DIY body work?

Hey everyone, I'm new here but I'm ready for your flames haha. And yes I did a search with no luck...

I have a 97 Tacoma that needs a little body work. I just got quoted at $1800 which I don't have because I'm a poor college student. Got any tips for DIY body work? Its contained to the right lower panels. Have a look.

 

Welcome!!! I think you may have to cut those bottom panels out and replace with some new skin. It apears it may be to twisted to bang out and bondo.

 

looks like you need a new flare, so I would check ebay or local salvage yards. your body shop probably took the price of a new one from the dealership which is about $250 plus. You have a couple of options though. My first suggestions.

Do the body work your self and pay for someone to paint it. If you want to paint then you need to consider a paint gun ~$200, paint~$300, Compressor ~$600 to $1200.

Do the pounding and sanding yourself and pay a shop to spot paint it. Youtube spot repair so you have an idea of the entire process. The damage is low and on the side of the truck which is ideal for spot repairs.

You could also do the body work yourself and buy matching spray pain out of a spray can. It won't look that nice, it won't really help the resale value, but it will be less noticeable, and cheapest option.

Also watch a lot of youtube body repair videos before starting. I don't think you will need to remove any metal, if you can't get behind there to pound out the dents, consider a stud welder or drill holes and get a slide hammer to remove the dents, (just remember to weld the holes up and grind them down before applying filler). Then grind down to bare metal, scuff with 40-or-80 grit, and apply filler. Sand filler with 80 grit. Then I would recommend taking it back to a body shop and getting another quote. it will still cost around $400-$600 or so probably to get them to paint it for you assuming you did the body work correctly.

 

I have heard good things about these guys if you are looking to order some paint.

automotivetouchup.com

TW member Review
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/product-reviews/170262-automotivetouchup-com.html

I don't have much experience with spot putty but maybe it is similar to the feather fill primer stuff I used. I never heard of putting filler/putty on top of primer, always bare metal .

And I still think that painting is the hardest part. Everything is pretty forgiving until you lay that first layer of base coat. If you are good and spend two days sanding and prepping everything, one slip up while laying your base coat and all that prep work doesn't matter a whole lot. Just my opinion, probably because I painted in my dirty garage when its 90 degrees outside using quick drying reducer. There is just a lot of factors that go into laying the base coat and clear and unless you are a professional with professional equipment/facility its easy to mess up.

Also if you are going to tape off on the dimple instead of feathering I would suggest getting some wide tape and rolling the edge along the dimple instead of using the hard straight edge. Just don't get the cheap tape.

Everyone has their own method/technique that works for them. There is a wealth of how to videos on you tube that I found very helpful.

A lot of auto paint supply stores can help you get everything you need, long sandy blocks, tape, putty knifes, etc. By the time you are done you will know why body shops charge some much but you can also consider your cost an educational expense.

Good luck and post lots of pictures so we can watch your progress. The work I did on my truck is far from perfect but unless you are a body man or know what you are looking for its hard to notice.

 

I understand where you are coming from. I agree it's far more work. I am just defining difficult by how easy it is to screw up. Just different opinions. Plus base coat is expensive it sucks when you screw it up. At least you can buff drips and what not out of clear coat. But if you run you base you got little choice but to start over.

Good to know about the putty I will have to check that out.

 

Wow a big thanks to everybody. Sounds like more of an art than a science. It might be a little while before I can get to it because of school, but when I do, I'll be sure and post up on here.

Andrew