A quarter panel is the piece of the vehicle’s body that is between the front bumper and the front door or the rear door and the rear bumper. Quarter panels are metal or plastic depending on the vehicle model and often subjected to denting, scratches and holes. The process for repairing the quarter panels will be just about the same no matter what the quarter panel is made out of. This will be a time consuming project but it is not difficult to complete and can be done in your garage.
Things You’ll Need
- 80 grit medium sandpaper
- Warm water
- Towel
- 130 fine grit sandpaper
- Fender patch kit
- Auto spray primer
- Auto spray paint
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Remove the quarter panel from the vehicle according to the specific model. Commonly you will need to raise the vehicle, remove the tires, remove the wheel well covers, get under the frame so that you are looking up inside the wheel wells and engine compartment. Then remove the bolts securing the quarter panel to the frame using a ratchet set. Remove all rough spots, scratches or any other imperfections on the quarter panel using the 80 grit sandpaper.
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Wipe the quarter panel clean using the warm water and the towel. Allow the quarter panel to completely air dry and the smooth out the quarter panel using the 120 grit sandpaper.
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Apply the putty from the patch kit to any holes that may be in the quarter panel and allow the putty to completely dry. Smooth out the putty using the 120 grit sandpaper to make the patch flush with the quarter panel.
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wipe the quarter panel clean using the warm water and towel. Allow the quarter panel to air dry and then apply one coat of auto primer to the surface of the quarter panel. Allow the primer to dry.
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Apply as many coats of auto paint to the quarter panel as you feel necessary. Allow each coat of paint to dry before you apply the next one. Once all of the coats of paint have been applied, then allow the quarter panel to dry for 24 hours in a clean dry place.