How to paint? Rattle can bedside repair.

[Donald Trump]

Trying to figure out how best to repair the side of my truck that ran into a door frame. I’ve only got rattle cans to work with. Once I hammer out the damage, fill, and prime I’m wondering how to blend my color coat with the existing undamaged area. My understanding is normally you’d paint and clear the whole panel, but since I don’t have a spray gun I’m trying to minimize the area I have to paint. With every coat of color I was going to just feather it out a bit, but how do I prep the area that will be feathered? I believe I need to rough it up a bit so the paint will stick, but I don’t want to scuff the clear up past my repair area and have it left looking dull. It’s hard to see in the picture but it’s dented and scuffed in front of the tire.

 

[TrikeKid]

That looks more like paintless dent repair and a buffer territory than filler and paint from that picture.

 

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, I was hoping that too, but there’s a slight crease where the inner fender and bedside are welded together. Really I think it would be best to weld on tabs and pull it out, but I don’t have access to that. I buffed it out already. Here’s how it looked before. I’ll just paint the whole panel if necessary if blending turns out bad.

 

[SMI17]

If you haven't done it yet get a qoute from a paintless dent removal place first. They can work magic on stuff like that.

 

[2big bronco]

A good pointless dent repair guy will make it look better then you will with filler and rattle can. Even if it's not perfect

 

[Winchested]

Wear your mistakes like a man!? Buff and be done with it.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I think I woulda washed it before trying to buff stuff out though....