Body Repair, Hit N Run.... :/ Options

[Remy]

Well a couple of weeks ago I was involved in a hit-n-run at the mall, waited 3 weeks now to see if they caught the person that ran into my car so far no luck....took it to ABRA the other day they wanted 1500+ to get it repaired I was like....I'll pass. What do you guys think I never done auto body before but would rather learn and use the rest of the money to upgrade my suspension. You guys think it would be easy to get this patched up ?? I don't even know where to start. I just need a list of the supplies I need to get this fixed up any help or tip is appreciated thanks.

As you can see the wheel arch is pushed in too....

The dent was bigger but I managed to pop the big dent in the middle out.



I know I gotta wash those damn salt off my car.

[bccentaur3]

That is worst than how you explained it. Don't just patch it up dood. I'm sure you can drill a hole in it and pull it out.

[Remy]

That is worst than how you explained it. Don't just patch it up dood. I'm sure you can drill a hole in it and pull it out.

I heard drilling a hole will weaken the metal, only good for older cars. Yeah the damage is pretty bad....rusting up by the min too....I'm gonna see if I can pop it out more in the back with a 4x4 and hammer lol oh and that dent popper doesn't work 20 dollars wasted.

[bccentaur3]

dude it worked for me. Depends on how big the dent and how long that dent has been there for. Well if it weakens the metal just weld where you drilled the hole. Then just use some type of body filler to even out the surfaces. No bondo.

[Remy]

The circled area is pretty much creased or pushed in so I don't think a drill would work only a little dent on the top remains now.

[bccentaur3]

OKay, I can see the crease much better with the circle around it. Yeah, thats going to be hard to pull out. I swear once something is creased only a pro can get that thing looking flush again.

[Remy]

One of my friend said that filler and sanding would work on getting the body back to normal and get my wheel arch back to normal too so thats what I'm gonna go with, its like play dough right ?? lol Pros aren't born they're made Thanks for all the help Will.

[speedfeen]

honestly

if its more than 1/4 of an inch deep and ur gonna throw fill in it, it will blister and crack. If more than 1/4 use short stranded fibre glass, then fill then putty (for a smooth finish). If you have a unispotter, go around your crease and slowly pull it out, once pulled to approximate pre-accident shape then use your fibreglass, sand it with 40 or 80 grit, then put filler then sand with 120, then 220 then 320 then put putty on and sand with 320. Be carefull when you sand because if not carefull you will see everything once clear coat is applied to the car as clear coat magnifies.

feen

This post has been edited by speedfeen: Mar 4, 2008 - 12:10 PM

[axelrduvirage]

remy, that looks deep. you can't just fill and paint. it will probably look like hell and fall out. go half way...get it pulled out by a bodyshop then do the rest yourself. a little fiberglass, a little bondo a little elbow grease and voila!! ready for the paint. good luck!

[_mikeE]

You're going to have to take out the entire panel out dude.
And I've never done much body work/repair but IMO i would take some thick hard cardboard or even a couple pieces and stack'em then take a rubber mallet to press the dents back out to shape back with the rest, and then see if you can somehow heat it and take a little hammer to perfect it and for the little dents then you'll have to fill it, and paint and buffer.

[speedfeen]

You're going to have to take out the entire panel out dude.
And I've never done much body work/repair but IMO i would take some thick hard cardboard or even a couple pieces and stack'em then take a rubber mallet to press the dents back out to shape back with the rest, and then see if you can somehow heat it and take a little hammer to perfect it and for the little dents then you'll have to fill it, and paint and buffer.

NEVER put direct heat on a panel....

that warps it. there is such thing as shrinking a dent which includes heat but never take direct heat (like a torch) to a panel. Heating is an old school method.


and that looks like a quarter panel, you cant just take that out. You have to remove a peice and weld another peice in it.









**just a reminder, you CANNOT put fill on paint! it will pop right off! grind it first, then the grooves will hold the fill on the panel!**

This post has been edited by speedfeen: Mar 4, 2008 - 3:29 PM

[D-Man]

^Feen has a point.

heating it will alow it to bend easyer, but at a price. it's also possible for it to stretch out at the pressure points when doing that. If you had a mold then this wouldnt' be such a bad idea, but seeing as your not going to "take off" your quarter panel anytime soon~

Also, filler don't stick to paint, and fiberglass will not stay long with metal or paint.

[speedfeen]

...and fiberglass will not stay long with metal or paint.

What?!? lol

fibreglass is nearly the same effect is applied to paint...

but tis fine on metal, it just needs good grooves.

[D-Man]

...and fiberglass will not stay long with metal or paint.

What?!? lol

fibreglass is nearly the same effect is applied to paint...

but tis fine on metal, it just needs good grooves.

not long term; it's bond with plastic for years and years, but if on paint, it will only hold up to the strenth of the paint itself, pls adds weight and a "handle" action. It'll hold, yes, but not as well, not for a *long* time.

The "correct" thing to do is to sand it down to metal, prime, glass, sand, fill, prime, paint, clear, buff.

*EDIT* not that everyone does this, including body shops; but it is the "correct" way for "optimal" results.
You dont "HAVE" to do any of it; hell you can go hit it with the torch if ya wanna and burn the paint off and prime it, lol. What you do is up to you, but its what you do that determines how it will turn out, and hold up.

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 4, 2008 - 4:16 PM

[speedfeen]

...and fiberglass will not stay long with metal or paint.

What?!? lol

fibreglass is nearly the same effect is applied to paint...

but tis fine on metal, it just needs good grooves.

not long term; it's bond with plastic for years and years, but if on paint, it will only hold up to the strenth of the paint itself, pls adds weight and a "handle" action. It'll hold, yes, but not as well.

The "correct" thing to do is to sand it down to metal, prime, glass, sand, fill, prime, paint, clear, buff.

that what i said, you cant put it on paint (just like filler) but its okay on metal! it should be grinded though with 36-40 grit so there is enough scratches for the fibreglss to stick.



not that i am in any means **but a good, qualified, experianced painter doesnt always need to buff, only when particles get into the paint**

This post has been edited by speedfeen: Mar 4, 2008 - 4:18 PM

[D-Man]

i'd set it on fresh prime, or adhesive, not direct metal.

*EDIT* but we'd all do something different. Otherwise we wouldnt have *opinions!

So me and Feen are agreeing with each other! lol

This post has been edited by D-Man: Mar 4, 2008 - 4:20 PM

[99GT]

Forget about it. Work on suspensions and performance. Find a nice hatch later. That's just me haha. Good luck dude.

This post has been edited by 99GT: Mar 4, 2008 - 4:59 PM

[D-Man]

Forget about it. Work on suspensions and performance. Find a nice hatch later. That's just me haha. Good luck dude.

x2; who cares what it looks like (unless your trying to pick up girls) it matters how it runs!!

[Remy]

^^^ lol you two are funny you guys said the same thing my co-workers said. All of you have a good point and yes I've heard body filler can crack on you if done improperly. All the shops I went to said its either they do all the work or they do nothing at all, because they won't be able to guarantee the quality if they pop it out only. I was thinking about taking the whole pass side interior out where the dent is and go at it with a slide hammer maybe I can see if I can get most of the dents and crease out ?? I don't know what a unispotter is lol I don't know how to use fibreglass too and not sure where I can find it. Thanks for all the input.

Edit: Forgot to say surface rust is starting to form on the exposed metal mostly the top one so thats why I want to get this fix as soon as I can I don't want speed holes lol

This post has been edited by Remy: Mar 4, 2008 - 6:52 PM

[99GT]

Dude if you need a hand. I should be open on the weekends. Just hit me up on here.