This is a car I might be interested in buying (really good deal imo). It's going to probably just be a daily driver, but a couple days ago it was involved in an unfortunate incident in a parking lot. An old man backed into the quarter panel while the Prelude was parked.

Any suggestions on how difficult / expensive repair for this might be? I'm only really interested in repairing the quarter panel. I haven't ever done body work, so I'd be getting this done elsewhere. Just curious on how bad this really is.

Also, there is no suspension damage or anything. This appears to just be cosmetic. The rear bumper hanging off is unrelated.

 

Doesn't look too bad.. I imagine it could be cut out and shaped back to form, similar how some people replace the fender wells on rusted out Hondas (in that same location). I'd wait until somebody more experienced responded, though

 

Thanks.

Basically just trying to figure out if it'd be worth me even buying. I mean, I'm not so interested in the car itself if I can't repair that section easily.

Anyone with more experience willing to help out with any info?

 

the easiest way would be to find a junk yard lude with a good QP on the drivers side, cut out that area on it and get someone to weld it in.

that would be the easiest and would look the best in the end- in my opinion.

I did the same thing with an old lexus from 1991 and it turned out great.

 

Try getting an estimate from A Paintless dent remover? maybe they have the knowledge for getting it out?

also, the best way to fix something like this would be cutting/welding or a shop using a needle gun ( welds studs on to metal so you can pull out with slide hammer) then using some bondo on it.

 

id leave it more trouble than its worth... but if ur insistant, paintless dent guy cant fix it the metal is creased so it has to b bodyworked. hammer and dolly if u can get behind it. i would not cut it out and replace the qrter panel, way to much work for that. good body guy can have it roughed out in a few hrs, and finished in a week....

 

Thanks for the suggestions! Always open to anything else.

The car is going to cost me less than a set of wheels (which I have), so unless I can find another (otherwise) good condition Prelude 4WS for that, then I'd say this is worth the trouble.

I've had trouble finding 4WS models around here that aren't total piles.

The body work will also give me an excuse possibly give it a fresh coat of paint. the current original Barbados Yellow is looking a little worn. Maybe even do a color change if I were to find anything that stands out to me.

But all that's down the road. Even repairing the crease probably won't happen for awhile. The car still drive perfectly.

Still, I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into. I wanted this car since before the accident, but like I said, the model is hard enough to find anyway.

 

Buy the car, that crease is a walk in the park. What I cannot understand though is H-T's population in here suggesting PDR(Paintless Dent Removal) for EVERYTHING. I'd get a little slide hammer and work the section thats curled under back out, do some hammer and dolly work a little bondo and itll be good as new.

 

Thanks so much for the suggestions everyone.

I got the Prelude about a week ago now and I absolutely love it.

Pulling the bumper down a little bit it looks like the part where the bumper mounts to has been leaned in a tiny bit. Nothing removing the wheel and hammering out won't fix though.

The photos I posted before were taken immediately after the old man backed into the car when my friend owned it.

Looking at the car more closely it looks like the trunk is fine. It appears to have only damaged what you can see in that photo and then the piece where the bumper mounts to.

I still need to figure out how to remove the rest of the rear bumper. I removed the front bumper and remounted it so it sits just perfect now.

Looks like the body is otherwise straight save for an old dent on the headlight cover.

Not bad for basically free.

 

I don't know when I might be able to get this repaired (I obviously don't have experience with body repair myself), but is there anything I can do to protect the area until it can get repaired? I just don't want anymore damage to happen before them (i.e., rust).

I'm going to have to drive it daily or nearly daily in the wet Washington fall/winter.

Also found a tiny spot of rust in front of the rear wheel. Go figure it's on the other side of the car, where there isn't a damaged quarter panel.

 

Do they sell rust check or a similar product over there? That'll work, if nothing else WD-40 will at least help.

 

I didn't update this since I doubted anyone cared, but I have a coworker who is willing to do the work once I find a quarter panel and get the cash together. He'll cut the panel for me but currently doesn't have a welder.

Due to the crease in the panel he suggests replacing the panel instead of hammering out.

 

I would also suggesting replacing the piece, you could probably just pick up a front fender (preferably passenger's side) and cut a piece out of that and use it to make the rear of the quarter (old bodymans trick)

 

hey i work at a bodyshop where i do this work 24-7
dont cut it out. that's just gonna leave more room for rust to come.
get a slip hammer and pull it out. then grind her down slap some body filler on her. tape it off and do your flare and lip and call it a day.
cutting it out is just too much work and it causes more problems then its worth. thats a simple dent that can be fixed.

 

There is damage in the wheel well (behind the bumper) too.

 

take it to a shop. your in over your head

 

I'm not doing the work myself. I never said I was.

 

if you want it to look good and last save some money. it can be repaired but the glass will need to come out and the wheel well needs to be pulled out.

if its not pulled the bumper won't fit properly
if the glass isn't taked out, the paint is likely to chip and flake away starting at the tape line.

and so on.

 

The entire car is going to get repainted.

Got a quote for $950 or so, and that's the pull and Bondo method by a shop I'm unlikely to get the work done. Not sure of the quality there anyway. It was just the only place open when I had a chance to get it checked out.

Felt up in the wheel well btw. The very edge is bent in slightly but not too bad. Maybe an inch tops is damaged. It's just as bad as you can see from the exterior. There's nothing else in the wheel well that you can't see from the exterior.

I had a friend who got his car repainted black recently and it looks great, so I'm going to see about having the same guy do my paint. I also have a few leads on people that could do the work.

 

Ditto

 

Now I don't personally have any body work experience and won't be practicing on this car.

But a friend's family member who does body work saw it over the holiday last month and he said it's not that bad. Sounds like he might even do the work. It makes me more comfortable having someone I trust do the work, especially someone who's done this sort of work for so long.

 

Might as well post up some other photos I took, not so rushed, after I got the car.

The car was rear ended by a stolen pickup, which knocked the front and rear bumper off. The next day a man in a Lincoln backed into the driver rear quarter panel. I've removed and remounted the front bumper already.

Attachment 539894

 

The wise way is cut out that area on it weld it with good welder professional..

It would be easy way in my opinion.

I have done same thing with an old civic from 1992 and it turned out great.You can also try paintless remover.

 

There are so many "hack job" and wanna be responses in here that its rediculous.
Why in the world would you ever cut out and reweld a section? And PDR....seriously?
If we are talking about that damage to the quarter around the wheel well only, then it would be a waste to replace the quarter as well.

Its a simple matter of removing interior trim, straightening the wheel well flange via slide hammer or pogo and clamp. Then working the metal from the inside and probably a few uni spot studs on the exterior.

 

Oh, and there's a dent that's hard to see, but it extends to about the middle of the wheel arch.

I don't know body work, but I'll say what I was told by locals in the business.

Maaco wants to just repair the dent. No replacing the panel. $975 or so.

It's been looked at by others who claim it could be reshaped, but remaking that fender arch line could be difficult and replacing the section might be easier.

Perhaps I'll be able to bring it to one of the good shops around here tomorrow and get some advice.