Help me unbender my fender.

December 11, 2006 6:35 AM

What is the likelihood that I can replace the front fender on my Honda Accord all by myself?

The car: 2004 Honda Accord.

The problem: I drove over and got hung up on a medium-size stone at the border of my neighbor's yard. The stone is ok, my front fender is not. Specifically: its 3/4 ripped off. Pics here and here.

Questions: I would really like to avoid taking it to a body shop and spending the $$$ getting the whole thing replaced. So I have a few questions:

1) Is it worth the time and effort to acquire a fender on my own (new or from a junkyard) and replace it myself?

2) Is it even feasible for me to replace the fender myself? I am comfortable with basic tools and car repair, but that's about it. If this job requires special tools or automotive know-how its probably beyond me.

Any other advice much appreciated!

posted by googly to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

A fender is easy to replace as long as it bolts on, welded not so much. Find one the same colour in the junk yard (it won't match perfectly but it'll be close) and just swap it.

However that's not a fender, it is your front facia. It's probably plastic so it won't be welded on just attached with bolts and/or body trees(plastic clips). It's a simple job though tedious with a few steps. Some body trees aren't reuseable, it'll be obvious when you take the old facia off. Get the replacement before you take the old one off so the order of things is fresh in your mind when you go to put the new one on.
posted by Mitheral at 7:08 AM on December 11, 2006

Yes, it's absolutely possible you can replace the front fascia yourself. Note I said "replace"...not "repair".

It's a large plastic piece (essentially, the entire nose of the car) held on by many little snap, clips and screws...most of which will probably have to be replaced with new pieces too (because you will undoubtedly break many of the fasteners when removing the damaged fascia.
It's a time-consuming job for a non-mechanic to tackle. Plus, these things never quite fit right the first time. There's usually a lot of fitting and adjusting involved.
And then there's the painting to consider (no...the replacement parts don't usually come pre-painted) And, as Mitheral points out, if you find an intact replacement in a junk yard, the color may not match exactly.
All things considered, it's probably best that you have the work done by a trained professional. It'll get done faster and at a higher quality than you can do it in your garage. Plus, they will warranty the repair.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:16 AM on December 11, 2006

1) Get a replacement part (I got one for my g/f's civic from Certa Fit for 80 bucks or so)
2) have it painted. Make a copy of the door tag (inside frame of driver's door) or glovebox tag so the shop knows what color they need to match.
3) Remove all the clips...and go get some extras.
4) Hondas like to put a couple bolts, usually in the wheel well where the fender and fascia meet. Might be a bitch to remove.
I'm very mechanically inclined, and I replaced the fascia and a fender in about two hours, including coffee breaks and socializing.
posted by notsnot at 7:32 AM on December 11, 2006

Hmm - that's a pretty big peice on a relatively new car. If you can, I'd take it to a qualified body shop. I've had similar work done on a slightly older Honda (a girlfriend's car that I damaged) and it cost about $700.

While it's true that you can get a knockoff cheap on ebay, you might not be terribly pleased with the end result. As Thorzdad observed, it's a long process, and if the part is not a Honda original, it'll probably be slightly, or even significantly, mismatched. Any obvious signs of bodywork, such as poor part alignment, will detract from the future resale value of your car -- a brand that is known for it's high resale value.

If this was a kia rio, then yeah. Ebay.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:54 AM on December 11, 2006

ahem. its, not it's.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 8:12 AM on December 11, 2006

Anything you buy probably isn't going to be color matched to your car, you realize, yes? I can't tell from that photo if these bumpers are colored through-and-through but typically an after-market part is going to come unpainted.

What's the goal here? Fixed inexpensively and maybe not beautiful? Or fixed and nice n' new looking again?

From the way that's torn apart, if you're willing to live with a less than glam result until sometime in the future, it looks like you could epoxy it from inside if you provided a little support material. Some foam, or perhaps just some fiberglass cloth. But it'll at best look a little torn and skeevy, at worst absolutely horrid.

As the kind of person whose newest car is going on 15 years old I'd patch it and shrug it off - bumpers get scratched and damaged. They're there to bump, after all. You, as the owner of a new car, may not concur, and if you want a color match and original appearance then I'd suggest you go to a body shop and grit your teeth.
posted by phearlez at 8:20 AM on December 11, 2006

If you want it down right, pay a professional.

If you don't want it done perfect, and on the cheap, do it yourself.

CertiFit can provide an OEM-quality replacement at a fraction of the cost of the same part from the dealer. Most body shops use Certifit themselves..... I have even found their parts to be of superior quality than OEM.

You can either have the piece painted by a pro, or you can go to an autoparts store and get rattle-cans of the factory color. The numbers are on the body tag, located on the door jamb or the glovebox. You can spray it yourself for cheap.... two cans of color and one of clear coat should do the job....

Get the clips, they are sold as a kit, because some will break when removing them. You may even want to spend a few dollars and purchase a clip-removal tool.... Mine is very handy for all sorts of repairs/projects...... It is basically a wide screw-driver with a notch in the middle of the blade....

Just be very patient when painting and installing the piece and when finished you wouldn't be able to tell the difference from a pro-repair standing five-feet away......

But again, the pros get paid for a reason......
posted by peewinkle at 8:29 AM on December 11, 2006

Thanks for all the great advice everyone! Tough to mark a best answer as they're all helpful.

I am convinced that, in my case at least, this is something that would be best left to the pros. I do want to make sure its color matched and done right, as I will likely want to sell the car at some point. I just took it to a body shop and got a quote of $660 for a new bumper (they told me that, given the damage, they'd have to replace the fascia and bumper); less if they can locate a used one. Sounds reasonable enough, given the figurre that MC lo-carb mentioned.

Thanks again.
posted by googly at 9:26 AM on December 11, 2006

Theres some great advice upthread but keep in mind that a sub-par repair will greatly affect the car's resale value. If you plan on keeping the car until it dies then this isn't a problem but if you want to sell it then consider having it repaired by professionals.

Also, your car insurance may cover this (sans deductible) but you may see an increase in your rate...

Lastly, I haven't leased a car in a long time but if this car is leased then there maybe some clause in there somewhere about this sort of thing... ie you have to have it repaired to the dealer's specs (prob. in their shop) or you get into some sort of trouble, etc.
posted by wfrgms at 9:27 AM on December 11, 2006

Just make sure you get a second and third quote, so you know for sure that they're teling the truth about having to replace the fender. Take it by a recommended body shop
posted by Dasein at 1:21 PM on December 11, 2006

I do want to make sure its color matched and done right, as I will likely want to sell the car at some point.

Be honest with yourself; if that's truly the only reason then slap $25 worth of epoxy on the sucker. You'll be just as able to get it fixed professionally a week, month or year from now when you finally sell it. AND you'd have the investment value of that money till then. Or the matter could become moot before then - it could be stolen, damaged in an accident, etc. Or you could fall so completely in love with the car that you keep it a decade before you sell and by then the crack and goop is the least of its problems.

If what you want is a nice repair for your own pleasure then get it properly fixed. Just don't talk yourself into thinking that spending money on that repair is fiscally responsible - money put into a car rarely comes back out in any sizable percentage.
posted by phearlez at 2:24 PM on December 11, 2006

Hmmmm. Persuasive argument, phearlez. I actually don't mind it looking crappy. But I do want to make sure that the thing doesn't come crashing down the next time I hit a few bumps at 40MPH. I might just take your suggestion of epoxy and a few strategically-placed pieces of foam before dropping $600 on a new piece of plastic.
posted by googly at 2:51 PM on December 11, 2006

peewinkle writes "If you want it down right, pay a professional."

This ain't rocket science, replacing a prepainted panel is no more difficult than rotating a set of tires and you don't need special equipment like jacks and jack stands.

Painting the panel takes skill and special materials but a straight swap doesn't. The junk yard panel is going to be _way_ cheaper than $700 and the colour will be close, the only difference is in relative wear and sun fading. You might even get one that is close enough that no one will notice unless you point it out. It'll look a heck of a lot better than some patched together piece and it'll be much easier to wash.

Come time to sell and the panel detracts from the appearance? Take it into any decent body shop and they'll shoot it for a perfect colour match for a few hundred bucks (or you can take it to Maaco and for less than a $100 you'll get a job that'll last a couple years).
posted by Mitheral at 5:43 PM on December 11, 2006