Hatchback VS. Garage Door (Garage Door Wins) - Advice needed

kkirk2 · 06-21-2007, 09:59 PM

Yes, it's official, I'm an idiot. While in my garage I raised my hatch knowing it would hit the garage door above (when the garage door is open there is very little clearance above), but I forgot. A one week old beautiful black Prius scarred for life. The scratch is all the way down to the white plastic and approx 2 inches long and 1/4 high all the way across. Is touch-up paint a viable option? I would hate to take it to a body shop and have them repaint the entire spoiler, it will never be the same. Can I get a pre-painted spoiler from Toyota and have a shop install it? Any advice would be much appreciated.
[attachmentid=9104]

vinnysca · 06-21-2007, 10:11 PM

Hey,

I feel your pain. I did the very same thing the other day on my 8 month old prius. Once I heard the big CLUNK, I knew what had happened and immediately got out of the car to investigate the potential damage. Not realizing that the car was still in DRIVE!

Luckily, I managed to run back to the driver's side while the car was in MOTION, with my driver's door wide open...about to hit a light post...as I stepped on the parking break. Wheewwwww! I stopped the car with the driver's door an INCH from the light post!

Fortunately, the scratch on my spoiler was very superficial. I tried to buff it but it was still there. It's hardly noticeable though since my paint was Silver Pine Mica.

I thought of buying a type B spoiler from SigmaAutomotive. But, I've grown accustomed to the blemish and will save my money for something else in the future.

Yours is a more noticeable damage though. You can buy a Touring Spoiler from sigma automotive for a few hundred bucks. That's the only way I can think of to fix the blemish...just replace the whole spoiler. Applying touch up paint would make it worse in my opinion.

Vince.

barryjkaufman · 06-21-2007, 11:04 PM

I have the same garage door problem. And I can't help you with the scratch. But I got some heavy foam weather stripping that has the self adhesive 'sticky' side and applied that to the garage door which has saved the paint on the hatch back.

mgundel · 06-21-2007, 11:11 PM

I did the same thing to my wife's Sienna. Your scratch looks bigger/deeper than mine was. I went to the dealer and got a touch up paint pen and am pretty pleased with the results. Make sure you buy directly from the dealer. The OEM stuff at the auto parts stores was not an exact match to the Sienna's blue.

subarutoo · 06-22-2007, 03:30 PM

Same problem (no paint lost...yet). I decided to back in. Plenty of vertical room that way, and makes more room for door swings since the passenger door is nearer the wall.

SweetPri · 06-22-2007, 03:37 PM

Ouch. That is unfortunate, kkirk2.

Quote:

I feel your pain. I did the very same thing the other day on my 8 month old prius. Once I heard the big CLUNK, I knew what had happened and immediately got out of the car to investigate the potential damage. Not realizing that the car was still in DRIVE! Luckily, I managed to run back to the driver's side while the car was in MOTION, with my driver's door wide open...about to hit a light post...as I stepped on the parking break. Wheewwwww! I stopped the car with the driver's door an INCH from the light post!
[/b]

Not to make light of your situation ,Vinny, but any chance there is a video of this on YouTube?

gforeman · 06-22-2007, 03:48 PM

If you get a good paint shop, it will match. The good thing is, the entire spoiler can be painted, and you won't see a blend line. I hate it when they have to blend in a panel. I'd rather have it painted from body line to body line.

My son had his rear qtr panel painted on his new accord, and they did a real good match.

Maybe you need to take that bumper protector they sell and put it on the spoiler? You need to do something, because I'm sure this is going to happen again. How about a cable somehow on the hatch restricting it from opening but so far? Bumper pad on the garage door? Hockey puck on top of the spoiler?

I'd have to do something. Don't beat yourself to death, could happen to anyone. Luckily my garage ceiling is 12' high!

FloridaWen · 06-22-2007, 04:00 PM

Buy some of those "flexible foam pipes" the kids (and adults) use in the swimming pools, cut them to length of garage door section and secure them to the garage door, in a vertical position at the points of vehicle spoiler/garage door contact. You can secure them in position using tie-wraps that have the "eyelet hole ends" and use a small sheet metal screw in a place (rib, brace) that won't poke through garage door....
[attachmentid=9143]

blamy · 10-04-2007, 06:10 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vinny @ Jun 21 2007, 10:11 PM) [snapback]466155[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Hey,

I feel your pain. I did the very same thing the other day on my 8 month old prius. Once I heard the big CLUNK, I knew what had happened and immediately got out of the car to investigate the potential damage. Not realizing that the car was still in DRIVE!

Luckily, I managed to run back to the driver's side while the car was in MOTION, with my driver's door wide open...about to hit a light post...as I stepped on the parking break. Wheewwwww! I stopped the car with the driver's door an INCH from the light post!

Fortunately, the scratch on my spoiler was very superficial. I tried to buff it but it was still there. It's hardly noticeable though since my paint was Silver Pine Mica.

I thought of buying a type B spoiler from SigmaAutomotive. But, I've grown accustomed to the blemish and will save my money for something else in the future.

Yours is a more noticeable damage though. You can buy a Touring Spoiler from sigma automotive for a few hundred bucks. That's the only way I can think of to fix the blemish...just replace the whole spoiler. Applying touch up paint would make it worse in my opinion.

Vince.
[/b]

Do you have any idea what a touring spoiler from Toyota would cost and would it fit without any modifications on a standard Prius?

FloridaWen · 10-04-2007, 06:28 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BuddyL @ Oct 4 2007, 06:10 PM) [snapback]521387[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Do you have any idea what a touring spoiler from Toyota would cost and would it fit without any modifications on a standard Prius?
[/b]

Did you try eBay for the Touring Spoiler ?? I'm sure by now (after one year) someone must be parting out an '07 Prius Touring and might possibly have a rear spoiler..... put an add in the eBay WANTED and you might get a positive response. Lots of gearheads read and use eBay but don't list ALL the parts they have (or can get) !! Perhaps someone removed the "stock Prius Touring rear Spoiler" in favor of some super after-market one, ya' never know 'till ya' try............

06-21-2007, 09:59 PM	#1
kkirk2 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 7 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Yes, it's official, I'm an idiot. While in my garage I raised my hatch knowing it would hit the garage door above (when the garage door is open there is very little clearance above), but I forgot. A one week old beautiful black Prius scarred for life. The scratch is all the way down to the white plastic and approx 2 inches long and 1/4 high all the way across. Is touch-up paint a viable option? I would hate to take it to a body shop and have them repaint the entire spoiler, it will never be the same. Can I get a pre-painted spoiler from Toyota and have a shop install it? Any advice would be much appreciated. [attachmentid=9104] Attached Thumbnails

06-22-2007, 04:00 PM	#8
FloridaWen Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Plant City, Florida Posts: 557 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #5 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 1	Buy some of those "flexible foam pipes" the kids (and adults) use in the swimming pools, cut them to length of garage door section and secure them to the garage door, in a vertical position at the points of vehicle spoiler/garage door contact. You can secure them in position using tie-wraps that have the "eyelet hole ends" and use a small sheet metal screw in a place (rib, brace) that won't poke through garage door.... [attachmentid=9143] Attached Thumbnails

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06-21-2007, 10:11 PM	#2
vinnysca Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 196 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts Friends: 1	Hey, I feel your pain. I did the very same thing the other day on my 8 month old prius. Once I heard the big CLUNK, I knew what had happened and immediately got out of the car to investigate the potential damage. Not realizing that the car was still in DRIVE! Luckily, I managed to run back to the driver's side while the car was in MOTION, with my driver's door wide open...about to hit a light post...as I stepped on the parking break. Wheewwwww! I stopped the car with the driver's door an INCH from the light post! Fortunately, the scratch on my spoiler was very superficial. I tried to buff it but it was still there. It's hardly noticeable though since my paint was Silver Pine Mica. I thought of buying a type B spoiler from SigmaAutomotive. But, I've grown accustomed to the blemish and will save my money for something else in the future. Yours is a more noticeable damage though. You can buy a Touring Spoiler from sigma automotive for a few hundred bucks. That's the only way I can think of to fix the blemish...just replace the whole spoiler. Applying touch up paint would make it worse in my opinion. Vince.

06-21-2007, 11:04 PM	#3
barryjkaufman Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 25 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 1	I have the same garage door problem. And I can't help you with the scratch. But I got some heavy foam weather stripping that has the self adhesive 'sticky' side and applied that to the garage door which has saved the paint on the hatch back.

06-21-2007, 11:11 PM	#4
mgundel Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 54 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I did the same thing to my wife's Sienna. Your scratch looks bigger/deeper than mine was. I went to the dealer and got a touch up paint pen and am pretty pleased with the results. Make sure you buy directly from the dealer. The OEM stuff at the auto parts stores was not an exact match to the Sienna's blue.

06-22-2007, 03:30 PM	#5
subarutoo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chatsworth, CA Posts: 1,176 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts Friends: 0	Same problem (no paint lost...yet). I decided to back in. Plenty of vertical room that way, and makes more room for door swings since the passenger door is nearer the wall.

06-22-2007, 03:48 PM	#7
gforeman Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 83 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	If you get a good paint shop, it will match. The good thing is, the entire spoiler can be painted, and you won't see a blend line. I hate it when they have to blend in a panel. I'd rather have it painted from body line to body line. My son had his rear qtr panel painted on his new accord, and they did a real good match. Maybe you need to take that bumper protector they sell and put it on the spoiler? You need to do something, because I'm sure this is going to happen again. How about a cable somehow on the hatch restricting it from opening but so far? Bumper pad on the garage door? Hockey puck on top of the spoiler? I'd have to do something. Don't beat yourself to death, could happen to anyone. Luckily my garage ceiling is 12' high!