the best approach to repair this.

 

Thanks!

 

Sween

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well gang, the new car is truly awesome. Love it. :dance:And, the dealer was really good to work with. They were straight shooters and always pleasant/responsive. The only glitch was that, although we had it written in the order paperwork to NOT drill the front bumper, they had an internal mis-communication and when I went to pick it up, the damage had been done. :doh: The manager truly felt bad about it. They've agreed to repair it at no cost to me.

 

I don't want them spraying the whole bumper. I'd rather them just plug the holes and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Can those holes be filled, sanded, primed, painted and buffed in some manner that will really last? Are there any "buttons" that can be placed in there that will lay close to flush with the bumper surface? I'd appreciate any of your thoughts/suggestions on the best approach to repair this.

 

Thanks!

 

Sween

 

 

Wow that sucks. I wouldn't feel right taking a new Shelby with holes drilled into it.

 

Personally I'd have them replace the whole bumper or I would refuse it. If you let them go with a slap on the wrist odds are nothing is going to change and they're going to do it to someone else. Dealerships shouldn't be drilling holes in the bumpers of ANY car that is a customer order.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, at least now you can get a plate on the front with "Sweet Stang" on it!

 

 

I think I'd probably tell them to put a new bumper on it. Tough call though. Would I want a brand new

car with a replaced bumper? Not really. See if they can trade with a dealer in a state that has to have

a front plate? Just an idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sweenstang,

 

I notice in your sig that you have a Kona stripe delete, so you don't have the option of a flush bumper repair covered by vinyl stripes. As such, I would tell your dealer to replace the entire bumper assembly. Better to have the closest color match across the entire bumper, than 2 spots front and center.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweenstang;

 

That's awful that they SCREWED up! I share the same belief that they should order a new bumper cover from off the line that is already painted and install it on your car. They can wholesale the take off one to some Bodyshop somewhere and get their money back. Some dealers are so anal about the law says you must have a front plate and they have to do it. I had to get my attorney involved to prevent them from installing the bracket. I purchased a remote bracket that goes under the bumper.

 

Good luck with the repair.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup.....new bumper indeed and nothing less. If you try the plug and fix, you'll NEVER feel right about it - it will always be in the back of your mind. And take the old one, hold it over your head, and bash the idiot that drilled it in the first place!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember if they blend or spray the bumper it will be softer that the rest of the paint, more suscepible to chips. Even baked the dealer repair will not cure as strong as factory paint and getting the flop (reflection hue) and the metal to match in Kona blue will be more noticable than 2 bumper plugs. Certainly a bummer and maybe they should throw in some free stuff, cover, service, or floor mats something. I would put 2 plugs in and let it go, to crack into paint on a brand new car across the whole bumper for 2 holes seems counter productive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since you have a stripe delete you need a new bumper. If they patch it, in a few years the rubber of the cover wont hold with the patch material and it will most likely crack a ring around the repair. The rubber flexes to much over time and you will regret letting them do the cheap fix and youll be stuck with it. Gotta replace the whole thiong, sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to hear about that. I would I turned around and walked right out. No real difference if you walked in and found out a tech crashed it fooling around in the parking lot and it it required a new bumper and paint. Damage is Damage especially in your circumstances.

 

Whatever you do, DONT have the dealership body guy paint a new bumper for you or even touch your car. Dealer body shops have a terrible reputation for being the learning ground for the industry and slack on their work. Guaranteed it will be full of rock chips in the first 6 month's because there really is no comparison for the durability of factory paint.

 

I would of told them the deal was off because they failed to deliver it as specified or find a another car or trade bumper off another same colored GT500.

 

Make it their problem since they screwed you out of a perfectly new GT500 and I honestly dont think I could get over something like that on my custom ordered GT500 that I waited months for.

 

Enjoy all the rock chips if you get it re-painted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This was my solution. I bought the car off the dealer lot and the nitwit guys in the back had drilled the bumper already. I used that for negotiating a better price on the car. I had my paint guy sand down the raised edges, fill the holes, and paint them, knowing that they would not completely disappear without a repaint. I then had the clear bra installed over it.

 

2011-06-25113828.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FYI-

New bumper cover is approx $250, then add paint and installation.

So, the dealer is into it for about a $750 mistake

 

Have them order the bumper cover, choose a REALLY good paint shop to take care of it, and be done with it.

It will look probably BETTER than factory, with no orange peel, and then you can clear bra it while its off the vehicle for the best protection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two ways of looking at this.

 

Yes - it's your car and you should have it the way the dealer agreed.

 

On the other hand, more cars than anybody realizes are sold every day that have been lot dinged or transit damaged and repaired with nobody ever realizing - and nobody being required to disclose. A competent body shop should have no problem filling and painting to the point of being undetectable.

 

If you compel the dealer down the path of a new bumper, it'll need to be painted anyway - though admittedly not filled. However, the money will come from the dealer's pocket - and though nobody would ever accuse me of being sympathetic to a car dealer, the fact of the matter is that they're businesses that each of us rely on to a certain degree, and it's in or individual and collective interest for each to remain as profitable as possible if it can do so without coming at any kind of practical expense to you.

 

Ultimately, you're going to need to decide.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I gotta agree with the others in that the Dealer screwed up, (your preferences were in writing) therefore they should replace the entire cover...

I can't believe they drilled it... That's gotta be one of those company wide QA check points where going forward it should require 2 managers approvals to drill the front bumper of a Shelby GT500...

:doh:

Hey Sweenstang, I noticed your in MD... Which Dealer did you get your car from?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well gang, the new car is truly awesome. Love it. :dance:And, the dealer was really good to work with. They were straight shooters and always pleasant/responsive. The only glitch was that, although we had it written in the order paperwork to NOT drill the front bumper, they had an internal mis-communication and when I went to pick it up, the damage had been done. :doh: The manager truly felt bad about it. They've agreed to repair it at no cost to me.

 

I don't want them spraying the whole bumper. I'd rather them just plug the holes and make it as unnoticeable as possible. Can those holes be filled, sanded, primed, painted and buffed in some manner that will really last? Are there any "buttons" that can be placed in there that will lay close to flush with the bumper surface? I'd appreciate any of your thoughts/suggestions on the best approach to repair this.

 

Thanks!

 

Sween

 

Get a new bumper!!!!! They messed up and should pay the price!! Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Each time I have ordered a new car I told the dealers if I come in and the bumper is drilled I will NOT accept the car. End of story. And it has not happened yet. But I meant it. I would not take the car like that. Refusing delivery you have more of a leg to stand on than trying to get it fixed afterward. But at this point insist on new bumper nothing less and get it painted somewhere less or have them do a swap out of another cars bumper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I don't think I would be able to live with anything other than a new bumper cover. Small stuff like that would drive me crazy the eitire ownership of the car. I had two slight fingernail marks where they peeled back the plastic protective covereing on the bumper cover from dealer prep and it drove me crazy. I got the car home and immediatley got the porter cable out

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...
...