Just realized I've done exactly 1,000 bumper repairs in my 8 years at the shop. That's a lot of plastic clips.

3 comments

3 Comments

That's 125 bumpers a year, which means you've seen the whole evolution of car plastic. The clips on a 2015 model are way different than the ones they use now. I bet you've had to learn three or four new fastener systems just to keep up. Manufacturers keep making them cheaper and more likely to snap. Your 1000th repair was probably harder than your first.

wade5583mo ago

You're right about the fastener systems changing. I started keeping a master clip kit with all the common types, and it saves me a ton of time on each job. It's the only way to keep up without going crazy.

the_mason2mo ago

You ever snap a clip on a fender and just stand there staring at it for a solid ten seconds, hoping it'll fix itself by magic? My record is breaking three clips on a single Corolla bumper before I gave up and just used zip ties. Kept thinking I had the right tool, turned out I was pushing the wrong tab the whole time.