Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 So how did that front bumper turn out?

Was it worth the money? Absolutely.

I was enticed by the coupon for bumper paint at Almost Everything Automotive in Fremont. It offered the service at 329.00. I didn't read the small print. After speaking with Frank, the counterman, and receiving an estimate, I found that it was going to cost me 100 bucks over that. The small print stated that larger bumpers would cost more. Frank explained the process and the options, it was going to be a mask and spray. Nothing wrong with that, that's what you'll get at that price point. I decided to remove the cracked front license plate mount, the shop would just mask around it, better to take it off before. I've done that before, removing the loose bits is better than having them masked off, sometimes the paint will start to chip around the edges of the surface. Frank had also pointed out that it was possible that dirt might get kicked up by the paint spray, or fly out of seams. It could land in the paint and make a rougher finish. Final cut and polish was not included or recommended. After I removed the plate mount I opened up the hood, and used a leaf blower to blow any loose dust from the under hood and headlight area, top and bottom. Then I carefully washed the bumper paying particular attention to the seams. I know that the shop was going to wash the area, but I doubt that they would be as thorough as I would be. 

I found that labor at the shop that fixed my Daughter's car in Davis was 140.00, I suppose that it's even higher in the Bay Area. With the cost of paint and supplies, plus labor, the shop has to crank these jobs out quickly to make any profit. So I try to make it a bit easier on them by doing some of the prep work beforehand. I won't sand the surface for them, they could say that my work was responsible for any potential problems. 

As I've said before, don't go in looking for perfection, you're not going to find it on the low cost menu. You should be looking for good work that improves the look of your car. Good prep is the basis for a good paint job, that takes time, and time costs money. 

When I went in to pick up the car I was quite impressed. The finish was smooth and shiny. I didn't see any over spray on the black part of the grille. The color match was good, though it was slightly darker. It's not easy to match 16 year old faded paint. Maybe the new paint will fade a bit after a while. Still I am quite satisfied with the result. I plan on replacing the front license plate mount. 

I also decided to have them add some pinstripes to the sides. I suppose that I could have done it myself, but I just wanted it done right, and especially, right away! The cost for this was 200.00, The color selected was Camel, which matches the interior color and set off the exterior. They came out very nice. It's just a little touch to personalize my car. I'm not going to add a different set of custom wheels, the original chrome wheels are in great shape and suit the red color. My interest is to clean up and detail the car the best I can. My goal is to preserve and maintain it in the best condition that I can. 

I'm going to order some touch up paint for some chips on the left passenger door, as well as some spray color and clear, There's a faded spot on the left rear wheel opening. 

I plan to clean the running boards just like I did the rear bumper pad. I wont use any protectant as that could make the surface slippery, which would be very hazardous. 

Today when I went out I saw something that I initially thought  was a pine needle stuck to the left front fender, but it was a pinstripe end that had come loose, I called the shop and they said to bring it in. I know that these are vinyl stripes, but many OEMs use similar stripes but I thought that they need some time to properly bond to the paint.

I brought the Nav in and they fixed the droopy pin stripe. That only lasted for a week, The forward tip of the stripe has started to raise up a bit. I called the shop and they said to bring it back. I took it in today and they fixed it by applying a little clear to the edge. Will this be a permanent fix? I hope so.

So my review is mixed; I'm happy with the paint which is the most important thing. Not too happy with the stripe, though it does look good. I probably should have bought some striping tape at O'Reilly's and done it myself. I guess that's what I get for thinking I'm a high roller!

As soon as I brought the Navigator home I looked for a replacement owner's manual and warranty book package. I was lucky to find a complete set in the leather folder on E Bay for thirty bucks! That was a find that made me very happy. Those manuals are now sitting in the center console. 

I ordered a new replacement front license mount, it set me back 13.00 plus shipping. I found that the old mount was held on by regular nuts and bolts. That caused me some problems trying to get a wrench on the nut behind the bumper. I plan to install the new mount using nut-serts. I'll detail the process in a future post.

Now that the monsoon has passed, I look forward to washing and waxing the Navigator. So far I've put 1,000 miles on the odometer and it's been running well. I drove it in some of the heaviest rain in recent memory. That should bode well for the future.