anybody got some tips or pointers on fixing a dent and repainting the whole truck? i wanna paint it black.. but i really wanna fix this dent.. a few months ago i hit a small tree and did minor damage. i want to know if i can fix it with bondo and just paint over it?

 

I suggest that you get a new fender. IMHO.... Good luck!!!

 

im budgeted at the moment because i had to replace 4 ball joints, water pump, idler arm, pitman arm, and what not..

 

Even if your budgeted... I still agree with dakota_raven. Start saving, you can get a whole fender from LMC for $200. That said.. if your budgeted and were planning on filling the hole with bondo like your title suggests, please tell me you wern't planning on spray painting your truck black too.

 

IMO that's too deep to just bondo it. Stop by a parts store and buy a set of body panel hammers. Remove the fender and tap the dents out and use bondo to smooth that area out. Sand it flush, apply primer, sand that, and then paint.

 

slide hammer, hammer, bondo, sand paper, sanding block, high fill primer, water, color paint, clear...ect

but for all the time(and time is money unless u injoy it) and money(for tools u may not have,,

i would be looking on craigs or calling sum junk yards

 

Bondo is only meant to fill minor dimples and imperfections, a dent like you have you can either hammer out or find a donor panel.

 

Just say no to Bondo.

 

Yup. Everyone here is right. With the right tools and time you could fix this properly, and that dent is way to big to even try to fix with bond alone.

I have seen fenders going for as low as $135 apiece, But I don't remember where exactly I saw them. LMC has them I'm sure and even at $200 there pretty cheap.

As for the tools needed, you can get a cheap dent puller that will allow you to pull the dent out by drilling several holes in your fender and using this slide hammer/ dent puller for 40-50 bucks, you'll also need sand paper of various grit (36-80 grit to remove paint and rust, 180 grit to feather the existing paint, and240-320 grit to finish sand. the sand paper will cost you around 15 bucks.You'll need a sanding block, which will be another $7-15 , the bond at another $12-15 dollars for the crappy filler and probably two cans of spray paint/primer at $7-15 dollars apiece. Thats just to fix the dent so it wont rust down the road. Not to mention to do this that way, you have drilled holes into your fender, allowing water to get at the backside of your work.

So your already looking at 100-130 dollars to fix your fender, and might have to fix it later, which may be cheaper than a new fender. But You will have new rust free dent free fender, that should stay rust free till you get a chance to paint the whole truck.

 

Check this out!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-95...Q5fAccessories