Front end respray

[DomP182]

My 172 is now mechanically sound after nearly a year of sorting various issues, I have had to replace a few lacquer peeled trims but what's really letting it down now is the bonnet and front bumper.

The bumper if just stone chipped where as the bonnet is both chipped and dented from being shut by heavy handed idiots. What might I be looking at for what it takes to get them sorted? Flame red if that makes a difference to difficulty.

 

[Matt e]

best thing to do is go to a couple of bodyshops and ask.

 

[imprezaworks]

@gally

Guessing around 5/600 done properly

 

[DomP182]

best thing to do is go to a couple of bodyshops and ask.

Yeah I'm just being lazy, good excuse to take a day off work though to go for a drive around some places for quotes

 

[Gally]

We're actually in the region on 800 for this work. We strip back both bonnet and bumper to bare plastic and metal respectively.

Wing are painted to remove light chipping. Most prestige cars we do are full bonnet, wings, bumper and then blend the doors.

Most bodyshops. Essentially over 90% won't strip those panels back to factory as it's not worth the effort to them. Most customers won't see the difference, or until 6 months later and the bonnet looks worse than it did before. More paint equals easier chipping, make sure they are stripped back. A Clio bonnet probably takes na hour at most. No excuse not to.

Great examples of the work we do here...

https://m.facebook.com/pg/ProtekBathgate/posts/?ref=bookmarks&mt_nav=0

 

[DomP182]

Stupid question but would they spray the bonnet fitted? I presume the bumper would need removing though

 

[Coops Mk1]

They'd remove both panels and if in good nick just needing minimal standard prep and paint you're normally looking 250 quid a panel average.

Any repairs and blending to rest of car would be more

 

[DomP182]

I think it's going to have to happen for me to be happy with it, the bumper probably needs some filling of stone chips but the bonnet I will replace for a straight one first

 

[1985michael182]

We refer to those bonnet dent in the trade as "wanker dents" some body pushing down on the bonnet to shut it rather than dropping it from 15/20cm to self shut.

Your man @gally Is right your bumper and bonnet ideally want to be back to bare plastic and metal. Bonnet dents want ruffing out whilst the paint is still on so you can see them. Also the thicker the paint the easier it chips.

I'm senior BMW ATA panel tech how did you find the M4 1/4 to fit with the panel bond and self piercing rivets @gally, I much prefer bond and rivet to welding so much easier and cleaner not to mention quieter!!

 

[1985michael182]

And Coops is about right 250 per panel aslong as there isnt any major damage to repair and it's just basic prep.

 

[Gally]

We refer to those bonnet dent in the trade as "wanker dents" some body pushing down on the bonnet to shut it rather than dropping it from 15/20cm to self shut.

Your man @gally Is right your bumper and bonnet ideally want to be back to bare plastic and metal. Bonnet dents want ruffing out whilst the paint is still on so you can see them. Also the thicker the paint the easier it chips.

I'm senior BMW ATA panel tech how did you find the M4 1/4 to fit with the panel bond and self piercing rivets @gally, I much prefer bond and rivet to welding so much easier and cleaner not to mention quieter!!

Very interesting! Sorry to hijack the thread.

We were offered 2 options actually which surprised us on this car. Went for standard BMW methods which is 99% what we use, rivets etc. They can be so garish though on the rears etc so we sometimes employ ideas to make it look factory where we can.

We are ATA of course but that doesn't really mean anything unless you want it to count and do things properly which we always have done, our guys are more fussy than the testers so we never have an issue, we also don't run a bonus shop so we just take our time.

 

[1985michael182]

ATA comes with pride in your work, as you know you have to be at the required standard to attain the qualification to begin with. Im the current senior BMW ATA panel tech and I've now moved into the office as workshop controller/estimator but I will keep doing the recert every 3 years aswell as welding tests. Your ATA also holds you accountable if anything goes wrong as a professional its your signature on the job card and the book stops with you if any safety issue arises. Were the same as you BSI aswell, it's made the job a whole lot harder jumping through all the hoops and all the paperwork before you even lay a finger on the vehicle. But thats the industry we are now in. Just need insurance companies to pay more per hour and we will be set. Service charge £140 per hour, our maximum is £48 and our job is far more skilled than theirs!

 

[1985michael182]

Also sorry for the hijack

 

[DomP182]

No worries it's all interesting stuff. If I could career change I'd quite like to try spraying/bodywork

 

[1985michael182]

If you like money you want to be a techie (mechanic) BMW master techs get £35000 basic before bonus and overtime

 

[1985michael182]

Ata panel £28000 before bonus and overtime. I dropped 1k to go in the office 🙄

 

[DomP182]

I think retraining when I have a house to pay for would be difficult

 

[1985michael182]

For sure, apprentice wage

 

[Gally]

ATA comes with pride in your work, as you know you have to be at the required standard to attain the qualification to begin with. Im the current senior BMW ATA panel tech and I've now moved into the office as workshop controller/estimator but I will keep doing the recert every 3 years aswell as welding tests. Your ATA also holds you accountable if anything goes wrong as a professional its your signature on the job card and the book stops with you if any safety issue arises. Were the same as you BSI aswell, it's made the job a whole lot harder jumping through all the hoops and all the paperwork before you even lay a finger on the vehicle. But thats the industry we are now in. Just need insurance companies to pay more per hour and we will be set. Service charge £140 per hour, our maximum is £48 and our job is far more skilled than theirs!

Couple of points on that. We're still rectifying work for ATA shops, big shops aswell. No ATA involved in the paint finish etc it's really just safety etc and logevity. They actualy don't care about the finished standard that the customer sees. That's where the standard should lead to, not just how to rivet a quarter on for safety,

It's more important of course safety, but if you want to be the body that assesses, then do it all. We haven't had a major non-confirmity in over 10 years of ATA approval, a proper rare occurence, yet bodyshops up and down the country only put in any effort before audit. It feels a bit half assed money making exercise.

I carried out my assessor ATA in 2009/10 and was the youngest guy to pass it in the country, sadly since then, I haven't seen that much that showed it was different to the standard we always worked to.

It's a great selling point, but some of the most prestigious bodyshops in the country aren't ATA.

 

[1985michael182]

Completely agree with you. We are a BMW dealership Bodyshop, obviously BMW approved and have been BSI for 3 years now. What's the point in putting all the effort to repair the vehicle safely and then turn out a s**t finish with the paint.
I QC all work that leaves the shop and I wont sign it off unless it's perfect. Pisses the painters off but if its not right it doesn't leave.
We see some cracking bodges from backstreet garages that customers accept then crib our immaculate work its redecolous. The customer isnt always right!

 

[1985michael182]

I am also the BSI internal auditor so I make sure they are working to the standards.

 

[DomP182]

I think my front end would look better if done with poster paints as it is currently.

 

[1985michael182]

You got any pictures buddy?

 

[DomP182]

You got any pictures buddy?

I think I've avoided taking too many of the front end Haha! The bumper is fairly chipped and faded more than other panels, the bonnet I replaced as the old one was shocking, this ones still rippled so I'd look for a straight one before a respray.

 

[1985michael182]

Bumper doesn't look that bad!
I would keep your bonnet, just check on the inside where its seam sealed for any rust first

 

[DomP182]

I think it's just my photos, the bonnets got no rust at all but is dented from being shut

 

[Gally]

Definitely don't buy another bonnet.

Also fading shouldn't happen, it's probably just the wrong the colour!

 

[1985michael182]

Yea I can see the wanker dent on the front edge.
Could be worse could look like mine Haha
Bumper,bonnet and wings redone. Bonnet had all the insides cut out for lighter weight

Finished it all one Saturday Morning,

30 minutes later

Some idiot didnt shut the bonnet clips

I was so gutted that I couldn't be arsed doing it all again so I just got my rubber mallet out and ruffed the bonnet out something like and left it.

Buggered the roof and windscreen aswell

So I had to repair that before putting a new screen in

 

[DomP182]

Father Ted springs to mind!

While we're on the subject, mine being flame red has faded, or matured as I like to call it, I've DA'd it and sealed but is there anything else I can do to bring some colour back? Will some waxes help with colour, I tried purple haze as I had it to hand

 

[1985michael182]

The sun naturally fades the pigment in the paint, newer stuff has UV protection in the lacquer. All you can do it polishes the lacquer to bring the shine back the wax it. You wont physically change the colour though.