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Thread: Does anyone know how to fix this bumper dent? Update: solved!

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    Member Bernadine's Avatar
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    Does anyone know how to fix this bumper dent? Update: solved!

    I guess it's more of a bend than a dent, but I don't know what else to call it. Long story short, I drove over a sewer grate that I learned was fairly deep, and with it being in the entrance way of the parking lot, I was paying more attention to the entrance than the hole. Anyhow, the hole seemed to push the front bumper out on the right side, which I managed to push back in. I don't think that anything else was damaged, but the area near the wheel is bent. I tried pouring hot water over the area and clamping it, but nothing changed. It's not really noticeable unless you're looking for it, but things like that bother me. So, does anyone know how to fix this, or, if I'm really concerned, should I take it to the dealer to handle?

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    This is the front fender we're looking at...right? I don't think you're going to be able to make that disappear without bodywork or a new fender. Take it to a shop that does PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) and see what they say. That may be your only hope for saving it. The sheet metal on these cars is so thin, once it's bent and/or stretched, it's hard/impossible to reshape without some filler and bodywork. By the time you pay for that, you might as well just put a new fender on.

    You might get lucky and find a wrecked black Mirage in a salvage yard. Then you can just bolt on the new fender...or take it to a bodyshop and pay them a couple of hours of labor to do it. If you don't have to get it professionally painted, that will save you most of the repair cost.

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    I'm gonna say that's the bumper. I've seen that when the bottom of the bumper gets pushed back from hitting parking curbs. The rad supports bent very easy on the bottoms. I pulled the bumper off had to pull the bottom of the rad supports forward to fix that.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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    Member Bernadine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    This is the front fender we're looking at...right? I don't think you're going to be able to make that disappear without bodywork or a new fender. Take it to a shop that does PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) and see what they say. That may be your only hope for saving it. The sheet metal on these cars is so thin, once it's bent and/or stretched, it's hard/impossible to reshape without some filler and bodywork. By the time you pay for that, you might as well just put a new fender on.

    You might get lucky and find a wrecked black Mirage in a salvage yard. Then you can just bolt on the new fender...or take it to a bodyshop and pay them a couple of hours of labor to do it. If you don't have to get it professionally painted, that will save you most of the repair cost.
    It's part of the front bumper right below the front fender. Realistically, I don't think it's worth the effort and money to get a new bumper or to get it professionally repaired. I'm probably never going to sell the car, so I think, if I can't fix it myself, I'll leave it as is.

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    Where's the leak ma'am? Marklovski's Avatar
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    https://youtu.be/J79uO_H0kzo

    Theres other methods to repair dents, just see what you can find
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    Senior Member daleWV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    I'm gonna say that's the bumper. I've seen that when the bottom of the bumper gets pushed back from hitting parking curbs. The rad supports bent very easy on the bottoms. I pulled the bumper off had to pull the bottom of the rad supports forward to fix that.
    I agree, this has happened to my son's Mirage twice, on both sides. Required removing the bumper and then pulling the lower supports forward using a come-along. It did leave a small kink in the plastic at that spot in the picture but its barely noticeable. The bumper is easy to remove at least.

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    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Try a heat gun or, failing that, a good hairdryer. That will usually get them back into shape unless there is support structure damage underneath.

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    Senior Member daleWV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    Try a heat gun or, failing that, a good hairdryer. That will usually get them back into shape unless there is support structure damage underneath.
    I wouldn't hit it with a heat gun until the support damage underneath is corrected. Going from experience (as I noted above) and the description of the event that caused this I would about guarantee that the lower support is pushed back putting tension on that corner of the bumper. Heat gun would probably make the bend worse if the support isn't straightened out first.

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    Member Bernadine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by daleWV View Post
    I wouldn't hit it with a heat gun until the support damage underneath is corrected. Going from experience (as I noted above) and the description of the event that caused this I would about guarantee that the lower support is pushed back putting tension on that corner of the bumper. Heat gun would probably make the bend worse if the support isn't straightened out first.
    I think you're right about the support being damaged, as when I pulled the bumper apart on the side that was damaged, it wouldn't sit right when I tried to put it back. The damage shouldn't have any ill effects, right?

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    Senior Member daleWV's Avatar
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    The lower support that the bumper is connected to is kind of flimsy and fairly easily bent either out of shape or back into shape. I think if you leave it as it is that eventually the paint may begin to crack where the plastic is kinked in the picture. If you or somebody can get the bumper off and the support straightened out there shouldn't be any ill effects at all.



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