im newb to prius chat and my first prius ever is a blizzard pearl pkg IV i was very excited about the car unti'll i scratch the bottom of it fr a driveway.. no biggie since it was just the protective metal but then when i park the car at my driveway to unload some of my stuff i forgot about how low was my garage was so when i lift it up i bang the door to the cement overhead of the garage and i damage the spoiler! first of i dont know if its plastic or carbon fiber? it's not a really big damage but it's visible up close! can anybody give me advice on how to fix this? thanks in advance... can my dealer fix this or should i buy a touch up paint? thanks! can someone pls. send me a message.
Another good reason to read these threads BEFORE you buy and drive. There is a thread on here warning about how high the lid opens
If the damage is not too deep, maybe you can just polish it out? There are super fine sandpapers meant for polishing plastics to a shine. Micro-mesh abrasives as high as 12000-grit. You could probably return that damaged surface back to its original glossy finish. You might need a Dremel style tool... Obviously test it out on something else before trying on your car!
In Australian cars, we have always had a small can of touch-up paint in the glovebox on delivery with all cars. Don't the US cars have that?
I believe the spoiler is black plastic, so painting won't work. Try wet sanding with some fine sandpaper, followed by rubbing compound. Here's a thread discussing how high the hatch opens, and I posted a pic of some foam I installed after hitting the garage door the first time I opened it in my garage: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...62821-warning-rear-hatch-opens-very-high.html
Ha! You know how to rub it in Mate. If we did over here, it would be a Port Installed Option and cost about $32.
I bought a bottle of touch up paint when I had the dealer program the auto door lock/unlock. Cost $13 , which is more than the Porsche dealer charges for the 2 bottle (color and clear) touch up kit.
yeah true but unfortunately i even sign up here after i bought the car so too late for me now!.. my other two cars doesnt open that wide!
anybody can provide me a how to on this problem?? pls. or a place that can fix it here in Los Angeles.. private message me prius lovers! thanks in advance.
I checked out the rear spoiler very closely. Yes it is plastic, and truly not thin or cheap. Seems to be quite substantial. And it absolutely looks to be painted. The finish is not perfectly smooth as a plain colored plastic material would. It has a bit of a rippled finish as if it has been spray painted - BTW very well. I put two coats of wax on mine. But like most anything on a car it can be scratched if not treated with care. And - this assembly will get a beating by the elements, UV included. Another reason Toyota has this as a painted surface. Initially I was thinking about having my spoiler painted body color before I got mine. I did like the G2 version. But after closer inspection of the G3, I like how the black spoiler uniformly blends with the rear hatch windows. And for jwarrenjg - recommend to bring it into your Toyota body shop for an estimate. Paint match would be a piece of cake being gloss black. Depending on the extent of the damage, may be a simple job for them.
I had that problem with my Gen2 and now my Gen3. I stapled sponges on the garage door framing. Then I put red reflective tape all along the leading edge of the spoiler. I think it also acts as a safety factor, because people don't follow me too close at night with that big red strip reflecting.
As a long time Dremel user, I don't think it would work. It is too small and will give you a smooth but bumpy finish. You need an electric drill and a big buffer so you can have a clean line.
Please take it to a reputable body shop for repair. Just FYI, because a Toyota dealership may have a body shop, they are not some how extra qualified to work on a Toyota. The key is a reputable shop which comes highly recommended. Once repaired add some type of protection in your garage door area so you do not do this again. Rubber/foam, etc. Good luck. OH, as a lay person, I would avoid the sandpaper/polish method yourself. Just my 2 cents.
I would either look in the yellow pages for a reputable auto body shop and not just one, i would go to at least two for estimates. Ask them how they would repair it and how much. Or the other option is ask your toyota dealer how they would do it and how much, many dealers have their own auto body repair department? You ask a bunch of people on here that don't have a clue how severe the damage is without a picture and even that isn't like seeing it. If it were mine and i wanted to try repairing it myself, and i have done repairs on my cars with extra fine rubbing compound on minor scratches. I use 3 M liquid extra fine that you can buy at NAPA stores for example. Many of those stores can advise you on what supplies you might need or try yourself. Start with what cuts the slowest first though and see how it goes before you get too aggressive.
