Pictures of damage:




how much can I expect a body shop to want to fix this, or is it simple enough for a novice like to try and attempt to fix myself?

 

You could try buffing it out using Scratch-X or something like that, but you might be looking at a repaint. Looks like you have a 2003-2005 based on your headlights, meaning old paint and most shops will want to blend the paint into the adjacent hood and door, so it could get pricey. I'd expect $800-$1000.

 

wtf?? 1000, just for that??

if i scrape it with my fingernails, that stuff thats on my car comes off. cant i get like touch up paint or something?

 

Well, you need more than just PDR, since the paint is chipped and the panel is deformed (unfortunately, along an edge).

Like the Srry said, you do need to blend the other panels to fit, so repair could be somewhere around there. My guess is 650-700, Bob.

 

I'd wait for someone parting out a z the same color and just replace the whole fender

 

Learn how to drive. That will save you a ton.

 

how/where do I look for that?

 

if the stuff on the fender comes off with your fingernail, its just paint that scrubbed off your whatever you hit onto your car. that can come off with laquer thinner or some compound or something. most body shops will have that. however it does look like there is a dent there.like stated because the location of the dent, the door does have to be blended for a perfect match. if it were at the front of the fender you probably could get away with just painting the fender. i wouldnt say 1000 but maybe 600-800. btw i do work at a body shop as a prepper fulltime.

 

I work in a body shop and any body repair plus paint will cost u way more than what most people think. most think when their car gets damaged its less than 500 to fix wrong... most shop rate is 50/hr so lets do a lil math. looks like it'd take roughly 2hrs shop labor to FIX the dent then gotta remove the fender liner for paint on fender +.7hrs, then drop the corner of bumper to paint fender +1.0hrs, then remove the Z badge and hope they dont break it +.5hrs, then paint/prime time is roughly 2.0hrs. lets add this up...

2.0 dent fix
.7 fender liner Removal and install
1.0 to drop rt side bumper
.5 to remove and install badge
2.0 paint
2.0 paint materials (typiacally same hrs as paint for materials)


So your looking at roughly $425 and thats NOT blending paint into adjacent panels. thats kinda up to the shop/you. IF you blend the door.... you HAVE to take out all the exterior door components so roughly add $200 additional for door blend and 100 additional for hood blend IF you choose to do so..

425 w/o blend
725ish with blend

Hope my guessimates helped...

EDIT: I'd try to remove the fender liner and slowly/gradually put pressure on the dent from behind the fender and maybe u can get most of it out and youll be happy with no bill. If you do this start from the outside edge of dent. dont use a pointy object or poke at it. use finger and gradually push on it from back side... worth a shot

 

600 is okay. im not going to spend 4 figures on that. thats just insane, but i do appreciate the opinions. i guess I have no one to be mad at except me, thats the worst part.

 

$hit happens. non sharp dings and gradual dents like yours can usually be someone be pushed out. not perfect but maybe ok to your liking or definatly make the labor to fix the dent smaller wich save you moolah... get your hands dirty young grasshoppa lol

 

whats the point of blending? Or why do you need to blend? Is it because a perfect paint match on the fender is impossible?

 

really the only thing thats noticable is the paint thats scuffed or whatever, how much would a body shop charge to buff that out?

 

If there is a repair close to the edge of a panel that means full color coat will be needed on that repair area thus may not have a perfect match. theres SOOO many variances in color its not even funny. yes you have a code but NO paint is 100% identical. its all mixed my hand and one drop to much/to less will make it 90% close.. will you notice a diff? maybe? thats y they blend color into the adjacent panels, spreading the off color a lil further out where u cant tell a diff.

And the paint scuff? YOU try to get some rubbing compound sold at walmart and just get a face cloth and try rubbing it out with the compound y pay a shop 50-75 bucks to do somthing it could take you 15min?

 

Thats one thing ive noticed... ALOT of Z owners dont like getting their hands dirty... when someone tells you EXACTLY what/how to do it and you cant screw it up any worse.. get your hands dirty and work on your dam sports car lol

 

Marketplace or ebay?
If you're in a city you can look at some of the junkyards, now that z's are getting cheap 17 yr olds are crashing them everyday....

 

i agree with most of your labor times. however our going rate is 40 for body and paint and then 26 for paint and materials. being you work at a shop im sure you know it will vary depending on locations
basically its damn near impossible to get perfect match with out tinting paint. the reality of the situation is a productive body shop doesnt have time to guess and check over and over so our solution, put paint on adjacent panels if need be. in his case the door would have to be blended. painter would paint probably to the middle of the door. as he gets to the middle of a door he'll fan it way. basically like a fade paint job. just the colors are so close you cant see the fade. thats why i said if it was front of the fender he could blend with in the panel.

 

Looks like paint transfer to me? If its not that, it seems like a small scuff. I would go pick up meguiars m105, m205 and tech wax 2.0. Apply m105, then m205, then wax. I'd be willing to bet that would solve your problem, but i'm not there in person and can't tell how deep the scratch is. I own a detailing company in Charlotte, NC and see this happen somewhat often. I'd much rather spend an hour in the garage and $50 on products than take it to a body shop and watch them do it and but charge you 4x that amount.

 

Did you try any polishing compound yet?

 

Thanks to you guys, the scraping is all gone! I went to wal-mart yesterday, and skeptically bought rubbing compound. Used an old cotton tshirt and it actually worked! Im so happy. Someday i'll deal with the ding.

after:




thank you guys, so much. the scuffed paint was really an eyesore.