Any Experience with DIY Body Work?

[robcarync]

I know some people love the dents and deep nasty scratches of a true off road machine...but I really need to give my body some TLC (Xterra body...pervs...)

I have a nice dent in the front right fender...which should be easy enough to remove the fender and tap out with a rubber mallet. Worst case scenario I can junk yard one...it is cheap and easy enough to just bolt on.

The bigger dent is in the side of the back left door. It is RIGHT over the crease of the body line. I have suctioned it out some, but of course the crease of the body line won't help me here. I have removed the door panel to try and pop it out from the inside, but it is covered by the window regulator and inner door bracings etc.

Not to mention all of my paint is scratched like crazy...I can deal with the scratched and scuffed paint...I have seen some great DIY videos on youtube and googling about DIY paint jobs too. I am halfway thinking about giving it a try...or Monstaline the whole thing...naturally...prep work is key.

Obviously, as an offroad truck, I am not looking for show room quality results...but just curious if anyone else has learned some tricks of repairing the off road damage?

 

[Cameron23]

I've heard with some small dents in ideal locations dry ice will bring the metal back to original shape. Idk if it's bull spit or not.




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[xterror04]

The body line dent is probably there to stay, the dry ice method doesn't really work...

Just do the best you can to get behind the dent and massage them out... A couple of whacks with a mallet or something will push the dent out to far then crack the paint and most likely make it look worse...

Use something with a rounded edge and press out word and go back and forth slowly pushing the metal out...

Make sense?

 

[TheFauxFox]

... my body some TLC (Xterra body...pervs...)

You know us too well... Or maybe not well enough?

Anyway, have you looked into that Duplicolor-Color Match stuff? I tried it out on my jeep and I was a little dissatisfied with it. I don't know if it was because of the conditions I did it in or what, but not only was the color a few shades off, it was tacky and actually peeled off. Don't ask me about my prep work, because I sanded that s*** down to the steel, acetone, repeat and then went through the paint process.

Others, however, have had positive experience. If you do go the Duplicolor route, do the entire panel/door/whathaveyou.

 

[robcarync]

Thanks Xterror...that makes sense. The front fender I tried before with a 3 pound sledge hammer...OOPS...it was all I had at the time I was able to make it look more or less OK after some work, but I think I can still make it look better with the massaging method.

I was afraid of the body line dent being beyond repair. I don't need it completely new (I wouldn't buy a new door to fix it...) ... but I will see if I can engineer a way to push it out.

I got some spray paint from auto zone that was supposed to match. It did not. It was also "metallic" and no matter what I tried, it looked much different than the rest of the paint. I didn't do the entire panel though. I sanded the fender down though, but it just didn't work for me.

I almost want to just sand the entire body down and do all the prep work, and drop it off at Macco or something for a cheap paint job...that or Monstaline the entire thing Predator Green

Thanks for the tips...any more are always appreciated...and bonus points for before and after pics of some body work that you did

 

[Cameron23]

I have never heard anything good about cheap macco jobs. My friend got the front bumper for his 300zx don't by them he did excellent prep work by priming himself and sanding the color was good but he got a rock chip in it and the paint started to flame bigger and bigger around the chip


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[TheFauxFox]

I can show my experience with Duplicolor:

Prep work:


I didn't have a picture of the after, but this is my driver door. I didn't care to do the whole door, but you can see how it didn't match:

 

[Muadeeb]

For paint, check out http://www.automotivetouchup.com/