So, new to the forum, been a mechanic for my life, have done quite a few paint/repair jobs before but I would like more opinions. I'll post a pic, but in essence, the car that I'm working on started on fire after a breathalyzer install, of course insurance and install company would not pay as no one wanted to take any blame, whatever. Unfortunately, I no longer have a compressor and will be painting by hand. I have a DA sander with 120-1000 grit sandpaper. Should I leave the existing good condition paint and attempt to fade into what will be bear metal? I have two different primers, base coat, second coat, and clear. My instinct is to take it all to bear metal, but I think at this point it would cost me another $200 to do so, which I am willing to do if necessary. Also, this does not need to be perfect or showroom, car is completely repaired (talk about an electrical nightmare!) other than this fender, and the owner is going to sell after. Thanks in advance, sorry if this is the wrong spot, and I'm stoked to have a new forum fam!
Welcome to the forum!
Yeah, I don't think you'll be happy trying to fade the spot (which is > 30% of the panel!) onto it. You're going to have to take that heat damaged paint off, and that's at least another 6".
I'd suggest pulling the panel, as you'll want to paint the backside too, or it's going to rust away in a year.
As a note, you'll get more traction in the grassroots Motorsports section, and I recommend browsing the forum from the "latest topics" section from the pull-down.
How hard would it be to source a replacement fender in the correct color?
Hey, welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about the mess with the breathalyzer install and the insurance headache. It sounds like you’ve got quite a project on your hands, but with your experience, you’ll get through it.
Regarding your question, it’s really about balancing the cost and effort with what the final goal is. Since the owner plans to sell the car and you don’t need a showroom-quality finish, I’d suggest focusing on efficiency. If the existing paint is in good condition and not flaking, you could probably get away with feathering the edges and blending into the bare metal spots. Going all the way to bare metal on the entire fender might be overkill, especially if you’re trying to save some time and money.
However, if there are large areas of damage or burn marks, it’s probably worth sanding down those sections to bare metal and making sure you’ve got a smooth surface to work with. You’ve already got the DA sander, so it’ll be easier to get a uniform finish.
One tip: since you’re hand-painting and using multiple primers, make sure to allow enough drying time between layers to avoid any issues with adhesion. If the prep is solid, your hand-painted job should turn out just fine for the purpose.
If you run into any problems or feel like it’s not blending as smoothly as you’d like, you might want to reach out to a professional. I’ve come across Reborn Auto Body in my research—they specialize in auto body repair and could provide some additional guidance if needed.
Good luck with the project, and feel free to post updates as you go! Would love to see how it turns out!
