Repair a Dent in the Front Quarter

[Roky]

Hi Everyone,

I have got a relatively big dent in the front quarter in my 1996 festiva, and I need to get the whole quarter out in order to flatten it back.

Does any body know the location of the screws which hold this quarter to the body. I can see two of them under the hood, another one behind the door, is that all ??

Please see the attachment photo, I have marked the damaged quarter.

Cheers

Roky

[hckrphil]

I don't know the location of screws...... but you could also use a Stud Welder / slide hammer to pull the dent out.

Harbor Frieght sells one for about 100 bucks minus the typical 20% off coupon you can always find somewhere.

http://www.harborfreight.com/dent-repair-stud-welder-kit-3223.html

~Phil

[bhazard]

I'm guessing he's from Oz. In which case I'm not sure he can get to a harbor fright store.

[bravekozak]

junk yard

Forget the body work. Just go to the junk yard and get another front quarter. If you are lucky, you may even get the same colour and not need paint. If not, have the part painted at a body shop, then install it. Don't waste your time with bent steel on easily replaceable parts.

[bhazard]

My thoughts exactly. Should be pretty easy to find a good one.

[Safety Guy]

If your Festiva (our Aspire) is like our early Festivas, then you'll have two or three bolts under the hood, one at the top of the inner door, two bolts or nuts at the front of the fender area (you may have to take out your side markers to get to them), one or more at the bottom of the rear fender (just ahead of the door bottom), and you may have to take out some screws attaching fender liners and/or other trim pieces.

In other words, way more than three screws or bolts!

You really need a shop manual to make working on your car a lot easier. You can then get a good idea of what you'll have to take apart before you start the job. If you work on your car yourself, or do most of it, the manual will pay for itself quickly!

HEY! I just spotted my Haynes Festiva/Aspire manual on my floor. Here ya go:

FRONT FENDER REMOVAL:

-Raise the vehicle, support it securely on jack stands and remove front wheel
-Remove front bumper assembly
-detach inner fenderwell splash shield (and any molding) from the fender (at least 3 screws)
-remove remaining fender mounting bolts (3 under hood, 1 at door pillar, 1 at rocker panel, 1 behind headlight)
-detach fender

I count at least three screws and six bolts after you take the bumper off. Haynes is okay, but a Ford shop manual would be better. Best to get both!

Now I guess you want to know how to take the bumper off? (Yeah, it's a little harder, at least on my Festivas.)

And...welcome!!

Karl

[WmWatt]

I did it without a manual. Just look all around the edge inside and out.
If you try hammering out the dent do it in reverse order to how it was made.
That means if it was creased front to back then hammer it out back to front.
I would use a hammer and a piece of soft lumber with a rounded end.
Won't be as good as new but would do until you can find a replacement.
As noted it would probably be cheaper to find a junk yard replacement than
to take the exsisting fender to a body shop to be hammered out.
You could compare costs before deciding.
Good luck.

[Roky]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

As you guys guessed, I am from Australia; and am even new to Australia. So I am still not aware where to find a junck yard ... but eitherway I will need to detach the part first

Karl, thanks for quoting this for me, I had this Haynes manual on my computer but I lost it. If your manual has got a diagram or so about this part I would be very grateful if you could scan/photo it for me.

WmWatt, did you have to remove the bumper in order to do this ... can you tell me how to remove the pumber ?

Cheers

Roky

[NicholasJackson]

Where abouts in oz are you, might be able to give you a hand?

PS. Add it to your location.

[Roky]

Where abouts in oz are you, might be able to give you a hand?

PS. Add it to your location.

Ah, Thanks Nick, I live in Sydney .. I will add it to my location though.

Cheers

[bravekozak]

Get the replacement part first. Any body repair shop can swap it out for you.
Don't take the other one off until you get a replacement. Just Google some wrecking yards.

Give Platinum a call. They appear to be very friendly.

There's also one for us too.

[WmWatt]

Do not need to remove bumper.

[Roky]

I took it out

Thanks guys, I was able to take the fender out yesterday, I had to remove the front wheel and the rubber padding underneath the fender. this rubber thing needed to be totaly removed to reveal two more hidden bolts.

Anyway I couldn't visit any juckyard to get a replacment(because of the holidays) so I flattened the fender out with a hammer (doesn't look very good actually ) but I think that if I couldn't find a replacment from a junkyard I will need to spray this ... I know that I need to sand it first .. but is there a special paste that I need to apply before spraying ? any tips on that painting job would be very appreciated.

Roky