Old fender repair, info please? - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

conesare2seconds · 01-20-2020

Is there a trick to making a fender repair last?

My car had a fender cracked years ago with a prior owner. Although the paint is nice, I could see the repair underneath and had it redone. The body guy said the first shop used cheap filler and he had the material to do the job right, etc.

Fast forward a few years and I can see the repair work again. The old crack isn’t visible, but the skim coat is showing imperfections I didn’t see when the panel was refinished. I kept an eye on the repair as it was done and the panel seemed well finished before paint.

It’s something I’ve observed with other C4s, too - over time, any filler seems to keep shrinking and though smooth at first, eventually shows through the finish.

What’s going on and is it inevitable? Was the repair just not done properly again? Am I going to have to track down a whole fender and have a replacement bonded in?

01-20-2020	#1
conesare2seconds Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Greater St. Louis Posts: 487	Old fender repair, info please? Is there a trick to making a fender repair last? My car had a fender cracked years ago with a prior owner. Although the paint is nice, I could see the repair underneath and had it redone. The body guy said the first shop used cheap filler and he had the material to do the job right, etc. Fast forward a few years and I can see the repair work again. The old crack isn’t visible, but the skim coat is showing imperfections I didn’t see when the panel was refinished. I kept an eye on the repair as it was done and the panel seemed well finished before paint. It’s something I’ve observed with other C4s, too - over time, any filler seems to keep shrinking and though smooth at first, eventually shows through the finish. What’s going on and is it inevitable? Was the repair just not done properly again? Am I going to have to track down a whole fender and have a replacement bonded in? Last edited by conesare2seconds; 01-20-2020 at 08:49 AM.