I am wondering if this can be bumped out or do I have to get a whole new fender? The dent is no bigger then the size of a finger and its not deep. And the bumper can be buffed out I think. Detail people....what do u think?

 

good job eric u damn loser

 

Tim, get off my thread. lol.

 

Well from what I can see in your picture...which isn't much. Yes the bumper does appear that it can be buffed out, as long as no paint has been removed or deply scratched that is. As for the fender, it most likely can be straightened out if done carefully. But the paint may crack or peel even when doing this. What did you hit, or what hit you??? This may help understanding the damage a bit better. It looks like the marks are from a tire hitting it??

 

You should be able to with a good polish , I ahve done it before but not to that extent.

 

Someone hit me in a parking lot when I wasn't around and they drove off.

 

You have to hate jacka$$es who do that to ya!! So does it appear to be caused by just a tire, or is that black paint??

 

I think it was both maybe. Not sure. But it was enough to dent the fender where it meets the bumper by the width of my finger.

 

some mild rubbing compound sould do the trick, unless the paint has actualy been chipped, then you'll have to repaint (or touch it up for now).

bummer man, that sucks

 

Well a tire alone can cause a lot of damage all on it's own. Well, like both myself and Error404 mentioned, as long as there are not any deep sctaches or chipping or peeling. You should be able to buff it out, or at least most of it. As for the dent... I would probably try to buff the marks off some first before trying to straighten out the fender. If the fender has any big scratches or chipped paint it will require paint and some minor body work anyway.

 

wow the same thing happened to my 91 in the school parking garage last year except on the drivers side and it didn't dent the metal but i was able to buff out most of the nose with a buffer and some polish

 

Body related goes to the Body forum

 

Sorry, didn't know there was a body forum. Thanks

As for the buffing, I will try that out on the bumper. But paint has chipped on the fender where the dent is at.

 

If the paint was chipped down to the metal, put some kind of paint on it fast! The dent can probably be hammered out; since the fender's trashed already, give it a try. You might be able to reach the area from the back just by removing the inner plastic fender. Note the plastic rivets that hold the plastic inner fender to the metal outer fender- pull the center up with pliers, it'll pull up about 1/4 inch, then you can pull the rivet out with your fingers (or pry it up with a screwdriver if it's being difficult).

Practice first on a spare piece of sheet metal. You can buy sheet metal at Home Depot in their hardware aisle, a small sheet is $5. Buy a body hammer and a "heel dolly"- a flat dolly shaped like the heel of a shoe. Kick the sheet metal a few times, then practice with the hammer & dolly on it.

The big difference is, the sheetmetal won't support itself while you ding. Your fender has a shape to it, and it won't flop around while you're using the hammer/dolly on it. Try to leave the fender on the car while you work on it; it'll add extra support. You don't want to try to work a hammer & dolly while you also try to keep the fender from moving on the garage floor.

If it works out "close" but not perfect, a skim coat of Bondo is perfectly okay. Keep the thickness to an absolute minimum- max should be 1/8th inch... and that's almost too thick. The bad Bondo jobs are people just slapping 1/4 inch of filler into a huge dent. Metal should be sanded with 40 grit to give the bondo good "tooth" or "bite". And bondo, and most spray-can primers, are not waterproof! So don't leave bare bondo, or bare primer, on the car. Topcoat it with something.

 

Thanks A LOT tom. I appreciate the help. Do you think some touch up paint on the bare metal is fine for atleast a couple weeks?

 

No problem! Touch up would be cool; but it might not stick to bare metal. You might need some primer first. Your local parts store might have a book on bodywork, too... it's worth the $15.

 

You mentioned that the dent isn't major. Contact a reputable dent removal company and see what they'll charge. Ask the tech if he's willing to do it after work hours to save you some $$ and make some $$ for him.

 

Yeah, I talked to my uncle who repairs wrecked cars and he pointed me in the direction of a good guy who would take the dent out and said for any of the other imperfections to put a VERY think lair of bondo on it. He said the black marks could be buffed out and if they are any deep scratches to do the same thing that I did with the dent. He said this guy would probably only charge me 200 bucks, compared to the 1278 bucks from the other shop. I will put before and after pics when its repaired.