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Hey guys,

Dumb question: When painting a replacement bumper cover, does the body shop need to see the car to match? Or do they just get the paint code and spray it the same? 2009 toyota yaris if it matters. Coworker killed mine today, and the easiest thing would be for me to just get them to spray it loose and I can install myself. If they need to paint match, can they just go off something small like the tow-hook hole cover (1.5"x1.5")?

Thanks,
Cory

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They normally pull the paint code and do a fade onto adjacent panels.

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OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

TooBusy basically covered it.

In Canada we call it a blend. Abrade the clear coast with something fine (1200grit or grey scotch pad), mist the base over the existing paint job of the adjacent panel, then clear all over. The clear makes the fine scratches disappear, and you wouldn't know it was done.

Not all colours require it.

Go to a dealership- many bumpers don't match OE.

Custom matching through spray outs is done, bit not as often as you'd think.

TooBusy has it right(ish). Bumper paint used to have a flex additive mixed into the paint to reduce cracking from light impacts. I'm not sure if body shops would blend that onto the body panels or not. Today that may not be the case. I don't know. However, My 2015 Ford Escape bumpers are different from the rest of the car, right from the factory. They are supposed to be the same color but are slightly "off" I could look down the row of Escapes and see it on every car not matter what color they were. So if being just a bit "off" is OK by you, don't worry too much about it. Have the body shop just paint the "2009" bumper cover to the color code and move on.

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Thanks guys. That makes all sorts of sense. I think it will need to be blended in.

The flex additive is definitely required on the bumper cover in my case as this thing is my Winter autoX car (Eg; slamming into safety cones at 100kph). And I have seen other cars from factory with different shade bumpers due to the additive.

On the plus side, I've always wanted to give this car a little rhinoplasty: There is a stupid looking bump underneath the front decal that looks like a nose. No one ever notices it, but it looks bad once you do. If it's not too much, I'll see about having them cut it out and make it flat.

Cheers.

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i own a body shop.
when replacing a bumper we do not always need the car at the shop when we are painting it.
i use BASF glasurit in my shop they have what are called color max color chips they are real spray out of the color codes for cars basf does .
so in most cases you can just take the chips offered for your cars color and go match it.
we order the bumper and when it comes in take the the chip that matched your cars color and mix that formula and paint your bumper.
you then can drop your car off and we swap out the bumper. most times the color will match so blending into the hood and fenders is not need. if it doesn't match we will tint the color to match it.
tinting is not a big deal.
as for adding in flex most times on most cars it's not done the factory doesn't do it with most plastic parts.
adding flex will not change the color at all you only add the flex to the top coat ( clear) the base colors do not get flexed.
adding flex will not stop things from chipping it's to stop the clear from cracking.
why you will see cars with different color shades of bumpers is because they do not run down the same paint lines as the cars main body does.
insurance CO's will not pay for the blending of a nose just to replace a bumper cover the covers are panel painted. we have never need to paint the hole nose when replacing just a cover.

Good info. Thanks for taking the time to reply; I learned a few things.

I wasn't aware the flex agent was only in clear. So when you see car with paint cracking/flaking off the bumper covers, is that just bad prep? Reason I ask is my Yaris is my winter autoX car. AKA below freezing temps and occasionally hitting orange cones at 100kph. The front bumper cover takes the brunt of it so I want to avoid paint flaking off like that.

Cheers.

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Build log: viewtopic.php?t=9291

if paint on any part of a car is flaking or pealing it is just bad prep work 99% of the time.
i repainted the bumper on my track only NA Miata and have hit some cones with it and even two tires rolling across the track from another car hitting the tire wall at Palmer a few years back.
when i hit the tires with the miata it did star crack the finish/ clear coat. even if i used flex in the clear it would have cracked the finish.
our 2015 STI has the OE finish on it's front bumper and last summer we were parked in a lot and some one hit the cars bumper and broke the right side bezel around the fog lamp. this too also left a few cracks in the paints finish.
when you push any paint finish in far enough it will crack at some point no matter how much flex you have or not have it shouldn't peal off the substrate/ plastic but this will also depend on just how far it pushes out of shape.