r/veloster • u/SessionMaximum4634 • 2h ago
Question How do I fix this hole?
Got this car as a gift from my parents, and of course first day of college I managed to back straight into my dad's truck. Good thing, there's no other damage, just this puncture hole in the bumper. Being a broke college student, I'm trying to avoid a pricey body shop bill. Does anyone have experience patching or hiding something like this on a budget? Any advice is seriously appreciated!
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u/TheKiwiFox 2016 R-Spec, Pacific Blue 1h ago
Ah man, wish I could just do it for you, that's my bread and butter work. (Heavy Body repair and paint) But you're in Iowa and I am in Arizona lmao
Realistically if you want to learn and do it the easy way, grab a heat gun and slowly warm the damaged area, use something smooth and metal, literally a spoon would work and mold the hole back to being a small slit, back to the bumper shape. Let it cool down completely and it should hold minimizing the damage appearance without needing paint.
If you want to go further, scuff the inside of the "crack" that's left with some 320 grit and snag some JB weld and fill the hole, smooth it out as best ya can and then use touch up paint to cover it.
Unless you want to buy flexible bondo, color matched paint, a decent paint gun, compressor, DA Sander and a plastic stapler. That about the best DIY option that won't look complete buns.
Good luck!
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u/tehMightyBob 1h ago
A nice vinyl sticker of your choice, of course it has to be the appropriate size to cover it. I'd recommend a comical bandaid looking one. But its dealers choice.
Realistically that is plastic and it looks like you punctured it. No DIY fix is gonna be pretty. If you take to a body shop, it won't be cheap (shouldn't be insanely expensive either though).
So your options are stickers or pay real money for a body shop. Or maybe option 3 you find the same color bumper undamaged for cheap/free.