My GT3 has a chip the size of a pea with a slight thin impression above it. It's only noticeable upon close inspection since I touched up the chip and the impression is minor with no paint damage. Question to the forum, if you were purchasing this car, would you rather have it as with this tiny flaw or would you rather have a bumper that was refinished to look perfect again? So...imperfection vs. refinished bumper debate.

 

Would rather have it with the small imperfection. If you refinish, people will wonder if It’s something bigger than just a chip. Although documentation should eliminate that.

Bumper resprays especially for cosmetic reasons should have little to no impact on value.

Leave it up to the buyer and offer to refinish it for them before the sale.

 

Thanks. I'm of the same mind. While I think a bumper refinish is harmless, I feel like it may introduce questions/doubts.

 

I agree,... but in the same breath I would hate looking at it too. If this is a street car, and depending on your budget, maybe you could pick up another used front bumper & have it sprayed to match. Run that bumper while you own it.

Then when you go to sell, put the original back on, and as JBxstr says, give the buyer a choice (plus, giving them another perfect but none original bumper is a big plus at that point).

Having the original non-painted / non-repaired bumper is worth a lot in my book (along with the documentation to prove nothing else happened)

bumpers are easy to take off / put on.... so why not get another one.

=Steve

 

If it was noticeable I would have it fixed as well but I've never had anyone comment on "what happened here?" It's very minor but obviously I know it's there. As I contemplate selling the car before the winter, I started thinking about any imperfections that I may want to address and will have to disclose. I'm very critical of my cars and when I sell them, I list every single item that does not look to be in showroom condition. The mark does not bother me at all. I'm just thinking about the best way to present the car if I decide to sell. I think I will leave it as is, and let the buyer decide how they want to handle it. If I had the bumper resprayed, I would feel obligated to disclose that and then would have to provide evidence of what was repaired which always seems to introduce doubts from the buyer.

 

Minor touch up will remain in your favor for any sales event. If you absolutely feel compelled to fix it, be sure to take comprehensive photos of the condition before with date stamps, and then correlate the date stamps to the invoice for the paint work. I'd want to see proof that something more serious wasn't being hidden if I were a buyer, and that is the main thing for you. A bit of patina isn't always such a bad thing!

 

^^^^THIS^^^
Exactly what I was concerned about. How would a buyer know that I didn't just take a picture of a tiny scratch while really replacing a smashed in bumper. I'm leaving it as is.

 

If its really that small of a blemish, I would just touch up paint and then explain to someone if needed...

I had a piece of Touch Up Paint on my front bumper that I legit never even noticed until I was combing through old services records from a past owner.

 

First, what’s your goal with the car? Is it going to be a “keep forever” or “meh just a few more years and it’s gone?”

 

That's the $64,000 question. Every car I buy is with the mindset that it is a car that I would be happy keeping forever. But inevitably, some new car always comes along that sparks my interest and I end up changing things up. Do I have current plans to sell my car? No. Would I sell my car if something more interesting came along? Yes. I try to keep my cars perfect. I like to buy them that way and I like to sell them that way. This is what sparked the initial question about refinishing. I want the car in the best condition for both myself, and for the potential next owner.

 

If it’s a Bumper....I would refinish it if it bothers you. It would bother me. If you document it....and it’s done at a High End Reputable shop...there should be ZERO issues with resale down the line. They’re plastic Bumpers....you can’t Paint Meter them anyways. A future prospective buyer should know the difference (Accident versus Aesthetic) and that it doesn’t factor into end Value of the vehicle. Plus....it’s a GT3.....not a museum 5k mile 964 Carrera RS or such anyways.

 

Based on your response you have two choices, as I see it; (a) refinish the bumper with ocd type documentation so the next owner not only sees the true reason why you refinished it, but also how OCD you (and I) are, which is a vote of confidence to how you treated the car in its entirety, or; (b) purchase another bumper, paint it so it doesn’t burn your a$$ every time you see it (whilst you own it), keep the original as is and ultimately give both to the next owner (if you do end up selling it).

Just my ¢2