Oh... what a Bumper Bummer...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zang @ Jul 28 2007, 05:40 AM) [snapback]486617[/snapback]</div>

Hi Zang,

It looks and sounds like your body shop, Bryant Auto Body, is terrific. Wish I knew of a similarly good one in NYC (I'm sure there are many, but I just don't know their names).

Based on the work they did for you, I've recommended Bryant Auto Body to another San Francisco poster, HarperLee, who was looking for an installer in San Francisco to put on her side moldings and bumper strips.

--- In this regard, how much did Bryant Auto Body charge you to install the PriusChat/Toyota body side moldings?

--- Also, do you (or anyone else out there) know of a solvent to the typical 3M adhesive found on self-stick bumper strips, body side moldings, door edge guards, etc.?

Thanks.

 

Personally? I think door mouldings and bumper guards are uglier than the potential damage caused by parking lot mishaps...

 

I used to own a detailing business, I've seen the damage you're talking about. There are better options, such as clear bra material applied to the bumpers, being more careful about where you park, etc. IMHO theres not much uglier than those bumper guards. Its kind of like wearing a pocket protector. Sure it protects your pocket, but instead of looking like a moron with ink on your shirt once in a while, you look like a doofus all of the time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jul 29 2007, 12:37 AM) [snapback]486943[/snapback]</div>

I understand that you just don't like the way bumper strips look. But many of us like them, or at least like them more than the plain color-keyed "bumpers" (now there's a misnomer!) of today, and we certainly like them more than the damage they protect against. And contrary to your assertion that there are better options to protect bumpers, neither of the 2 options or alternatives you specify works for residents of NYC, San Francisco or many other cities in the US.

* The "clear bra" you mention offers only, at best, minimal protection against most common parallel parking scratches and scrapes, and no protection against the frequent gouges to rear bumpers caused by the front license plate holder and screws of the parallel parker behind you.

* "Being more careful where you park" is not an option for parallel parkers in these cities. These cities do not have large, striped/demarcated parallel parking spaces --- in fact, they have very few parking spaces of any size or variety, period. Frequently, one has to search a half hour or more for a parallel parking space that's only 12 - 24 inches longer than your car. And with such tight parallel parking spaces, "tapping" bumpers when entering or leaving a parallel park is a necessity.

I know you hate the look of bumper strips (curious, do you also hate them when they're part of the design of the OEM bumpers, e.g., the bumpers found on the generations of the BMW 3 series immediately preceding the current generation?), and you say that they look worse than the damage they protect against. But my bet is that if you spent the next year living and parallel parking your Prius in NYC, you will not think that your sure-to-be much damaged bumpers * look better than bumpers with bumper strips.

* I think that in one year you can count on getting at least 20 - 100 clearly visible scratchs, scrapes and gouges ... I, for one, received 10 within hours after I brought my new Prius home and parked it.

[post edited by Boo on July 30, 2007]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boo @ Jul 29 2007, 01:55 AM) [snapback]486974[/snapback]</div>

The OEM strips are different, the aftermarket strips are never straight and they aren't designed into the face of the bumper. Maybe its all what you're used to, I'm not used to seeing them maybe thats why they look so odd to me...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jul 29 2007, 11:45 PM) [snapback]487289[/snapback]</div>

Agreed. The OEM strips are different and most of them look better.

BTW, I mentioned the previous generations of BMW 3 series' bumpers because I think that they're an example of OEM bumper strips being done right --- they look pretty good and, because of their location, size, material, etc., they offer some protection as well. I've seen a lot of current OEM bumper strips (e.g., Mercedes) that do not look very good and/or seem to offer no added protection whatsoever.

 

I'm with Steve on this one. It's nice the bumper-protector selection is growing and improving, but I've convinced myself the only body/bumper nicks that matter are the ones that might compromise crush-zone integrity.

Most of the bumper-scrapes I get in parallel parking situations are up high anyway, from SUV's that can't see anything under 4' and have bumpers at truck height.

Here in Seattle area we seem to average 12 dings/scratches/chips per quarter among our 3 Prii. I've just made liberal use of body touch-up paint to keep the cars looking ok.

 

Rubber strips on plastic bumpers, :huh: I can see it for protection from rabbid shopping carts and ect. But I would check with "westin" for a custom made bull-bar, like those on the tundras. They look aggressive and work well up to 30mph collisions. (on the tundras)

If you've got money to burn from the gas savings, what the hell, go for it!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bobdavisnpf @ Jul 30 2007, 11:35 AM) [snapback]487438[/snapback]</div>

Hi Bob,

1. Yes, the only body/bumper nicks that really matter are those that compromise safety. In the case of the Prius bumpers, I think that this would generally mean crashes so hard that the foam behind the bumper cover got crushed or compressed so much that it has forever lost most of its original ability to absorb impacts.

2. Here in NYC, or at least Manhattan where I've lived and parallel parked for the past 30 years, most of my bumper scrapes are to my rear bumper, and most of those seem to be caused by the front bumpers (and the add-ons thereto, e.g., license plate holders and screws, and those nasty, sharpened, battering ram bumper guards that SUV owners like to add) of the parallel parker behind me (using the NYC, generally accepted, parallel parking principle of tapping bumpers).

3. You know, we wouldn't even be having this discussion if we had the real 5 mph bumpers that were formerly required by law, or even if we had the mere 1 mph bumpers of 10 - 15 years ago that were covered in all black, color-impregnated plastic. It's the current combination of 1 mph, color-keyed (spray painted, not impregnated) bumpers that's created this perfect storm for bumper strips and touch-up paint.

4. I still think that I'm bringin' sexy back:

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-ii-prius-modifications/4719d1185170324-here-where-buy-side-moldings-bumper-guards-prius___with_bumper_guards___side_moldings_067.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Doesn't this rate at least one "Yaozuh" or at least one "Well, It Doesn't Suck"??

 

It definitely doesn't suck, Boo!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zang @ Aug 1 2007, 01:27 PM) [snapback]488692[/snapback]</div>

Thanks Zang - and yours gets a Yaozuh too!!! Our Prii can use a little ego boosting after being told that they look like doofusses all of the time. :lol:

Anyway, time to go bumper tapping.

 

Boo and others who have used the 2-inch strip to protect the rear bumpers - have you received dings and scratches above and below the strip? Since the strip only covers a 2 inch wide area, do you guys get hit and scratches by trucks and SUVs having tall bumpers (especially the ones w/metal guards installed)?

I'm trying to decide on what to get for the rear bumper - the clear film doesn't protect against harder hits I don't think, the 2 inch strip doesn't look like it protects against high bumpers and custom metal guards on SUVs. And "the Badger" type rubber mat is cumbersome and ugly but does offer the best protection...

I park on the street, too and too often see big trucks/vans try to squeeze in tiny spots...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(linerjia @ Aug 13 2007, 10:49 PM) [snapback]495156[/snapback]</div>

Hi linerjia,

The short answer is no --- ever since I installed the 2 inch rear bumper strip in mid-June, I have not received a single ding or scratch above or below the strip.

Some History:

I've parallel parked in NYC for the past 30 or so years. Ever since the advent of the 1 mph painted bumper, the rear bumper of my car would quickly (within a year) receive 10 - 20 or more scratches and dings --- mostly from the front license plate holders and screws of the parallel parkers behind me.

In the case of my 2007 Prius, within hours after I brought my new Prius home in February and parallel parked it on the street, my rear bumper received about 10 scratches, gouges and dings --- all clearly from the front license plate holder and screws of the parallel parker(s) behind me. Thankfully, all 10 (plus about 8 more the rear bumper received during the next 4 months) were located within the 2 inches right on/above that crease that runs the length of the rear bumper. So when I installed the rear bumper strip in mid-June, it covered up those approximately 18 scratches, gouges and dings nicely. And ever since then I have not received a single ding, scratch, scrape or scuff above or below the rear bumper strip. I have however received one visible scuff on one corner of the rear bumper strip --- which shows that it did its job --- but I'm sure that not unsightly scuff on the bumper strip would have been an ugly scrape or worse if it had been directly on the bumper.

I'm not saying that the bumper strip will protect you against all rear bumper scratches and dings, or against higher or lower bumpers or those nasty, sometimes sharpened, battering ram bumper guards SUV owners like to put on their SUVs. But if I had to conservatively guess, I would say that the 2" rear bumper strip, if installed right above/on the rear bumper crease, will protect against at least 51% of the parallel parking scratches and dings your Prius' rear bumper could expect to get if it were unprotected by the bumper strip.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions, or even if you would like another set of eyes or hands or want to borrow my cutting tool, if and when you install the bumper strips.

Take care. Good luck!

P.S. I agree that the Badger will protect better. But it's ugly, etc., and will not protect your rear bumper's corners or sides. Another alternative to consider is a vinyl or cloth bra for the rear bumper, but I personally don't like the looks of those things either, but some people do.

 

thanks Boo.

I have read all bumper protector/guard threads on the forum and I guess I'm deciding between the clear film and the strip. Has anyone used the clear film on the back bumper and what are the results? I've only seen the film for the front of the car, e.g. ClearMask, Ventureshield, etc. but nobody makes a rear bumper cutout. ClearMask does sell roll stock so you can cut your own but I'm wondering if anyone here has tried it and how effective it is. The film is only 0.007 inch thin, that's 0.02mm! It will probably be strong enough not to rip but I'm afraid marks will be left on the bumper underneath of it. That's my biggest concern about the film. Can anyone verify that?

I've got the front of the car protected with the factory vinyl bra. Thank you all.

 

I backed my Prius into a car parallel parking only 2-3 months after I bought it (didn't own it long enough to even think of using the backup camera), which resulted in a couple of ugly dings in the rear bumper from the other car's license plate bolts & frame.

I covered the dings w/vinyl "bullet" hole decals for the past year, but saw another thread on PriusChat which mentioned the "Bumper Defender" and finally got around to ordering it. The best color match for my "Driftwood Pearl" was "Beige." I just installed a 3 foot section of the 2" "Bumper Defender" the the center of my rear bumper today. It was a pretty good color match and completely covered the dings.

So, no more bullet holes in the rear

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swingshiftworker @ Aug 25 2007, 01:19 PM) [snapback]501880[/snapback]</div>

Did you also leave a note on the other car incase you did some unseen damage to the other vehicle?