body repair, not sure what to do.....help Options

[slim75]

so I have a 1in by 1in scratch on my driverside rear fender right on the lip were it creases at and I want to fix it but not sure if I can do it myself or if I should take it to a bodyshop or just cover it up with fender flares but it is pretty bad it is all the way down to the metal no paint left any suggestions would be appreciated

[celicaboy04]

If there is a dent, you will need to pop it out first. Otherwise, to repair the scratch you will want to sand the area down to the bare metal (from the sound of the damage) and then bondo it. Read the instructions for bondo. It works best within 1/8" deep, any deeper than that and the bondo could sag, crack, etc. After you bondo once, you may do so again if needed. you would then sand the bondo and put glazing putty on it afterwards to fill the pinholes.

By the time youve completed, the bondo should fill the damaged area and should be sanded ) using a feathering technique (meaning when you sand the edges of the repaired area/bondo you sand it so that it evens itself out wiht the rest of the body area around it gradually.

Run your hand across the completed job, and look at it closely with a light to make sure its even with the rest of the body.

To sand the area before bondo, use between 80-150 grit, bondo, then sand with 220. Glaze putty and sand with 400-600 grit.

Hope this helps any.

This post has been edited by celicaboy04: Mar 12, 2005 - 7:18 PM