Passenger Side Bed Panel Damage- any ideas?

About a year ago I was it an accident due to ice on the roads. The wreck was not my fault there for I collected money. On the bright side of things, this game me the cash I needed to replace the shocks, add a leaf, and purchase new wheels and tires, however I yet to fix the bed. I initially took the panel off and banged out the large dent and bolted it back on and I was fine with that. However as of late Ive grown tired of the way it looks and am ready to fix the issue. Affordability is key in deciding on how to fix the problem. I can order a new primed bed panel through the dealership and put it on for $500. Would it be possible to fix for cheaper, hypothetically I would like to have the entire truck painted so it will match. Any idea on how to keep this under $1000. thanks

 

No way you'll get a replacement bedside and full paint job for $1k unless you're doing everything yourself paint-wise. I'd leave it as is until the cash is available (since you had the cash and spent it on other things) and then do it. Rolling with a primer'd bedside will probably be less enjoyable than a dented one.

 

@wgb89: what color is your truck? If it's a simple color like white or dark blue, you can probably get the bedside painted and the door blended for $500. A more complicated color like black sand pearl (black with tiny brown specks in it) would probably cost more and be harder to match.

 

thanks for your input

 

I do believe i have the black sandpearl

 

^Yep. Just saw the pics you uploaded in your gallery. The "black" in '05-'10 was black sand pearl. In this case, painting a bedside and blending one rear door will probably cost more than $500.

 

Perfect opportunity for fiberglass baja bedsides, and of course fenders

 

how much do those run won't it look silly on my 285 tires

 

Get the body panel for $500 then vinyl wrap it for another $500

 

About $500 per set, but shipping can get expensive. Some trimming is required to get a good fit: http://glassworksunlimited.com/prod...ota-tacoma-bedsides-standard-4-5-flare-3-rise

285 tires should look OK with your wheels in these fenders. You can always add wheel spacers to push out the stance further.

 

Flatbed

 

Based on the Colorado chassis-cab's EPA rating, expect a 2-mpg hit with the flatbed on the highway.

 

This!

 

Ive thought flatbed as well but this is my everyday drive. Same deal with custom body panels, Im thinking something that is not so aggressive. Im going after a tastefull slightly modified look without spending a lot. Its an 05 and ill be driving it for a while so it would be nice to find a modern looking solution that still blends in with the cab and the rest of the truck.

 

Ah. Although, flatbedding a truck is very forward thinking on trucks and becoming more popular every day no matter if it is a daily driver or not. Many find that it it provides far more function than a tubbed bed.
Anyway, the best of luck!

 

ill look into that thanks