Car care after a fender bender

[AccessDEANied]

So my car got hit the other day (see my post in the break room for pics), so the paint got cracked where the fender got bent in. Is there anything I should do differently when I clean that part of the car other than be careful so I don't accidently chip more paint off?

[Murr1525]

Are you planning to repaint eventualy? Just make do for a few months?

[SiriusRIMZ]

I'd stay away from the cracked paint as much as possible. Its going to eventually need to be DA Sanded and re-sprayed, but trying to remedy it might do more harm that good.

From your pictures it looks like some of the paint could be flaky around the cracks. I would not mess with it. The entire front panel will need to be re-sprayed if your having a professional body shop work on it. IMO, dont worry about the front panel... for now.

[AccessDEANied]

It's probably going to be repaired next year or something. I was thinking of going to the junkyard sometime to see if these parts were at a decent price.

[Accumulator]

If I were in your shoes I'd do something to the area now.

I'd probably do a simple sand/prime of the area and the put some clear over the primer to keep it from absorbing moisture (as some primers do). I've had that approach keep things in check for a long, long time.

If you've never done this sort of thing before I'd work with sandpaper by hand and primer/paint from spraycans. Mask off the whole rest of the car to avoid overspray.

The above would: a) make it look like you're interested in repairing the damage- you're not just letting the car turn into a wrecked junker, b) keep any exposed metal from rusting, c) keep the area of compromised paint from growning larger. The last two points might even save money when the time comes to have the repair really done right.

[AccessDEANied]

If I take it to a shop (I've never been to one), couldn't I just say gimme new fenders instead of repairing these?

[Accumulator]

Sure. Whether it's necessary/advisable or not, I dunno (sorry, haven't seen the pics). Also, your insurance might have something to say about it if they're footing the bill.