In preparing my 97 SS for CMC next year, I have been thinking of selling the SS parts. As much as I love the look of the SS hood, I would be really upset if I cracked up an $800 hood. Plus, I could really use the money right now to put towards getting safety gear and a trailer.

That got me thinking, lets say I smack a tire wall or something. I have no experience with body work, but I plan to learn. What do you guys do when you bend a fender? Just hammer it out as best as you can? Eventually throw a new fender on? How do you handle other body panels like doors? What happens when it's more serious? Pay for a body shop?

Just wanted to get an idea of what to expect. From what I gather, the usual "wear" items will be bumper covers and fenders.

Thanks,
Steve


BTW, back in college (7 years ago), I helped a friend paint some T-6 airplane wings. I helped him build a paint booth in his hanger, and did all of the sanding and filling. So, I have an idea of how to get some paint onto some metal. I'm sure I'd be able to spray a fender or two. Sounds like it'd be kind of fun to learn.

I have bent up my quarter panel, destroyed a door and front fender due to a brake failure.

The repair just needs to pass the NASA 50/50 rule. Looks good at 50mph or 50feet. My Dad and I just pushed the quarter out to it's basic shape using a port-a-power and then bondo filled it.

I bought spare parts to replace the door and fender.

I'd be interested in your hood for my street car if you want to sell it...

Your less likely to hurt the car hitting a wall as you are hitting another car. Only hack drivers do that.

As close racing as CMC is, the chances of you "touching" the bumper of the car ahead of you or being "touched" by the car behind you is more likely and the typical damage.
Because the bumper covers are plastic, they give and pop back into place. The paint spiders, but you can't tell from a casual look.
The downside is that the mounts are also plastic and tear easily.

I've used a piece of aluminum or plastic to rivet a torn cover back together many times.

Doors and fenders are dirt cheap, easily replaced and many times can be found in the original color. A good reason not to paint the car anything but OEM color.

A tire donut burns the paint, but that's what a sponsor decal is for.

I would definitely sell the SS hood just as I would suggest to some one to sell the TA nose. VERY expensive parts to source and can easily fund a set of tires or brakes.

I had my car painted at Maaco for pretty cheap. I used factory '00 corvette colors. I also partly designed my paint scheme around body panels. GFX are all one solid silver, nose, fenders, doors, and rear quarters are solid blue. Roof and hood are two tone, but if those get damaged I've done something pretty bad.

Fenders are cheap, and I have a few spare doors. Only needed to replace one fender so far, and got it painted at the same Maaco for someting less than $75. Slight dents in the door hammered out. And like Mitch said, the plastic bumbers can be massaged back into place too.

One of these is your friend:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-ton-heavy-d...-kit-44899.html

and fun to use, too. They also make a 10-ton unit but I've been able to do all I need to do with the 4-ton unit.

Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your metal-straightening skilz, 4th Gens have plastic door and front fender panels, so you can replace the unit, or glue them back together and slap some paint on them to hide the work.

Yeah Mitch has banged more cars on the track than all the Kardashians put together and he usually trys to come through the backside!

Sell the SS hood and trade it to someone with a good hood. There is no reason to have the SS hood on there. You are going to drill holes in it for clips anyway and it will get chipped from all the dirt and rocks flying around. All the front of the car is simple and to replace as are the doors. And you would be surprised at how hard of a hit they will take and still look pretty good.

All that Fiero technology was finally put to good use!