Pro tip: I was sure about using a full replacement panel on that quarter, but a section job saved my butt

Had a 2018 Civic come in last month with a pretty bad dent right behind the rear door. The damage was deep but really isolated to a spot about the size of a dinner plate. My first thought was to just order the whole quarter panel and replace it, you know, the 'right' way. But my buddy at the shop next door, Mike, came over, took a look, and just said, 'That's a lot of extra work and welding for no reason.' He convinced me to try a section repair, cutting out just the bad metal and welding in a patch. I was nervous about it holding up, but we did it, and after grinding and priming, you honestly can't tell. It saved the customer about $500 in parts alone and cut my labor time in half. I'm definitely going to look at section repairs a lot more closely now. Has anyone else found a specific spot on a common car where a section almost always works better?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulperry4h ago

That's the move on a lot of Camry rear wheel arches.

the_jana3h ago

Ugh, yes! My old Camry had the same exact problem (rust ate right through there). Such a common spot for those cars to go.