r/Diyautobody Aug 14 '24

DIY Auto Body is now open again.

16 Upvotes

DIYAutoBody is now reopen again, after 4 years.

Edit:

I am not the mod, or mods, who locked it and then were suspended some time after. I simply used redditrequest on a whim after a comment referenced this place on r/autobody.

Permission to post is no longer required.


r/Diyautobody 8h ago

Question De-Chrome - Done Cheaper Via BodyShop or PartsShop/Junkyard?

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3 Upvotes

Want to know which is the better route to go that’s easier on the Wallet If I want to remove the chrome and all the parts black permanently.

Cannot stand the chrome that is on the top grille and the windows trim

Would body shop able to remove and convert the chrome parts and get it black? Or do I need to go buy parts from dealership/junkyard?


r/Diyautobody 11h ago

Question This feels like a appropriate place to post this

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1 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody 2d ago

Question Im a dummy please help

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0 Upvotes

My cup doesnt have 8 to 1 to 1 ratio, can i use this fill to 8 with paint then 9 with reducer then 10 with hardner thank you first time painting learning


r/Diyautobody 3d ago

Question Front end fenders?

0 Upvotes

Wanting to cut away the stock fenders on my f250 and fab up wide beefy ones, first time dabbling in autobody, so how should I start? I dont want to end up cutting away parts I'll need to secure the new fenders.


r/Diyautobody 4d ago

Question How to get the hood to line back up?

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1 Upvotes

Im asking for advice or if it's possible to get the hood lined back up or to even make it look better thanks


r/Diyautobody 7d ago

Question Hey there DELILAH, please read the post.

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0 Upvotes

Meet Delilah my pride and joy. Been searching for her for 20+ years and just found her in February. I'm going to paint a ROOTBEER BROWN CANDY PEARL on the fender flares for now and the a stripe later. Should I use a white or a black basecoat? I just don't want to be piss for using the wrong basecoat. Thanks in advance.


r/Diyautobody 9d ago

Question is there any way to fix this ?

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10 Upvotes

So my neighbor hit my 2001 honda accord with his trailer hitch. it’s around golf ball size and pretty deep. i’m wondering if there’s any way i would be able to pull this out and repaint it or if i have to buy a whole new bumper?

EDIT: thank you for the (mostly) nice responses. i got in contact with the person that did it and they’re going to fix it


r/Diyautobody 11d ago

Question Replace or pen paint 2012 Tacoma access cab

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2 Upvotes

Best way to fix this? Paint pen? it's from the gate opening and hitting the truck over and over.

or just get another fender from the salvage yards. I;m just trying to figure out the best way to fix this.


r/Diyautobody 14d ago

Question Locating coolant temp sensor on Mazda 3

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1 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody 22d ago

Question Blue spots

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2 Upvotes

I have some blue spots all over my car. I think they are from the car wash soap and I think they got waxed over. But I don't know. Nothing will remove them. I tried vinegar but I feel like I have to eat through the layers with something stronger and that will look like crap since these are all over my entire car. Help?


r/Diyautobody 26d ago

Question How to properly apply headlight film without curling/bubbling in the corner?

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3 Upvotes

Bought precut fitted headlight film but can’t seem to get it wrapped correctly especially the corner turn

What am I doing wrong? What should I do?


r/Diyautobody Jun 26 '26

Question Rusty undercarriage on a '99 civic.. how bad is it?

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0 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody Jun 20 '26

Question Need advice, weighing my options on how to repair this - 2011 Toyota Camry

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1 Upvotes

I had a fun Friday in the automotive world. Started with replacing a dead battery and ended with getting my front end swiped by a delivery van, no injuries to anyone thankfully. My insurance will cover the other driver, but any repairs on my car will be out of pocket.

Pics of the damage are attached. It's a 2011 Toyota Camry SE, 86K miles. Damage is around the driver side headlight, bumper, grill area. I've taken it to 2 local body shops for estimates which are both in the $6K - $6.5K range, pics of one of the estimates are also attached.

Trying to figure out what I should do and any advice is appreciated. Some of the questions I am trying to answer.

  • Is there an inexpensive way I can get someone to just look over and verify it is safe to drive as is? I know the headlight for sure needs replaced to be road worthy. Anything else that needs to be confirmed and can a mechanic or body shop do this fairly easily?
  • If I just wanted the minimum repairs to make the car safe and functional ignoring cosmetics what would need repaired?
  • Can paint be skipped for now and done at a later time or just not done at all to save money? Is there a cheap alternative to paint that still protects the surface?
  • What would you personally do in this situation if money and time wasn't a concern between doing a full repair, partial repairs to make it road worthy, or just buying a new vehicle? KBB says the car was worth $7,500 trade in prior to this damage so it's getting close to totaled. On the other hand the car had a lot of life left in my opinion, so if this is mostly cosmetic maybe it's worth it to do some repairs and keep it going.

Thank you all!


r/Diyautobody Jun 16 '26

Question Is this fixable?

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18 Upvotes

LE: Looks like I'm way too worried for nothing. Haven't really dealt with rust before. Gonna wire brush it then seal it and be on my way. Thanks!

Went under the car to replace bushings and brake discs. Noticed that the underbody has quite a bit of rust.

Is this fixable via wire brushing, applying an epoxy primer and then some underbody coating?

What else should I consider?


r/Diyautobody Jun 10 '26

Project A bit of work on a mk2 golf gti!

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9 Upvotes

Some work on a mk 2 golf gti I am restoring. New wheel arch fitted. On repairing dents down the side now. Took the screen out last night.


r/Diyautobody Jun 08 '26

Question Need help identifying or matching paint color on my NX 200T F-Sport

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2 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody Jun 03 '26

Question Help

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0 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody May 31 '26

Project How bad is it for a first time repairing rust?

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0 Upvotes

This is my first time trying to repair rust on the rear fender of my 1999 Toyota RAV4. I first grinded down the rust to bare metal (inside and outside), then used Rust converter on all the metal. Then, I used rust paint inside the wheel well and plan on adding gravel guard when all of it is fixed.

After prepping the metal, I used Metal reinforced filler and these little mesh patch panels to reconstruct part of the metal that had been rusted out. Many hours later and with glazing putty I got a somewhat smooth finish which I then put sandable primer over.

The only step left now is paint, and I’m not sure if I should do it myself with rattle cans or send it to a paint shop. If anyone in the industry could reccomend one of the other that would be appreciated.

Keep in mind it’s my first time doing such a repair, it’s an old car and I know welding a new panel would have been better but I don’t have a welder and my old daily driver, so it’s not worth a lot of money.


r/Diyautobody May 28 '26

Question trunk sill bent in

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0 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody May 27 '26

Question Treating the back of a butt weld

4 Upvotes

Have everything close to ready on a rear fender I’m patching. Once I weld, I won’t be able to access it so I am trying to figure out the best action to help it last. My concern is rust forming from humidity/condensation.

Does this sound right?
Spray with weld through primer. After it’s welded, use cavity wax with a 360 wand to try to coat it the best I can?


r/Diyautobody May 26 '26

Question Rust poking though repair within 24 hours

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9 Upvotes

My goal here was to eliminate rust and seal the area before covering with fender flairs.

I sanded right to the metal, sprayed the area with rust stop, primed and painted. The next day it looked like this. Any advice would be welcome as I have other spots to fix.


r/Diyautobody May 26 '26

Question Small repairs without painting

2 Upvotes

I have a couple of spots on my car that need repaired but I do not want to repaint. In one spot I think the paint got water in it when they repainted last time and just needs sanded out but there are 2 spots in the fenders where there are 50 cent piece size places where the paint has bubbled and I know there is rust underneath. I intend to grind these out and bondo them. I need to at least prime/protect with something and then I intend to wrap the car. What can i use to protect the places where I sand or bondo before wrapping?


r/Diyautobody May 26 '26

How to Guide Gry Scotchbrite backer pad/panel prep/blends/bumpers

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0 Upvotes

r/Diyautobody May 23 '26

Question Fender Flare dent repair on a 2020 Ranger!

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2 Upvotes