Expert: William Forster - 11/28/2007

Question
About a month ago, someone/something side-swiped my car and left a small dent, scratch, and penetrated the metal on the passenger side. It begins on the front passenger side door (small dent & blemish), continues across the back door (blemish gets worse & paint is slightly scratched off), and stops right before the rear wheel well (this is where the paint is completely off, the metal has been penetrated all the way through, and it is beginning to oxidize). Is this something that can be fixed at home? Or would it be better to take it to a body shop and have it professionally done? I know a little about body work & corrosion control. I was an airframes mechanic for 4 years in the USMC.

If it would help you provide a better answer, I can send you some photos of the damage.

Appreciate the help.

Answer
Hey Marc! If you need to ask someone if they think you can fix it, well, you probably shouldn't attempt it. It sounds pretty screwed up to me. The best repair jobs are the ones no one knows were ever done. If you are unfamilar with painting modern finishes, or don't have decent tools to do the job, the vehicle will look obviously repaired. If that's okay with you, or saving the money over paying to have it repaired is more important, then by all means, give it a go. Have a great evening. Bill