Well guys I am very new to the forum and this will be my first post. Just bought 4runner about 6 months ago, its an 05 SR5 V8 2WD, and I love everything about it (except the open diff and "no" off roading ) and I have done lots of searching on this forum and done several mods. Always kind of lurking in the shadows to inexperienced to give my own input.

Also I hope I am posting this in the right spot.



But to get straight to it I am a teenage driver which means I "occasionally" make mistakes and it pains me to say it but I backed into my wall the other day out of utter carelessness (sorry runner ). The first major scar on a 05 4runner with 78k miles.

So what I am really asking is if anyone has done this before and what should I do? I really hate the mark but my experience in taking out door dings and scuff marks inst really going to help.

So my options and hopefully someone whose more experienced can set me right:

Let it be and live with my mistake even though it looks bad.

By a new body panel online or a dealer something and get it painted (probably $$$)

Paint Kit? (difficult probably and hard to get right with no experience painting)

Plasti-Dip or Spray Paint (Idk just hate the way it looks)

Or any other option someone can think of like having a body shop paint it

Also I am a teenager meaning I don't really have a stable income so the cheapest way possible would probably be the best. Anyways if you've made it this far into the post thanks for listening to a teenager ramble and any input would be much appreciated!!!!

Thanks,
Keith

Ps Lets see if i can attach an image properly...

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Looks like $50-$100 max at a body shop to me. No dent, just paint work.

Cheer up...you're a teenager with a 4Runner that lots of grown men can't buy. It looks clean too.

1 Add the back up light mod asap... rear window looks blacked out
2 Admire your "mod" for a few days(the 1st scratch)
3 Fix it cheaply at a body shop.

If you do it yourself and buy color coded paint online the paint will run you about $45 with shipping and the job will likely not be as good as paying a bodyshop $50 to spray it.

I would find a body shop and walk in and say will you fix this for $50? NOT how much to fix this scratched bumper.

When I was your age I took my first car and ran it into a lowboy (loader for bulldozers) that thing was parked in a parking lot and it was huge...my Dad was pissed and said " how the hell did you hit that big thing especially while it was parked? You will laugh about this some day. I know today is not the day, but I promise you will.

Thanks for the speedy response. Haha Yeah this isn't my first crash just my first one in my baby.

Just a quick question though it looks a lot worse in real life due to the fact that the plastic panel is very deeply scratched and the paint is gone on the black parts so wouldn't it cost a bit more because they have to sand it and blend the paint in?

And thanks I will do some research on the back up light mod.
The next mod few mods on my plate are new sway bar bushings, HID headlights, FOG light mod and the plasti-dipping my rims!!!

I really love this forum and working on my 4runner!!!

Thanks,
Keith

i'm in the same boat as you keith, except mine is an 03 sr5 v8 sport with the poly-looking bumpers and panels and she's my first car. the owner before me "missed" her garage and a brick wall was nice enough to let her know and the front driver side bumper looks like wolverine got a hold of it, any suggestions as to how you or anyone else may have handled that would be nice, thanks