New Fender and Paint

[inkybandit]

I got in a wreck that crunched my fender, so i went to the junkyard and got a new one. Its the wrong color (not surprising) and i was wondering: put it on and have the whole car repainted (the paint is in pretty good condition, a few chips and holes), or just paint the fender and then put it on? If just paint the fender, then what tips do you have?

 

[99SportX]

Well, you can just paint the fender off the car and install it, but the paint match won't be exact becasue your factory paint is pretty old. Pro body shops will blend the color a little onto adjacent panels to eliminate the color difference.

What are you planning on painting the fender with? A rattle can, or a professional spray gun?

 

[inkybandit]

Probably rattle can, but im not sure how well this will resist chipping and stay on

 

[99SportX]

Well, auto paint stores can mix paint to match your car and put it in a rattle can. It is better quality and the color is custom mixed to match your factory paint pretty darn well. It will hold up better than the standard paint at auo parts stores. They should also be able to get you some clear coat to protect it and make it shine.

It is also possible to blend the paint and clear coat onto your door and hood if you feel necessary. It is harder to do without a spray gun though.

I personally would just rattle can it off the vehicle and install it. It will be shinier than the rest of the car, but you can always try to restore your factory paint with some detailing products.

Here is my X after I painted my fender flares, hood scoop and bumpers. I used a paint gun, but I am just showing you this to say that good results can be acheived by a do it yourselfer. I had never painted before I did this.

 

[Premier]

Oooh.. thats nice.

Inky, how much did you pay for the fender?

 

[inkybandit]

About $56 for the fender and a headlight at the junkyard (put the headlight on last week).