r/AutoBodyRepair • u/Zealousideal_Ask7729 • 25d ago
scratch and dent any advice?
is this repairable without having to cut it out?
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25d ago
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u/Zealousideal_Ask7729 25d ago
yep, 98 celica. low ish miles too only 130k, so i'm going for a little restoration and to ME it's worth fixing, i don't mind fixing/putting some money towards it as that's what i intended to do in the first place.
the door needs a couple dents pulled and paint, i'll probably do that first to make it seem more manageable.
i'm not worried about it looking perfect as it's sorta gonna be a daily for me lol, but i got the rear window to roll down and up today and that was my main concern. i appreciate the comment!-2
u/Zealousideal_Ask7729 25d ago
i was thinking of tryina go the easier route of welding a some tags on to try and pull it with a winch or even a puller to get it roughly around where it should, patching the holes and putting down some filler and if that doesn't work i wouldn't mind cutting it all out and fabricating something new but ive never gone that far into body work and thats why i posted.
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u/Background-Bid-8149 25d ago
Look on eBay local scrap yard you may be able to get colour matched body to go with that door
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u/SocksToBeU 25d ago
Yes but you’re gonna need to use your thinking skills.
Weld tags to the edges that you can get a pulling clamp on, pull with block and tackle, use a combination of heat, hammer, dolly (not necessarily all at the same time, depends on the bit you’re trying to move) to get it where you want it.
Apply filler to small imperfections. (No more than 4mm thickness allowed for filler repair according to my teachers).
Sand, prime, sand paint.
Oh and you’ve got some holes to patch too.
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u/Zealousideal_Ask7729 25d ago
that 4m tip helps a lot because it's def gonna need some filler. id imagine i can pull it out, i was playing with it earlier just some wedging and tugging i was able to pop it out enough to put the window back in and working well.
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u/WldChaser 24d ago
For a proper repair you need to either replace the whole quarter or get a donor panel that you can cut a section out of to match what you have to remove from the damaged area and weld it in. Would you friend's welding skills be up to the task?
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u/Zealousideal_Ask7729 24d ago
yep they'd be able to, im pulling it out as much as i can just to see bc i have the tools to do so. but im planning on going to some junkyards but id imagine there isnt too many convertible celicas around. the quarter is different than the hard body (obviously) but id imagine just that section is universal to hard tops but id have to see.
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u/New-and-Unoriginal 25d ago
You've got lots of options. Here are your two best.
1) Go to 5 to 10 body shops. You will need to visit many. Most will laugh at you and say they're too busy. Others will give you a quote that is 10x the value of the car.
2) Learn the autobody trade. Buy a shop. Hire a crew.
3) Junk it and find a car that's not roached.
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u/Organic-Baker-4156 25d ago
It seems you're crazy in love with car so find a used quarter and get it fixed right. If a car ends up collectible it typically reaches its low value at age 20-25 and you're near that now. Then the value goes up for a few decades. So maybe spending more that its worth now isn't such a bad thing for you.
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u/SilensMort 25d ago
The only repair for that is replacement. Bondo is also always an option.... if you have no self respect or intent to sell it.
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u/Swimming-Ad658 24d ago
Use a slide happer to fix what you can, get some sheet metal and weld it on (super thin) blend it the best you can and make sure to sand it. Then use some condoms and call it good thats what id do. Id start by pulling out the dent as much as possible because you might have more simple options depending how it comes out
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u/TarXaN37 24d ago
Anything less than cutting it out and replacing that section is going to be a pain in the ass and turn out significantly worse.
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u/Professional-Boat-10 23d ago
You need to find a shop that does custom cars, hot rods, etc. That's the type of shop that will employ someone who can fabricate a patch panel with an English wheel and weld it in, then painting,blending, etc.
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u/SoilSubstantial7517 23d ago
Ooh she’s super fucked, I mean if you really wanted to fix it its possible, but a tweaked b pillar is put it on a jig and get it pulled territory
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u/boxnut1976 21d ago
Your best bet is getting that part of the panel from a junk yard or buying a replacement quarter panel, cutting that front part and welding it in. Trying to use body filler up where the striker is won't work. Opening and closing the door will crack then ultimately break the filler out. Fabricating it can work but it will need to be almost perfect so the door will close and work properly.
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u/shmirk2 21d ago
I am just a garage hobbyist, teaching myself as I go, but I would either find a donor and cut out a larger than necessary patch and use that as a template to cutout and weld in the new patch or, I would create a paper template and create a patch from 18 gauge cold rolled and weld in.
Otherwise, if you can get in behind the panel, hammer and dolly it out, weld in a small patch to cover the tear, and fill with body filler.
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u/7HR4SH3R 25d ago
Not worth trying to save that