JStraw

I had my car towed recently due to a transmission cooler failure, and the tow truck driver used a screw driver to pop the tow hitch cover open, consequently damaging the front bumper a little. (I have photos at home that I will post later). It's actually about a screw driver width. I know a few others have had similar damage to their bumpers.

I just got some quotes from auto body shops and I was a bit surprised at the estimate - $580 and $605 - to remove the bumper, sand and patch the area, paint the area, and apply clear coat, etc... Of course, I am getting the tow truck company pay for it.

I am probably going to go forward with fixing it (even though its not generally very noticable, I know it's there). Question is what will you guys/gals do?? Will it affect the resale if I get it painted?? Also, what is the cost to get a new front bumper instead? M-Tech !!!!

BTW, in case anyone is wondering, it happened so fast, I couldn't prevent the driver form using the screw driver. I had just turned to talk to the police officer when the guy took the screw driver at it.

Thirdy

i just had my car brought to the dealership a week ago on a flatbed and the driver did the same thing. He started looking for the screw driver and used it to remove the hitch cover. It's good he didn't scratch or damage the bumper. Upon checking my car at noontime that day at the dealership my interior was all dirty with grease on the door sidings.

You might want to check with the dealership if they will cover the damage done by the tow truck. If you did call roadside assistance to have your car towed then it's their liability I guess. Goodluck.

katheikia

I would go for the M-tech front. Its soo much nicer. Check with quad m for pricing, I think he might even sell them painted.
Check this link: http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=30286

jet190rs

No. Repainting metal panels decrease resale value. Repainting plastic bumpers have no affect on resale value - ppl do it all the time. Owners who drive their car hard respray their bumper due to rock chips every few years (or get clearbra).

Iceman

Well, those covers are so damn tough to remove that you sometimes need a screwdriver. But when you are working on a tow truck you should know how to do it without damaging the car... I can...

Anyways, the towing company is responsible for the damage and has to pay for it...

JStraw

Here's the photo of the damage....

525iSE

i say leave it, its too small to fix. your paint wont look the same again unless you paint the whole bumper. a real car lover can immediately tell if you repair something that small, but if you repaint your whole bumper then its a different story. anyways, I wouldn't do anything to it. just leave it.

Klepper

I say leave it as well. It's very tiny. Wait until you get a few more nicks/stone chips, then get a new M-tech front painted by Tony (quad-m).

george44

I agree. You could have it all sorted, then drive down the road and get a stone chip bigger than that.
Nobody who see's your car is going to notice that anyway. We won't tell anyone

blinkme_210

I'm going to have to agree with everyone else on here. I actually did something similar when I removed my painted reflectors to install the euro red ones