Hi everyone, this is my first post of what will undoubtedly become many. I recently bought a 2012 VW GTI. I got it super cheap, due to hail damage. I was ok with the idea of driving as is, and may still do so. But the more I think about it, the more it seems like it would not be insanely expensive for me to fix it up myself. I know full well that it will not be perfect. But right now my options are: 1. Drive it as is, which looks like complete garbage. or 2. Try to repair it myself and even though it will not be perfect, it will probably look less like garbage. Seems like there really is no downside to attempting a repair myself. So, with that in mind, I had a few starter questions while I am still in the planning phase.

1. If I buy a new panel that states it is primed, when I install it and repaint the entire car should I also prime the panel that is supposedly already primed?

2. Is it better to paint the panels I am replacing off of the car? I would prefer to have everything on the car and just do all of it at once to keep it completely uniform. But then I worry about the backs of the replacement panels being untreated and rusting quickly.

3. I have decided to paint the car the same color as it was previously. I was hoping this would allow me to skip doing door jambs, and other hidden places. Having said that, I am worried about when I take the area on the outside of the car back to metal to prep for paint. Where do I stop removing the paint? Say I am going to repaint the door, do I strip it all the way to the edge? If I don't wrap that around, wont the edge get thicker and cause possible issues with open and closing? Or worse, if I wrap it around a little, wont those areas not get covered when I go over the door? I would really like to paint it with the doors closed and just do a "surface job", if that is even possible.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

heres some input, first when it comes to aftermarket panels there are good an real bad, just depends on who you by from. same goes for the E-coat or primer that's put on them. I would paint it all together you can shoot the back sides with undercoat before you put them on. painting it the same color is a good idea. if the paint on the door your talking about is in good condition you can sand it with 600 and spray your new color right over it, no need to strip good paint. for replacement panels I would start checking some auto wrecking yards. a good used OEM is better than an aftermarket almost always.
Jay D.

badsix wrote:heres some input, first when it comes to aftermarket panels there are good an real bad, just depends on who you by from. same goes for the E-coat or primer that's put on them. I would paint it all together you can shoot the back sides with undercoat before you put them on. painting it the same color is a good idea. if the paint on the door your talking about is in good condition you can sand it with 600 and spray your new color right over it, no need to strip good paint. for replacement panels I would start checking some auto wrecking yards. a good used OEM is better than an aftermarket almost always.
Jay D.

Thanks for the advice. I have checked junkyards near me, and there is nothing at all. I live in a small area, and the closest VW dealer to me is several hours away so it is not a common car in my area. I would obviously prefer to get an OEM panel, but that doesn't seem like it will be an option.

Good advice from Badsix. If the damage isn't too bad, you might be
just as well off to repair the damage rather than replace. You'll have
to fix the top anyway. Maybe you can remove the inner fenderwells
and smooth out the fender tops? Maybe just replcace the hood?

PDR magicians (Paintless Dent Repair) can also do fantastic work with hail damage.

NightTrain wrote:Good advice from Badsix. If the damage isn't too bad, you might be
just as well off to repair the damage rather than replace. You'll have
to fix the top anyway. Maybe you can remove the inner fenderwells
and smooth out the fender tops? Maybe just replcace the hood?

PDR magicians (Paintless Dent Repair) can also do fantastic work with hail damage.

Unfortunately, I live in a small rural area. I have looked into PDR, and there are none advertised around here. Which means if there is somebody, it will be some guy in his own garage and probably crazy expensive. I have also called all local junkyards to see about OEM panels that just so happen to be the same color. Not even different colored ones exist around me. It seems the cheapest method is to replace and repaint for me. I only bought the car for $6500, and if it was undamaged in perfect condition it is worth around 15k+. But if I start getting into spending more than a couple thousand, I would have been better off just buying something that was undamaged with higher miles and an older year. Again, I am not interested in perfect. Just better. And if I learn a new skill along the way, all the better.

jebusfreek666 wrote:Hi everyone, this is my first post of what will undoubtedly become many. I recently bought a 2012 VW GTI. I got it super cheap, due to hail damage. I was ok with the idea of driving as is, and may still do so. But the more I think about it, the more it seems like it would not be insanely expensive for me to fix it up myself. I know full well that it will not be perfect. But right now my options are: 1. Drive it as is, which looks like complete garbage. or 2. Try to repair it myself and even though it will not be perfect, it will probably look less like garbage. Seems like there really is no downside to attempting a repair myself. So, with that in mind, I had a few starter questions while I am still in the planning phase.

1. If I buy a new panel that states it is primed, when I install it and repaint the entire car should I also prime the panel that is supposedly already primed?

2. Is it better to paint the panels I am replacing off of the car? I would prefer to have everything on the car and just do all of it at once to keep it completely uniform. But then I worry about the backs of the replacement panels being untreated and rusting quickly.

3. I have decided to paint the car the same color as it was previously. I was hoping this would allow me to skip doing door jambs, and other hidden places. Having said that, I am worried about when I take the area on the outside of the car back to metal to prep for paint. Where do I stop removing the paint? Say I am going to repaint the door, do I strip it all the way to the edge? If I don't wrap that around, wont the edge get thicker and cause possible issues with open and closing? Or worse, if I wrap it around a little, wont those areas not get covered when I go over the door? I would really like to paint it with the doors closed and just do a "surface job", if that is even possible.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

The first question is whether you already have the equipment and space to do this job?
If not the cost to get set up properly will need to be factored into your decision.
Here's an article that covers some of this: http://www.autobody101.com/content/arti ... ould-know/