Repairing Punctured Tailgate

So about 4-5 years ago I was backing out of a parking space. Someone left the garbage dump access door open, and i hit it straight on. The result was a small puncture in my tailgate, as well as a dent.

It's not horrible, and honestly it hasn't bothered me until now. I'm doing a bunch of interior/exterior touch up and i want to take care of this as well. Do you guys think this is salvagable DIY? Or should I just grab a new tailgate. Found this guy on ebay through another thread on here, prepainted for $399 shipped.

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I'd start by checking junk yards. Tailgates are something that they'll have a lot of. Just have to find yours.

 

It can be fixed, is cost effective probably not.

 

Yeah i was thinking the same thing. Pyrite Mica isn't a very common color though

 

Mine was a lot worse and I fixed mine. I have also been doing my own bodywork for the last 40 years. People will buy your dented tailgate if you decide to buy new because they get stolen. The dent at the very bottom is the most difficult of the dents in your tailgate. It'll need to be beaten straight, sanded, skim coat of bondo, sanded, primed, sanded, paint base coat, sanded, paint clear coat, sanded and buff paint. Paint is getting expensive too, depending on the quality of paint that you choose materials could be a little shy of a couple hundred.

 

Yeah... I'm going to search the pull-a-part yards and see what I find. There's also color match vinyl I could get to hold me over until I buy the prepainted tailgate.

I have a feeling if i did all of that it wouldn't even look right.