[binz]

The earlier bumper.com thread is located at this link

Integrated network of body repair workshops in Bangalore

I recently went through the experience of having the baleno resprayed a different colour. After being parked for over a year, it was time to get the car back to spec the right way and it was imperative that we strip every single part and rebuild it the right way. The full build thread is here

I've seen and experienced countless aftermarket paintjobs - from authorised service centers, independent paint experts to exceptionally talented roadside painters; so when it came to my own car, there was certain criteria that had to be met.

1. The car had to be painted in a paintbooth that had a baking chamber. The baking chamber makes a significant difference, both in the look - fresh off the gun and long term durability and this was something that could not be compromised on in Bangalore's current 16 degree weather.

2. I needed a commitment that the bodywork would have to be to my satisfaction or would need to be redone - no waves on the doors, bonnet or roof - despite these three requiring significant tinkering.

Bumper had a great offer going on and people I trusted vouched for them and their vendors. After doing some research it seemed the way to go. I got in touch with them over the phone and had a long discussion with Safwan, an enthusiast himself, who ran me through their processes at Bumper. The booking was done over the phone and I was encouraged to use the bumper.com app for the experience.

Since the cars engine is being rebuilt, the car was sent on a flatbed and I didn't require a pickup service. The workshop was near Kudlu Junction on Hosur road and I spent as much time as possible getting to know the people working on the car and the processes being followed.

It was interesting to note that Bumper.com while being an online player, is heavily integrated with the workshops. At all locations, they have invested in a dedicated paint rack - exclusively for their jobs along with a specialist who comes in to mix paint for the particular car/panel being worked upon.




They also associate only with workshops with a dedicated paint booth,dent pullers etc. and have standardized the processes for cars that come in through their channel.

The particular workshop my car is at is where Volvo sends its vehicles for all body repairs as they do not have a bodyshop of their own - quite surprising and very encouraging

The car was sent in on a saturday evening and was scheduled to be delivered exactly a week later.

Work began on Monday morning with the body technicians going marking out all the imperfections on the body. I need to point out here that the car was handed over to them with bodywork partially done. What I really appreciated was that none of the technicians every criticized the previous work than was done but carried on with the work.



It was noted that the fender had a minor dent and too much body filler was used previously which they then sanded down and pulled out with a dent puller.



Most of the body work was completed by Tuesday and a coat of surfacer was sprayed. The technician that was working on the car paid a lot of attention to correcting minor imperfections and didn't seem to be in a hurry to finish at all(Reminder: This particular bodyshop also serves the requirements of volvo). This process was repeated a couple of times and meant that the car would not be finished in a weeks time, which I was okay with since my engine related parts were yet to arrive. Once the bodywork was complete, the technician sprayed the engine bay with an acid to remove all the grime and proceeded to sand down the engine bay to get it ready for paint.







The doors and fenders were removed and all nooks and corners were further cleaned with acid.




Through this entire process, I've realised that selecting a colour is not as easy as one would think! I started off wanting a slate grey, which is found on tuner cars abroad. Lamborghini calls it 'Grigio Telesto' and the technicians were able to get the paint formulation from their suppliers at PPG. This colour looks unique in pictures, but then I started to see it on every new Hyundai and decided to pass. We went back and forth with a lot of shades and finally decided on a dark blue that is available on the Porsche Macan which is called - you guessed it - 'Dark Blue'




After all the prep work was complete, the doors and fenders were setup in the booth for paint. I was really worried about how the doors would turn out since we had removed the plastic trims and closed up the holes. As you can see in the pictures, these holes were first welded closed and then covered with body filler. As the layers of paint went on, it was a big relief to see that there were no waves in these areas!











Once the doors were done, the chassis was inspected a final time and wiped down for the final paint coats. This is a true project car for me and its been through a lot so watching it get a fresh coat of paint was just a great feeling. The technicians followed their standard process for base and clear coats which I was told is recommended by PPG.









The doors and fenders were installed the next day while the bumpers took some time since we were making some minor additions to it in fiber. Once everything was assembled, the entire car was rubbed down and polished making it look spectacular! The wheels were sprayed in gold with a satin finish and the car was rolled onto a flatbed back to the workshop to get the engine and interior put back in.

It took a while for all the parts to come in for the engine to be put back together, but it finally got done and here she is!










Services offered:

Painting, body repair, door-step detailing

What I like:

Their supply chain is well sorted. They have tied up with PPG/Asian paints for all paint materials and have dedicated paint racks in every workshop. This means that not only do they have immediate access to colour codes and formulations for any car in the world, but they are able to mix paint on location which is a huge timesaver. In my case, this also meant that I could sample multiple colours in a very very short period of time.

3M is another partner of theirs for surface preparation and masking materials and I was told a car that is painted by bumper in the same workshop will only use the specified masking sheets and not newspaper etc.

Last but not the least, their pricing was extremely affordable. There was an offer going on which made the deal sweeter. For the facilities and expertise they offer, I found it to be good value for money.

What I didn't like:

There were some places which I noticed weren't painted properly such as the bonnet bracket as well as areas on the inner door frame which weren't masked correctly and as a result bits of the original silver are still showing through. I did bring this to their notice and they rectified it without any excuses.

Speciality / USP:

Quality of work though a well sorted supply chain, focus on only denting and painting and adherence to set processes. I didn't personally use the app to book this job but it seems like it would make things convenient to many car owners.

They have a 1-year warranty on paint work done by them - covering blisters, fading etc.

Contact Information

They are working on a virtual garage model and are reachable on +91 9108446586 or via their website/app.

[ajmat]

Moving to main forum

Thanks for sharing

[AtheK]

cool, looks like a good job. Congrats on getting your baby up and running.

I also took their services, and they did a great job of it. In my case the work was done in Bosch Service Centre in whitefield.

[dass]

Thanks for sharing.

I have some work with my car with the front bumper and the bonnet having multiple scratches and need a bit of touch up. Their quote is of around 4k for both put together and it does seem pretty reasonable. I will probably try this out after the rainy season is over with.

[m8002?]

Just checked the website. They seem to have a fixed cost for all the panels of a specific car. All panels of WagonR costs 1699 and all panels of Swift cost 1999. Is this the norm with other painters as well? I would have thought doors and bonnet would cost more than the quarter panel and fenders because of the larger surface area.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by m8002?

Just checked the website. They seem to have a fixed cost for all the panels of a specific car. All panels of WagonR costs 1699 and all panels of Swift cost 1999. Is this the norm with other painters as well? I would have thought doors and bonnet would cost more than the quarter panel and fenders because of the larger surface area.

Yes generally rate is fixed per panel even in other workshops.

They have to mix paint, and usually a set quantity has to be mixed, i am presuming the set quantity will cover the biggest panel as well.

[vinayrathore]

Originally Posted by binz

I recently went through the experience of having the baleno resprayed a different colour. After being parked....

Hi Binz!

Looks like a job well done. Can you post some more detailed pics of the bonnet and roof with clear reflections? I too am looking for a good painter to take care of the battle scars on my cars.

Thanks!

[sandeepmohan]

Your car looks stunning.

The business model is interesting. Sounds like they have networked with the best panel beaters, painters, paint suppliers and invested in top notch equipment. As a customer, you get a good job done without having to run around. Not to forget, easier on your wallet too.

[fighterace]

Are they operating in the NCR?

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Your car looks stunning.

The business model is interesting. Sounds like they have networked with the best panel beaters, painters, paint suppliers and invested in top notch equipment. As a customer, you get a good job done without having to run around. Not to forget, easier on your wallet too.

True, one of the best thing i found about them was pickup and drop at home. They encourage this, and it is very convenient for the customer. The rates also are competitive and that too helps.

[howler]

Looks amazing !! What did the total cost of the body work come to ? Including the dis-assembly / assembly of the various panels etc

[autoskooll]

Sweet ride, very tastefully done up. A very elegant shade of blue as well.

[vinayrathore]

Originally Posted by fighterace

Are they operating in the NCR?

The Website has an option for Gurugram on the top. So they should be available.

[Rohan24]

Thanks for sharing.
The car looks spectacular in that shade! Will be on the lookout for it on the roads, see if I can spot it in the flesh.
Wish you good luck with further mods you plan on this project.

[TorqueyTechie]

Nice color and the car looks great! how was the complete cost for the repainting? Also is the car lowered? It sits quite low . Wondering how you are driving around on Bangalore roads.

P.S : I couldn't help but notice a small misalignment of the front bumper. Please see the attached image. Is this something which is corrected now?