Dimples on rear Bumper - Vantage Roadster

Dimples on rear Bumper - Vantage Roadster

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Discussion

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Thursday 19th January 2012
quotequote all
I noticed these inverted dimples the other day on my rear bumper. It's like something hard is pushing the bumper out in these areas circled in red:



The AM dealer I bought it from says this is very common, normal and one of the benefits of a hand-built car (that's his excuse for any defect I point out).

Anyone confirm or deny? Should I be making a fuss?

Thanks. smile

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Thursday 19th January 2012
quotequote all
Thanks, Guys.

@Gio1210: That's interesting. If it's a factory defect I'm not too fussed. More worried about damaged / repaired.

@AnimalV8: I think it's a different issue because you can definitely feel something hard behind the bumper that is pushing it out. Possibly the impact absorbers. I did see another thread with ripples on vantages further down the bumper. Might be related.

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Thursday 19th January 2012
quotequote all
The car is under manufacturer's warranty. I suppose this could be seen as a manufacturing defect...

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Thursday 19th January 2012
quotequote all
I saw that on another thread:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Sounds like the rear bumper is a problem area frown


BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Friday 20th January 2012
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Good to know I'm not the only one. However, I am certain that nothing can be done with either heatgun or doublesided tape since you can definitely feel the there is something rigid pushing the bumper out in these 2 spots. I can depress the bumper slightly with my finger everywhere else except these 2 dimples. It's like pushing on solid metal. No give at all.

Give the position, I am wondering if the bumper retaining bolts are slightly too long? I haven't really had a look.

Anyway, I've got to take it to Aston Martin for the stereo so I'll get them to look at it. Problem is, call me paranoid, I don't trust dealers to give it to me straight whether they be Audi or AM.

Edited by BingoBob on Friday 20th January 08:30

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Friday 20th January 2012
quotequote all
I could conceive of the bumper being pushed in, deformed by the rigid support then springing back to its original position leaving the dimples - in which case they might come out *but* it still feels like there is still something hard pushing them out.

The bumper fits everywhere else very nicely. Worried now, dealer said this was a common problem, but you are saying that you haven't seen it before?

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Friday 20th January 2012
quotequote all
@Gio1210: the 7 that you saw had exactly the same dimples?

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Friday 20th January 2012
quotequote all
Oh that's ok then, it's just impact damage yikes

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Saturday 28th January 2012
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Aston approved bodyshop reckons this is not impact damage but manufacturing defect. They have put a warranty claim into AM. We shall see what they come back with.

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Monday 30th January 2012
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Will do!

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Monday 20th February 2012
quotequote all
Concensus from the experts is that the issue was the incorrect mounting of the bumper at the factory leaving it too close to the supports underneath. Heat from the exhaust caused the bumper to go soft and mark it.

AM fixed it under guarantee. It was done by repositioning the bumper correctly then using a heatgun to let the bumper find its initial position. Job's a good'un and no paint required. Yay!

Hats off to Gaydon customer service.

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Thursday 12th May 2022
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Well, it's been 10 years and they haven't come back!

BingoBob

Original Poster:

1,098 posts

148 months

Thursday 12th May 2022
quotequote all
I do like a good zombie thread.