[aargee]

I've a white WagonR Vxi 2005 model; both my front & rear bumpers have been damaged to the core & I've decided to replace them during this service. When I enquired the price with M.A.S.S, they said both the front & rear put together costs approximately 3000 plus a little. This is fine; but they gave a shock that the factory bumpers are black in color & they need to be painted (at my consent) & the charges are about 4500!!! This means, if I'm replacing the entire front & rear bumper, the cost is a little over 7500.

When I asked them as why the painting charges are so high, they explained that the white paint does not stick to the black plastic bumper so easily & they've to use some 3M liquids to get it sticked & the cost of the 3M liquid is expensive & hence the high cost. This price was quoted by a small time M.A.S.S & not like big players like Cars India/MSM/ABT. If I were to approach the big time players, the cost should be even more.

I'm in a dilemma as what to do because I didn't know its so expensive affair. When I enquired with a little reputed car accessories shop, they too quoted about 3K for the front & rear bumper for WagonR. So I'm convinced about the price of the bumper but not for the painting & labour. Somewhere I remember reading that the cost of painting an entire car itself is about 12K, not sure though, if that's the case, how come painting on the bumper costs so high? Is this really justifiable? Pls provide your suggestions. Thanks.

[amitk26]

Yes Car paint is costly and painting charges are high.
You have an option of getting the bumper fitted at M.A.S.S and getting them painted outside at some good paint shop but I think still the paint cost for both wont be be below 3000 Rs but try in case you can save some bucks.

[aks_karthik]

Try to avail insurance.That's a good idea.
I have done it before in my WagonR and spent some 50% of the Bumper amount and entire painting cost was paid by the insurance company(ICICI Lombard as they have cashless with Kapico,Chennai).

[aargee]

@Amit - Yes, I can get the paint job done outside, but the paint would peel off, atleast that's what I doubt & that might be the reason M.A.S.S uses 3M for sticking the paint to the plastic bumper.

@Karthik - Yes, thanks for reminding me about insurance. Well mine is nearly a 6 year old car; I guess the plastics carry a weightage of only 50% that too for new cars, so mine being older, do you think its worth enough? That too insurance claim charges will be Rs 1000 for both bumpers put together. Any idea if the insurance company would reimburse the entire labour & 3M materials? Anything could be worked on the Rs 4500 part?

[bblost]

aargee, IMHO Black bumpers on a White Wagon R actually look kinda nice.
Especially if the windows are also dark.

Do you really want to paint them?

[rjstyles69]

aargee the service center was right about the color of the bumpers. They usually come in black and needs to be painted the color of the car. I suggest that you pick up the bumpers and get them painted outside/local tinkerer.
This should cost you lesser and they would even fit the bumper back for you. Saves you a 2nd visit to the service center for fitting it back.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by bblost

Do you really want to paint them?

The glasses are bit dark, but I cannot imagine the bumpers being black in color; ok, I'll fit the black bumpers, see the look & feel & then decide about painting. But the huge cost on painting still is threatening me.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

I suggest that you pick up the bumpers and get them painted outside/local tinkerer.

This M.A.S.S guy is little trustable as he's relatively new in our locality (not to business) & establishing himself. He openly admitted that I could take it ourside for the painting but the paint would peel off without the 3M touch & that is the one costing the bomb & that's why I'm little reluctant getting it painted outside.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

This should cost you lesser and they would even fit the bumper back for you. Saves you a 2nd visit to the service center for fitting it back.

This is part of servicing, so I guess they'll include it & he agreed to give me a flat Rs 500 off on labour as discount & that's why I guess it costs Rs 4500.

Looks like I don't have much option here other than shelling out the money. May be I can go in for insurance that could cover the labour, but again that will only be Rs 500-1000. So its better not to claim insurance & instead save claim charges that could be used for labour.

So much to spend on plastics

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by aargee

@Amit - Yes, I can get the paint job done outside, but the paint would peel off, atleast that's what I doubt & that might be the reason M.A.S.S uses 3M for sticking the paint to the plastic bumper.

I think MA.S.S is pulling wool in front of your eyes , Please find at a DuPont finish center for the same. There is a primer layer applied before paint and may be that is from 3M but even if bumpers need 3M primer there is no reason that is not available to 3ed party paint shops.

For insurance on bumpers you will get 50% and for paint the full amount but the insurance is only for accidental damage , Surveyor should be willing to write that both front and rear bumper got damaged in same accident else claim may be denied.

[aargee]

@Amit - You're right; the MASS guys are also applying primer & getting the bumper dried in the heater.

Also there's a work to be done the bottom right quadra panels & they agreed to fix only the bottom part (may be he's saving on the paint) as against the complete quadra panel. Cost? Half the price too.

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by amitk26

I think MA.S.S is pulling wool in front of your eyes , Please find at a DuPont finish center for the same. There is a primer layer applied before paint and may be that is from 3M but even if bumpers need 3M primer there is no reason that is not available to 3ed party paint shops.

The paint peels off from plastics only if they paint on the surface directly. Plastic primer needs to be applied over the surface before the paint goes over, so that the paint gets a grip on the surface to hold on to. This is a normal procedure. 3M do make plastic primers, but then there are other brands too. 3M products are expensive but of good quality though.
The quote looks pretty reasonable, if they are indeed using 3M products.

[lsp]

Aargee
This is what it would look like with black bumpers.

(Not eaxctly....but you get an idea right? )

If there is a taxi stand near your place go and find if they have an old Wagon R taxi. Most probably it would be a White Lx model with black bumpers. IMHO it wont look so good in comparison. Ive seen 2 white wagon R cars standing next to each other n the black one with black bumpers wasnt anywhere close to the body colored one.

That being said, what MASS is charging is too high. I changed the bumper on my santro and got the black one painted to mettalic/silky silver. Total charges IIRC were close to 1200/- for painting in 2008. This was done by some local painter in Karol Bagh, Delhi and the paint dried in open. No peeling etc.

My suggestion would be to get the bumpers fixed. Drive around with the new look. It should grow on you in a few days. If still not happy with it get them painted through some independent painter.

[aargee]

@Lalit - I'm of the same opinion of yours

Originally Posted by lsp

IMHO it wont look so good in comparison. Ive seen 2 white wagon R cars standing next to each other n the black one with black bumpers wasnt anywhere close to the body colored one

So I don't want to drive around one with black bumpers; latest update is that, I'm getting the bumpers painted & they're getting it dried with heaters. The car should be delivered today noon & the only pending work is cleaning & water wash.

[SirAlec]

Bumper cost is about 2600 both.

Now to paint it it you have lot of option. But painting bumper is not easy. Its a painstakingly boring job. You have to put special plastic primer then base coat then the actual paint and then the clear coat (if its metallic)

Here is what you should do. But the original bumper from MGP. and find a good painter, since you live in a metro its not big fuss. Check tbhp directory section.

BTW Rs.4000 to paint, they are definitely overcharging. I have done mine @Rs.1200 both and mine is a very unique metallic paint.

[aargee]

@Sir - Thank you so much for your valuable advice, but things are been done now. Sorry about that. But I appreciate & I'll keep that in mind, as there's always next time. (City is full of morons to bump the car bumpers)

They charged about 966 for the front bumper & I guess 2650+2650 for painting the front & rear bumpers. I know its too much, but still, I didn't want to take chances. Now that you've shared the knowledge, I'll go search TBhp for paint job threads.

BTW, the total bill is 12K paid this evening.

[pramodkumar]

Argee my post is very late considering you already paid the bill. There are very less honest guys in the automobile business today. If they say 1k and if you say ok the quality is bad, if you bargain they compromise the workmanship and the quality is still bad, so the truth is quality will be bad. The best thing to do is to get the work done at the A S S, and trust me i am someone who has learned this the very hard way. I paid close to 7k for tie rod end and lowering arm bush kit replacement and at the end they both packed up at 4k kms, what i was told is this " sir you know if you had a maruti or a TATA the genuine spares are available off the shelf for mitsubishi you only get spurious parts outside", so now they made me feel bad for owning a mitsu . I had a shock absorber replacement and i was quoted 4k each by my favorite workshop again no guarentee for the parts, i checked with the A S S and they charged me 4150 Rs and gave me a 6months or 5k KMS part replacement warranty and trust me this is what we all want, peace of mind. My ex boss got his santro painted from the A S S, he was a good customer, he said the workmanship is crappy and they re did it, free of cost. The point here is, is it really good to be penny wise and pound foolish?


Pramod