Yesterday some idiot pushed in my left rear fender

[blues90]

I was at Rite aid just to get a few things and saw a grey SUV next to me . When I came out the SUV was gone and just as I walked to open the drivers door I noticed they must have tried to back out of the angle parking spaces turning left instead of right.

I was in a state of shock. They missed the drivers door yet right were the left rear fender meets to door and just before the rear wheel opening and from just below the side molding to about 4 inches above the rocker panel the fender is curved /pushed in about 1 1/2" . The ridge just above the side molding has a kink in it holding the rather large dent in .

I know there is no way to access the fender from the inside and not even sure it can be repaired . It does not look deep enough that the inner sheet metal of the actual body is damaged ,
I found a used fender at ISP west . Problem is this is my only car so I need to do this in steps since if I remove the fender I can't drive it without the tail lamp which is housed in the fender. Best I can do I remove the rear seat and side panels get the fender , fix the small dents they said it had then just spray paint it black either before or after I install it . Then as time permits put the inside panels back in. ISP is about a 60 mile round trip they said it's better to pick it up rather than spend $150 to ship it. I've done my own body work but this was 30 years ago and looking at this fender I fear it has to be stretched and will end up oil canning if I even try to repair it and I prefer not to use bondo . The molding actually seems to be ok oddly enough. Besides that I don't have the body hammers and dollies I used to own. I can't afford to have the work done so I have to do it myself . Last time about three years ago some clown ran a red light and destroyed my front bumper and shifted the front on the body to the left about 3/4" and I knew the body shop owner for 30 years and they did a terrible job . The driver that ran the red light had his ins pay for the repairs and included a rent a car this time my ins since I have no collision Geico told me it would be more than the car is worth will not pay even for the fender and I have un-insured motorists but only in Calif they don't consider that a hit and run . Just the fender will cost me what little I have now days.

What would you do if this were you?

I am really bugged about this . I got this car in 85 and had it all apart and did all the painting myself and only had a few tiny dents to repair . I spent a year re building it now this. This car was perfect 3 years ago just 30 years or the usual small door dings or paint chips and the side molding dings because people just don't care.

[squaretobehip]

Slow down, take a deep breath.

How about you post up a picture or three? Maybe one of those pointless dent removal guys can have a crack at it. I've seen them do some pretty amazing things; just make sure you pick the right guy.

Anywho, how about a picture so we can see just how bad it is?
_________________
1963 Notchback - Ruby Red
1963 Squareback - Pearl White
1965 Squareback - Baltic Blue

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[Bobnotch]

[Nate M.]

I would also add that you may see if you can get a look at the stores parking lot camera tapes. You may be able to get the guy/gal who did it. It's worth asking about anyway.

That really sucks. I hope you can get it all resolved quickly.
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Regards,

Nate M.

Squarsche build
Heavy Metal Affliction feature

For heaven's sake, put a type4 and a Porsche 5-speed in there. . . It's the right thing to do!!

[KTPhil]

[blues90]

I called the store and I know the manager , he said they don't have outside cameras . My INS company suggested that . The manager said he wished they had out door cameras .

I have a few photo's on this smart phone I will post them if I can remember how to down load them to this computer. I did it once.

I posted 4 photo's click on my gallery . The 1st one shows how deep it is and the other show the extent of the damage . They are not the best photo's but clear enough to give you an idea . The area above the molding you can see the fender ridge is kinked which is probably what is holding to fender in it even involved the area where the fender rounds in to where the top of the fender bolts to the body .

[Clatter]

Remember when the USA was a first-world country?

Ah, the good old days...
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[squaretobehip]

Talk to a paintless dent removal guy. That's not that bad. Might not be the best or perfect, but at least it look halfway decent until you're ready to go all the way.
_________________
1963 Notchback - Ruby Red
1963 Squareback - Pearl White
1965 Squareback - Baltic Blue

Follow ISP West on:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/ispwest
Instagram - @ispwest - www.instagram.com/ispwest

[vwfye]

That'll will buff out!

I'm sorry you had to deal with rude people. I got cussed out yesterday because I parked too close to another car. Funny thing is, I was parked straight in my space and the angry person was parked at an angle.
_________________
64 No'back Speedster "Pearl"
1980s Sand Dragster "The Plunger"
LME "Little Giant Killer 3"

[blues90]

I imagine a paint less dent puller guy would charge more than a good used fender . I don't have the funds being old and on a fixed income to pay anyone to do the work and then still to get it back to looking right buy a used fender.

I have a set of those T handle pull hooks that you drill a hole and pull the main dent out while I use a body hammer to work out the ridge if I want to try to get it better than it is now . At least the door was not damaged or the pillar behind the door that all works fine.

I watched the paint less dent puller videos and for a dent in the ridge like I have they need to get inside to push that out those glue on cups would never pull that out . That is the area that's holding the fender in . The only way to get in there is to remove the fender and all there is behind the fender the body structure itself which is not strong enough to pry against.

I am not to thrilled having to drive to ISP West but no one near me has a fender , the traffic now days is horrid , all day and night is rush hour. I just don't see a better way and I certainly don't want to live with a dent like that .

It's really on me to fix it and since it's my only car it's going to be hard enough. At least once I have the fender I can then remove the interior panels and rear seat and still be able to get to the store if I need anything I can't carry since I can walk to most stores I need to for small stuff . I figure I could remove the bent fender and install the used one in a day and then paint it when I get around to it. The beading seems to feel soft enough so it won't come apart . I had the fenders off and painted them after just installing a few screws so they would hang then after the paint dried I then installed the new beading which is now 30 years old .

Parts were much more available 30 years ago .

[Erik G]

look on the bright side - you have a squareback, you can transport the fender yourself...

people suck, and it makes it hard to have nice things. Sorry man, I think you have a good grasp on the way to take care of it
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Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[type3nut64]

just my 2 cents but if you are going to go through the trouble of taking th efender off to replace with a "good used one" why not take off the fender you have and have paintelss dent removal guy fix it at least the paint will match with some minor (hopefully) imperfections.

[blues90]

[squaretobehip]

[KTPhil]

[NorCalTodd2011]

You will never get it back to normal without taking it to a shop.
However you can make it better.
Different ideas
1. You can try a pulling suction cup. Harbor Freight they have them in the section with body tools. This will get some if it.
2. Pull door panels on that side and remove the fender. There are only a few 10mm bolts. Some behind the panels and some by the bumper. Also remove the bumper. Pull the fender. You can lay the fender on a stack of blankets and using a rubber mallet or hammer slowly tap out the dents. Working from the ridge outward. Won't be perfect but will be better.
3. Take it to a local shop. I know a few around so cal and of you want PM me and I will help find the right place.

[Sqrbckguy38]

What year is the car? If it's a70 and up I have a few extra fenders.
Sorry that people are so shifty, it really is a horrible thing when people won't own up to their mistakes.
_________________
It's not the fall that hurts, it's the sudden stop at the bottom.
69 Square needs love, even after 15 years
70 Fasty former dd, now my daughter's
67 Beetle, Opal

[Clatter]

Man,
Wish you were nearby.
A few bolts to get the fender off and into your lap,
Then just an afternoon session tapping and pushing.
A spritz of touch-up paint or some buffing, and back together it goes...

You can get paint matched and put into spray cans at your local auto paint store.

It might not be show perfect, but...

Don't be surprised when 'good used' fenders need work, too.

Just like the old days when someone would wait around to apologize and help make right, rather than just leave a note,

Good used fenders are now a lot less 'good' and a lot more 'used'..
_________________
Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[blues90]

Thanks for the offer sqrbckguy38 for the offer any photo's ?

Clatter . I don't expect a used fender to be perfect . I spoke to a fellow at ISP West and he told be he has a dark blue fender no rust some small dings he said he would hold it for me . They do body work and restoration and as long as the fender is not really screwed up then it has to be better than mine.

The way mine looks and from my experience I fear the area where the bash is may be stretched so that even if I remove it and try to hammer it out it may end up oil canning and not hold it's shape . As you know the fenders have compound curves so there is the vertical curve from the rear of the car all the way from the rear fender back end that follows all the way the length of the car to the front fender then you have the horizontal curve . That's what makes shaping it so difficult.

It's not a show car and anything would be better than the way it is now.

I can deal with removing the fender , I did it once before .

I thought I would try using these T handle pullers I have . You drill a hole and insert two of the three sets of pullers I have say in the ridge area at it's deepest point and pull . If that pulls the main tension out a suction cup may pop the rest of the panel out .

As long as the used fender goes if there are no bad dings in the rear fender lip which is the most difficult part to shape I can deal with minor dings . I asked at ISP WEST about the grill air intake and he said it was fine .

When I got this car I was the second owner and the rear fenders were perfect , the only issue was the owner before me had this stick on wood panel stuff and the right side it came off using a heat gun the left side it was cracked and brittle I had to sand it off and the drivers door had surface rust and a bit of surface rust on the front part of the left rear fender . The door had small pitting so I wire brushed the rust off and coated it with this brush on rust killer then primed it and sanded the primer to fill the pits . it's held up fine all these years . It's amazing the fenders were in such great shape all these years until now . The car had absolutely no rust any where else . At the time I got it the rear bumper and the panel below the tail gate were bashed in like he hit a post so across the street from where I worked was a U Haul and the owner had a 72 SB and he sold it to me for $100 and I stripped it of the drive train and glass and all sorts of parts as spares then the Body shop a block from the ford dealer I worked as a tech at the time got me a new rear panel . I removed the old one and they spot welded the new one in place . I know I still have some body hammers and dollies and a panel slapper I just need to dig through all the piled up junk in my garage to find them . They are in there somewhere . That's the thing digging to find or get a used fender . I know where two hammers are and the pullers and slapper are. I haven't seen the dollies in quite some time . I had about three of them.

[KTPhil]

Those slide hammer pullers are best for when you can't get to the backside of the panel. The beauty of these cars is that you can unbolt them. Don't make it harder than it needs to be!