Well I managed to goof up my front fender by rolling slow into a construction sign poorly place near a blind intersection (it was early and I was tired hehe).

Anyways, I dented the driver's side front fender right above the headlight. I was thinking body shop but then I thought about the fact that the entire fender can come off by undoing bolts. I understand that the original fender is VIN stamped. What are the negatives of replacing the original part with a different OEM Honda fender? If I get a replacement fender, should the fender be painted off the car then installed later? I would prefer that they not blend into other panels, but with color fade due to age this might not be an option. (It's Spa Yellow).

I should mention that the car is a MY01 on a lease, and that the lease is up in August. I'm seriously leaning towards keeping the car.

And if I go the body shop route, that guarantees that there will be bondo on the repair correct?

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond if you can

 

If the bodyshop does the repair, they will decide if its worth using bondo for the repair (if it's minor) or if its better to just replace the panel. How bad is this dent, is paintless dent removal an option?

Either way it shouldn't be that bad. Take it to a good bodyshop and get an estimate. They will let you know on the spot if you should replace the panel or repair it.

 

you will only need to blend if it the damage is near other panels. post some pics if you can but it seems like the fender is repairable.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I would say that the damage might even be repairable by PDR. It's shallow, but it's kind of long (about 6-7 inches). It doesn't appear that there's any paint damage also, so PDR could be a route I didn't think of.

It sounds like I should just take it to a body shop and see what they say. I will also try to get a pic posted up. Thanks again for the replies.