Why don't you try fixing the bumper yourself? Buy a Haynes manual and go at it. Remove the bumper clips and see if you can put it back together in a more aligned fashion.

Another suggestion:

If you think your "new" bumper is not to exact oem specs, go visit a Honda dealership. Bring a tape measure with you, find a similar 99 coupe on the lot and take some measurements. See what does or does not measure up. Work it from there, I'm sure with some handywork and maybe a suggestion from an on-site Honda tech, you might be able to "restore" the bumper to the way you previously remember it.

 

Get a Pontiac Aztek, nobody will hit you cause its not worth hitting.h:

 

That must be the best tip you can come up with....and I know you did try your darndest, Elite! *licks lips* :jerkit:

 

Besides the ignition recall, all the other stuff you listed is normal wear and tear/maintenance on a new car, not just older ones.

I know you said theres other stuff you didnt write that you are tired about doing, but if the only major things you could list are 2 blown bulbs, low air in your tires, tire rotations, and services, I have to ask are you serious about being tired of putting this kind of stuff into the car to make it look and run right? This is all normal maintenance. Complaining about that stuff is like complaining about doing oil changes. Its all a normal part of car ownership.

Unless you buy a brand spanking new car every single year, you are going to have to do all of what you listed, and deal with recalls too.

45k on a Honda is nothing, you'll get much more out of it, but of course thats only with normal maintenance.

You need to relax Scotty, 99% of your post deals with the rear bumper, so Im with b12, if thats your biggest gripe and thats really killing the car for you, take the car somewhere else, pay a little out of your pocket if you must, and get it fixed. Sure beats what youd loose by getting a new car because the bumper is annoying you so much.

Im the same way, if I know about something wrong with my car, I HAVE to get it fixed, otherwise it keeps gnawing at me, and makes me unhappy with the rest of my car as a whole. I dont live with things like that, I get them fixed to my satisfaction otherwise they annoy me to no end. Sounds like you are the same.

You said you think they used an aftermarket bumper, well if they did with out your permission, and charged for an OEM bumoer, thats fraud, and your insurance company would have a field day once you notified them. Aftermarket companies wouldnt waste the money on making a copy of the OEM body kit, its low volume compared to body panels, so if it was changed, it was an OEM replacement

Take the car somewhere else, let them check it out the bumper, and see if they can the skirt to to line up better.

 

Hyde,

First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to reply to this. I understand everything you are saying about the maintenance issues; I have absorbed your comments and accepted what you have said.

As far as my bumper; I dont know what is wrong or what they used. I know this sounds crazy but---and perhaps you of all people would understand because it looks as if you have the OEM TL kit on your Acura---now, when I look at the car from the sides, I can clearly see the tailpipe tips whereas before the accident, it seemed like the rear underspoiler concealed the pipes totally----you really couldnt see them. Could this be? What kind of material could have they used other than ordering the OEM Honda kit??

Someone on here told me that these body shops use remanufactured parts if the car is older than two years in order to save money for the consumer; could this be a remanufactured piece of some kind that they used? How can I tell if its an OEM underbody spoiler skirt?

 

Sometimes you just WANT something new. And then it's easy to come up with all kinds of reasons (excuses) to get rid of the old thing.

I find that obsessing over the body work takes up a lot of energy. It'll never be perfect; there will always be some dirt on the car; somebody is sure to have a better-looking example. Short of driving a garage queen, it's difficult to keep a car anything near showroom clean and straight.

Even though my '95 has at least a dozen door dings, bumper scrapes and pits in the windshield, I still get compliments on the car. I sort of adopted the racer's 80/80 rule - it has only to look good at 80mph from 80' away - to something like a street version 20/20 rule.

 

You're Welcome.

If they used aftermarket parts at all, It would probably only be the bumper. Unless the customer says its ok to use aftermarket parts, shops have to use OEM parts. If they billed for OEM and put in a cheaper aftermarket one, they'd be in big trouble if you notified your insurance company. Only you can specify using aftermarket parts, not them or the insurance company. StateFarm was fined big time for trying to substitute aftermarket parts for OEM ones a few years ago. They paid out millions.

Yup I have an OEM kit on my TL, but even stock, there are tiny gaps at the edges between the kit and bumper which is a common complaint, so take that for what its worth.

You are right though, the lip did conceal my stock tips. I actually didnt like that, so I bought newer tips for my car which stick out a little further and werent so puny.

Like I said before if they used aftermarket anything, it would have been the bumper, but if you take the lip off it should have some Honda markings on it.

So is your whole problem how the tips stick out, or are there other issues?? Maybe your kit is fine, and in your accident, the mufflers or hangars were pushed in, and the bodyshop overcorrected in fixing it.

 

Excellent point Mr. Hyde.

 

:werd:

This is why I advised you to compare measurements with another 6th gen coupe w/ lip from a dealer's lot. If the measurements add up, Mr. Hydes remark about muffler hanger position is most likely the cause.

Edit:
Sorry for the double post.

 

150k here and all i need is the IAC valve