Scratched + Dented Tailgate
10-15-2008, 12:33 AM
#11
Senior Member
This Post **** guy, Ty. What? Is he employed by the forum? Yesterday he was at 5K something. Wonder if he needs a helper, I retire in 6 months, please, pretty please, can I help you? 
Hey Buddy, I am bleeding for you! My daughter, got my truck stuck. I'm not going there! Your tailgate can be fixed by a body shop. Wish, I was still in touch to have both fixed, yours and mine. Its not something that can be done by a novice. Us mechanics fix things all day long, body guys are a different breed. I hate them. 
I had three different body shops that I worked with in Orange Couty California, my personal work went to only one. There is good and bad, I know I'm rambling. Hope the relationship between you and the trailer owner isn't strained over this. Friends are forever, the truck can be fixed. And as Ty said, find a replacement in a scrap yard that is color matched.
Hey Buddy, I am bleeding for you! My daughter, got my truck stuck. I'm not going there! Your tailgate can be fixed by a body shop. Wish, I was still in touch to have both fixed, yours and mine. Its not something that can be done by a novice. Us mechanics fix things all day long, body guys are a different breed. I hate them. I had three different body shops that I worked with in Orange Couty California, my personal work went to only one. There is good and bad, I know I'm rambling. Hope the relationship between you and the trailer owner isn't strained over this. Friends are forever, the truck can be fixed. And as Ty said, find a replacement in a scrap yard that is color matched.and I could not agree more about those body work guys, I can take something apart and put it back together, but I cant follow a body line worth a ****.
Sorry that happened to your truck, man. Just tell everybody you were pullin a chevy out of a ditch, and the tremendous power of the F-150 ripped the frame out of the chevy, and hit your tailgate and thats all the damage the wimpy chevy frame could to. Or get one of those big band-aid stickers to cover it. Or just ignore me. Because it's late and i'm tired, and i don't make sense right now.
I never make sense, its more fun if no one has any idea what your talking about.
10-15-2008, 12:33 AM
#12
Notorious Thread Editor
Sorry that happened to your truck, man. Just tell everybody you were pullin a chevy out of a ditch, and the tremendous power of the F-150 ripped the frame out of the chevy, and hit your tailgate and thats all the damage the wimpy chevy frame could to. Or get one of those big band-aid stickers to cover it. Or just ignore me. Because it's late and i'm tired, and i don't make sense right now.
HOLY S**T!!
Ripped the frame out........LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
10-15-2008, 07:19 AM
#13
Moderator (Ret.)
It can be fixed. Any good body shop will do it; you'll just need to do your foot work. Many shops these days get paid very well for doing simple collision work from the insurance companies, so you may be placed on a wait list. Their reasoning is that it will take "man hours" to level the dents out, sand, primer, then paint the tailgate. If they can remove and replace the entire tailgate and paint it, it's a whole lot less man hours, and this is usually what an insurance company goes for (is it cheaper to order a new tailgate and paint it, verses repairing the existing one, then painting it).
One rule of thumb should you attempt to repair it yourself, then send it off for paint; you do not want any more that 1/4 inch of repair bondo on the metal surface. Any more than 1/4 inch will cause eventual cracking and splitting of the painted surface. Then you are back to square one.
Maybe you can find a "hungry" body shop willing to spend a few hours removing the dents. That's the money labor intensive side to this repair. The painting is the easier part.
One rule of thumb should you attempt to repair it yourself, then send it off for paint; you do not want any more that 1/4 inch of repair bondo on the metal surface. Any more than 1/4 inch will cause eventual cracking and splitting of the painted surface. Then you are back to square one.
Maybe you can find a "hungry" body shop willing to spend a few hours removing the dents. That's the money labor intensive side to this repair. The painting is the easier part.
10-15-2008, 11:19 PM
#14
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im a body man for a living, that gate is an easy fix, when you get an estimate it will say R&I handle, R&I top pad, R&I emblem, R&I oval ford, Repair time 3-5hours. which would be a deal, depending on how much there labor rate is your looking at about three to 400 bucks. hope this helps.
10-16-2008, 12:47 AM
#15
Inspector Man
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Anyone on here ever try using one of those slip-hammer deals that body shops use? They fasten a rod to the dent (either welded or glued on with a high strength epoxy) and the end of the rod has a flange that they can strike a hammer against thus pulling out the dent. Then you're left to grind off the weld and repaint.
Myself, I'd either leave it or get a good bumper sticker to cover it. Something like "Horn broken, watch for finger," or "My kid kicked your honor student's ***."
Myself, I'd either leave it or get a good bumper sticker to cover it. Something like "Horn broken, watch for finger," or "My kid kicked your honor student's ***."
10-16-2008, 11:29 PM
#16
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no mater how you pull the dent it will still need bondo or body filler. It will have to be pulled out using a stud gun and or hammer and dolly techniques. but will still need to be finshed up with a filler/primed/painted.