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Sunday, to my disgust, someone banged my 9-3 while I was in a store, and drove off. What makes it somehow worse is that I was at a upscale-ish rural country market rather than the mall or a big-box store.
Anyhow, they hit the arch of the right rear wheel well. Some deformity to the flare, gouging along the flare, and paint off right to bright bare metal on the flat rim of the wheel well. I can tell that more paint is going to chip off the rim, and the bare metal has already started to oxidize.
I don't know when I'll find the time to get this properly dealt with. I'm tempted to hold off till spring is really here, when I'll take the car in to the dealer I use for a handful of odds and ends. A good 45-minute drive away.
Tonight after work, I went through the carwash, and then at home carefully cleaned up the impacted area, hit it with some rubbing compound, then waxed it.
Will this hold things for a bit? If I see more oxidation, should I again compound and wax? Or not worry about it?
Should I go ahead and rattle-can some paint on? Is any glossy auto black going to look OKish? Or do blacks need to be matched?
Should I, instead of or in addition to the above, get some POR-15 on to stop the rust? All I have around is a small can of the heavy-duty silver, which I've been saving for some nasty spots on my truck. Is there some other product I should use here?
Once I decide to really deal with this, what can I expect for options? I really don't think I want to get into panel replacement, but don't know whether or not the curve can be made right again with filler. Would it make sense to have the whole panel repainted, or can I get away with just some spot painting?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts here.
- Tom (grumpy tonight)
74 MGB GT, 76 MGB roadster, 86 Ranger, 00 9-3
posted by 24.58.10...
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