Hatchback VS. Garage Door (Garage Door Wins) - Advice needed

Hey,

I feel your pain. I did the very same thing the other day on my 8 month old prius. Once I heard the big CLUNK, I knew what had happened and immediately got out of the car to investigate the potential damage. Not realizing that the car was still in DRIVE! Luckily, I managed to run back to the driver's side while the car was in MOTION, with my driver's door wide open...about to hit a light post...as I stepped on the parking break. Wheewwwww! I stopped the car with the driver's door an INCH from the light post!

Fortunately, the scratch on my spoiler was very superficial. I tried to buff it but it was still there. It's hardly noticeable though since my paint was Silver Pine Mica.

I thought of buying a type B spoiler from SigmaAutomotive. But, I've grown accustomed to the blemish and will save my money for something else in the future.

Yours is a more noticeable damage though. You can buy a Touring Spoiler from sigma automotive for a few hundred bucks. That's the only way I can think of to fix the blemish...just replace the whole spoiler. Applying touch up paint would make it worse in my opinion.

Vince.

 

I have the same garage door problem. And I can't help you with the scratch. But I got some heavy foam weather stripping that has the self adhesive 'sticky' side and applied that to the garage door which has saved the paint on the hatch back.

 

I did the same thing to my wife's Sienna. Your scratch looks bigger/deeper than mine was. I went to the dealer and got a touch up paint pen and am pretty pleased with the results. Make sure you buy directly from the dealer. The OEM stuff at the auto parts stores was not an exact match to the Sienna's blue.

 

Same problem (no paint lost...yet). I decided to back in. Plenty of vertical room that way, and makes more room for door swings since the passenger door is nearer the wall.

 

Ouch. That is unfortunate, kkirk2.

Not to make light of your situation ,Vinny, but any chance there is a video of this on YouTube? :lol:

 

If you get a good paint shop, it will match. The good thing is, the entire spoiler can be painted, and you won't see a blend line. I hate it when they have to blend in a panel. I'd rather have it painted from body line to body line.

My son had his rear qtr panel painted on his new accord, and they did a real good match.

Maybe you need to take that bumper protector they sell and put it on the spoiler? You need to do something, because I'm sure this is going to happen again. How about a cable somehow on the hatch restricting it from opening but so far? Bumper pad on the garage door? Hockey puck on top of the spoiler?

I'd have to do something. Don't beat yourself to death, could happen to anyone. Luckily my garage ceiling is 12' high!

 

Buy some of those "flexible foam pipes" the kids (and adults) use in the swimming pools, cut them to length of garage door section and secure them to the garage door, in a vertical position at the points of vehicle spoiler/garage door contact. You can secure them in position using tie-wraps that have the "eyelet hole ends" and use a small sheet metal screw in a place (rib, brace) that won't poke through garage door....
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vinny @ Jun 21 2007, 10:11 PM) [snapback]466155[/snapback]</div>

Do you have any idea what a touring spoiler from Toyota would cost and would it fit without any modifications on a standard Prius?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BuddyL @ Oct 4 2007, 06:10 PM) [snapback]521387[/snapback]</div>

Did you try eBay for the Touring Spoiler ?? I'm sure by now (after one year) someone must be parting out an '07 Prius Touring and might possibly have a rear spoiler..... put an add in the eBay WANTED and you might get a positive response. Lots of gearheads read and use eBay but don't list ALL the parts they have (or can get) !! Perhaps someone removed the "stock Prius Touring rear Spoiler" in favor of some super after-market one, ya' never know 'till ya' try............

 

That really sucks. I owuld take it to a reputable body shop, (clean shop, high end cars being repaired, and an estimater that is honest with you) and have the entire spoiler removed, painted and reinstalled. You iwll never know the difference when it is done correctly.

 

Take some gaffer's tape of a contrasting color, black will do, cut a strip the length of the spoiler and apply to the edge. Trim with Exacto knife. Replace tape every 6 months or so.

Total cost, less than a buck. Plus if you have never used gaffer's tape, your life will immediately improve in countless ways.

 

If it makes you feel better, I did the same thing, except I have a scratch running from the license plate region, to the lock button on the hatch, and then a bit of the spoiler.

Did you get this repaired? How much did it cost you?

 

For tips on gaffa tape check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh5XVPSx9Dk
I bet PriusLimo wished he watched this first!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Oct 28 2007, 02:59 AM) [snapback]531510[/snapback]</div>

Yes I have this problem also and have to hold the hatchback with one hand and unload with the other. Seems to me it is not a problem of where to get the car painted but a problem with the hatchback going too high?
Is there something wrong with my thinking here?
Does it need to go so high?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clifford @ Oct 30 2007, 07:28 PM) [snapback]532713[/snapback]</div>

I learned the hard way with my Highlander the 1st day I brought it home. On the Prius, it is actually advantageous to have such a high reaching tailgate as for us, we open it with the garage door closed and we are fine! Much better than the hold the liftgate/grab a bag of groceries juggling act.

 

Go to your local used car dealer and ask them who does their paint touch-ups. There are guys that do it out of their truck. They come to your house. Hence, very low overhead. They are very skilled at matching colors. I would at least get a price from them before purchasing a new spoiler. I'm betting somthing like that would cost about $100.

 

I made the exact same mistake. I got two quotes for an unpainted Touring edition rear spoiler: $318 from Thousand Oaks Toyota, and $332 from Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys. The paint job will be extra. This should teach me to *really* close the hatch before I back out of my garage...

 

I was reading this thread thinking, wow that sucks and feeling glad that we can open the hatch in the garage. Then I realized that when we did it the garage door was closed, not open. So thanks for the warning and I'm sorry you had to find out that way. We'll be on the alert here!