Bumper cover

I had a parking lot scuffle that damaged my front bumper cover. Since it was the other drivers fault her insurance will fix it or send me a check. The guesstimate was $836.00 I’ve seen prepainted covers in the $300 range on line and the remove and replace looks pretty easy.
DIY it or let the body shop do it? Your thoughts. Any pitfalls to watch for?
See update and pics at end of post.

 

How bad was the damage?
I had a hit and run in a parking lot.
So I have to go through my insurance.
Haven't got a quote yet.

 

I replaced mine last fall as the paint on the original was roached from years of use, bug splatter, clear coat erosion, etc. Since I was paying out of pocket I looked into the pre-painted online route and if I remember correctly I want to say there was a couple different routes here. One was a cheaper route going with an aftermarket bumper cover, but with questionable fit/quality. The other was an OEM cover, but obviously more expensive. In the end I decided neither was really worth it to me and not that much money saved as shipping for those bumper covers is NOT cheap! So I purchased an OEM cover through my local Toyota dealer via parts.toyota.com (significant MSRP discount by ordering online) and had it painted by a classic car restoration guy who does auto body paint on the side. I did the removal & install of the cover myself, and yes like you mentioned it's easy.

So for your situation, it just depends...what kind of condition is your truck in (i.e. still like new, weathered/tired, etc.)?...how much time do you have to spare and what's it worth to you?...etc, etc. Me, I'm probably going the turnkey route by letting the body shop / insurance handle everything and replacing with all OEM (bumper cover, paint matched, etc.).

 

-is the prepainted cover OEM or aftermarket, and do you even care?
-prepainted may not be a perfect color match, do you even care?

Honestly you win either way because it’s not on your dime. You basically have a chance to make ~$500 if you decide DIY route.

Or... have you ever wanted to upgrade your bumper? This is your chance. I’d take the cash and upgrade to armor if I were you lol.

 

@CR00: Clean it, pocket $, done

 

Personally, if you are going to receive around $800 , I would go with an aftermarket bumper in a heartbeat. And if added weight is a concern, pay the difference out of pocket for aluminum.

 

Update: Decided to take the insurance cash. Instead of a prepainted I went with a textured black for $93 delivered. Used the savings to get the Wildpeaks shown.

 

Where did you end up ordering your bumper from?

 

Bumper Outlet on eBay.

 

Thanks! Did you paint your center grill bar blue or did you have someone do it?

Edit: NVM, think I figure it out. It's an X-Runner grill.

 

There was a member selling his speedway blue bumper.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/05-11-speedway-blue-front-bumper-and-bar.654431/

 

That's a great Price OP!

 

You are correct. Got the Grille from Royal South Toyota as you see it.

 

I was looking at replacing mine. I found a web site. Paint a parts. And I found a painted bumper for $300 or so not sure the quality or fitment but its worth the chance
https://paintapart.com/cart