I got my 02 w a very noticeable dent in the rear quarter panel. The car was hit right below the R tail light. As a result, the R taillight does not fit in the opening.

I have been beating on it for a couple of days but I am hindered by the inner flange of the tail light bucket. If you’ve ever run your fingers in there, you will feel that there is an inner body flange. So I am having a hard time even getting tools in there to push the metal out.

I am considering 2 options. Either cut out the inner fender well and try and beat the metal out from behind. Oooorrrrr, cut a hunk off of junker and weld it in place.

I can weld, but I am no master. But even given my limitations, I am leaning toward getting a part from a donor due to the fact that there is so much deformity.

thoughts, opinions and jokes are all app




reciated

 

Slide hammer?

 

yup panel pins and a slide hammer

 

That metal is stretched so no amount of PDR effort is going to fix it. Best to cut it out, replace that section, grind, bondo and paint.

 

PDR is not even an option in that exact location. If you take out the taillight and run your fingers back there, you will find an interior lip that is part of the interior metal and then the outer quarter panel is bonded to that. So there is a piece of metal in the way of any tool to try and “coax “ the exterior shell back into shape. I’m doing a lot of pulling today, knowing that I won’t be doing any pushing behind the steel.

if I don’t like the results, I’ll cut it out