Body-work guru's, I need some help.

[wa-chiss]

I bought my S13 in washington state. It had been stolen from it's previous owner. Obviously they were amateurs (my observation) because they used a crowbar (or similar device) to "pry" the door open instead of going through the window seal. It's a bad spot to fix IMHO. I'll let the pics do the talking.







The door in the 2nd picture is fully closed and I can fit the tips of my fingers in the "wound". The 90* bend in the metal at the door is crushed from the prying. I'm at a loss of ideas on how to fix it. Bondo is an option but I don't want it to be that thick. I haven't yet tried to access it from inside but it does look like it has hammer marks because I see "pimples". I've thought of overfenders but that still leaves the gap there. I've even thought of finding a wrecked S13 to cut and weld in a new peice which is what I'm leaning towards.

Any input would be fantastic.

[E7-S14]

the correct way to fix that is to use a stud gun

you use the stud gun to pull the dent out and shape it back as best you can then use body filler to mold it back correct.

there are stronger types of body filler to use since its on that corner/edge right there.

fill that whole thing with body filler as it is now and itl be falling off within a year.

[mixeds14]

man u really dont have a lot of damage for u to change the hole 1/4 panel, u could always take off the interior piece on that side and use a small portapower, they have this piece thats used to spread panels apart like in your case or if u have room, take two pieces of wood n wedge something on between them to spread them apart therefore forcing ur dent out some then bondo the rest...........

[fast_s13]

stud gun ftmfw that is the only right way to doit ...it itsnt hard to do
Modified by fast_s13 at 9:19 PM 1/28/2009

[E7-S14]

...its hard to do

naw.ive fixed worse

[tnslide80]

stud it then mud it do it everyday for a living

[white90esex]

^^ +1

If you dont have a stud gun u can get one at harbor frieght.

Id reccomend pulling tword the front of the car first and see were that takes the rest of the dent. Then you can use it further to take out other imperfections then just fill the low spots.

I personally dont reccomend filling anything deeper than 1/8th inch.

GOOD LUCK!

[wa-chiss]

man u really dont have a lot of damage for u to change the hole 1/4 panel...

I wasn't planning on changing the whole quater. Just a cut and patch. Just whatever size would eplace the crushed part.

I'll look into a stud gun. Thanks.

[wa-chiss]

I was looking at stud guns. They weld a stud to the body and you can pull on the stud to pull out a dent. Then grind off the stud and refine the shape with filler. What about just using a slide hammer and screws? Same concept only you create a hole for the stud to pull. Nothing the filler can't handle. We're talking small holes.

[white90esex]

small holes are stupid....

Studs barely weld on there. You wanna seriously hold the trigger on the gun for a fraction of a second then you use a slide hammer to pull out.

Then you can just get some dykes or pliers and twist the stud off with no damage done.

Holes are teh eff bomb!!!1!!!eleven!!ing gay and that **** is old skewl. Its 2k9. Use a stud gun dood!

[burntricer]

what about if you pulled the panel off the interior, cut yourself an access hole and hammer and dolly'ed it out?

[E7-S14]

hahaholes

thats oldschool manit will work but hella old school

a stud gun will work best.

[S13_love]

Stud gun is probably your best option here.

I can bet if you tried to cut that out and then try to weld in a piece, etc., you'll being involved in doing a lot more work than needed.

[E7-S14]

I can bet if you tried to cut that out and then try to weld in a piece, etc., you'll being involved in doing a lot more work than needed.

sooo much more.its not fun