Front Bumper Damage: Repair or Replace?

[dretoven]

Hey gang, looking for some help from the community. A few years ago, I hit a high curb while parking my 5th gen in a public parking lot. Shortly after the incident, I took my car to a body shop that specializes in classic car restoration and body repair that was near my apartment at the time. They quoted me for replacing and repainting the front bumper. The guy at the shop stated it would be better to replace the bumper due to the location of the damage. At the time, i was a lot poorer than I am now so I just opted to live with the damage.

Fast forward to now, I'm less poor and the car is paid off so I'm looking to correct the damage in addition to a few other corrective actions to the body. I took the car to a CARSTAR collision repair which is a much more commercial option with multiple locations across the US. After showing them the damage, their quote included repair of the bumper and the adjuster stated that replacement shouldn't be necessary.

I attached a few pics of the damage for reference, looking for opinions on if the bumper should be replaced or if the damage can be properly repaired by a shop like CARSTAR. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[chevy pilot]

What is repair price vs new bumber ?

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Personally I would replace it. A lot of times when you "crease" one of these rubber/plastic body pieces it is very hard to fix them without it showing again later on, because they are flexable in nature, unlike metal where you can reshape it. They usually never go back to normal, and from the first pic, it looks like you hit it pretty good. Just my .02..

[chevy pilot]

Used bumber about 300-350+shipping.

[SlowLS1]

I would replace, gonna be tough getting a repair for it that will hold up over time.

[dretoven]

Originally Posted by chevy pilot

What is repair price vs new bumber ?

Its hard to compare, when I got the CARSTAR quote with the repair price, it also included repair of a a little scrape/ding on the back bumper which was $2300 for everything.

Today I went back to the original shop I got the first quote a few years back for replacing and repainting the bumper and he quoted me around $1500 to replace and repaint the bumper.

[dretoven]

Originally Posted by 1JEWLDSSRS

Personally I would replace it. A lot of times when you "crease" one of these rubber/plastic body pieces it is very hard to fix them without it showing again later on, because they are flexable in nature, unlike metal where you can reshape it. They usually never go back to normal, and from the first pic, it looks like you hit it pretty good. Just my .02..

Originally Posted by SlowLS1

I would replace, gonna be tough getting a repair for it that will hold up over time.

I actually think thats what Im going to do. I went back to the shop that gave me the original quote today and after talking to repair team, I think ill end up with more quality longer lasting results with replacing. I also like the idea of going with the reputable family owned business that has solid reviews as opposed to the CARSTAR/MAACO option. Another plus is I can have them pop my heritage grill in while there replacing the bumper so will save me a little time on that as well . Thanks for all the replies everyone!

[1JEWLDSSRS]

Originally Posted by dretoven

I actually think thats what Im going to do. I went back to the shop that gave me the original quote today and after talking to repair team, I think ill end up with more quality longer lasting results with replacing. I also like the idea of going with the reputable family owned business that has solid reviews as opposed to the CARSTAR/MAACO option. Another plus is I can have them pop my heritage grill in while there replacing the bumper so will save me a little time on that as well . Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Good decision sir! And you're gonna really like the Heritage grille, totally changes the look of the front! Good luck..