2001 S40 Bumper Replacement

As a result of a minor accident, my 18 son now has a 2001 S40 with a
cracked bumper cover. It was a slow speed accident that did not do
any major damage (at least that is apparent) but it looks as if the
bumper cover will need to be replaced. From the searching I have
done, it looks like there is an "internal" reinforced bumper that is
covered by the bumper cover. Aside from the broken pieces and the
fact that the bumper has been pushed/moved about 1/2 inch from where
it was, it doesn't appear to be too bad. My question is in reference
to how big a deal is it to replace a bumper cover? Is it one piece or
is it made up of several parts? Since there was no airbag deployment,
can I basically assume that there was no damage to the internal
bumper? SInce it happened last night I have not had a chance to look
too closely at it. I'll do that today. I am not beyond trying to fix
this myself but without a little more knowledge of what I am possibly
getting into, I don't want to end up in a situation beyond my ability
to fix. If it is something that can get complicated or require
special tools, I'll probably just take it to a repair shop.

Thanks for any insights.

 

Behind the bumper cover are 3 pieces of impact absorbing plastic or
foam, behind them a metal bar or 2 that support them. Depending on the
hit, all of that stuff could be damaged or bent, in addition to the
brackets that attach it all to the frame rails, and maybe even the
collapsible area of the frame too. This all works as a system, and is
designed to absorb energy, not limit damage. To determine just how
serious it is, you need someone with experience to look at it. Most
body shops will give free estimates, that might be a good place to
start.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

Thanks for the info...exactly what I was looking for...I was guessing
that this was a job for an experienced body person.

 

If you feel comfortable you can do this repair your self as the other
posters have said it can not hurt to get an estimate from @ least 2
local body shops if they both state that just the cover is all then do
it your self & save yourself some $$ even if the foam absorber is
damaged it is easy to change once the cover is off
Glenn
ASE Certified Automotive Technician
Volvo Master Technician

--
"*-344-*Never Forgotten"
Is for the New York City Firemen who lost their lives on September 11,2001.
The official count is 343, but there was also a volunteer who lost his life
aiding in the initial rescue efforts. And I will never forget them as
long as I live,
nor should any American.