Well, I plan on restoring it over the winter... as soon as I get it repainted, it's going on jack stands and I'm taking the engine out... and I am going to bring it to my friend's machine shop and have them do a complete overhaul. If I got the money then, I'll F/I mod it. If not, it will be another mod I can do at a later date.

It's all dependent on how much everything costs... as to how far I'll go. Besides, my Dad is going to pay for the repaint because he was the one who drove his car into it and he felt really bad for me.

Anyhow, here's a picture...

 

no, they put the vehicle thru a special area for touch up paint. More often than not they will paint a new panel and replace the scratched one if it can be unbolted. Boats are very different than cars. They don't use the same methods. They don't use rattle cans at the factory for cars. When I painted kenworth trucks at the factory, they did blends. It always looked like crap and always came back for warrenty work to the dealer. If there is more that $500 in body damage from shipping or what ever, by law they have to tell the buyer before all the papers are signed. Blending may be a common industry standard, but I won't accept a vehicle that has that done to it.

 

Ohh thats a really easy one! You are lucky!

Most of that will likely push out..... and is really easy to get to. Just reach behind from the bottom, put the palm of your hand in the center, and push. It'll pop right into position or real dang close.

Another trick that sometimes works for large dents like that, wet the surface down, and slam a plunger to as close to the the center but in a flat spot (dont be scared your not going to dent it anymore than it already is) than jerk real quick and hard. Make sure no one is behind you.... may take a few tries to get the pulnger to hang on long enough to pull it.

If it was mine I'd just push it out.

 

I bet there is not any filler or bondo either....

By the way I worked (salve labor/shop boy/general body/detail) for a shop that salvaged/rebuilt late models between about 10 years old and 17.... I got more into the body work and some in the paint booth as I got older. He'd get brand new vehicles with 200 miles on them that had been totaled... I know what they do at the factory.... It's not much different than the marine industry.

 

what ever dude.. tour a ford plant and see for yourself. they are VERY picky about things like paint. I toured the minneapolis st. paul plant and they didn't do any thing like you suggest.

 

I bet they didnt laugh, joke, pull pranks on each other, fight, yell, cuss or anything unprofessional during your tour either, tehy al just worked very intently barely if ever looking up from thier work, no one was standing around, etc..... Do you think thats a normal day in a factory?

Go to work in final assembly for a week, then come back and tell me how it's really done.

 

Yeah... I got a quote to fix it, and it only costs like 200 to totally pull the dent, and the rest to repaint that body panel... coming to $856... I might do that, and see how it comes out. I might get lucky and you won't be able to notice the paint... but I don't know. I am kind of reluctant to do a cob job... I'm not that type of person.

Ahh, I gotta think about it. There are many different options/routes I can take on this situation. But my Dad is willing to pay for entire paint job... but then again I'm not that type of son to steal his money.

 

If the rest of the paint is good, I think it would be a waste to repaint the entire truck. Look it over for any rock chips in the ussuall spots, front of hood, behind tires etc. Also look for signs of wax damage. (AKA Pitted paint) Show truck must be glass smooth. Sometimes you can buff wax damage away, depends on how severe it is.

If there are alot of other flaws in the paint through out then maybe repaint, if you are sure that is teh color you are going to keep it. Other wise it's just another layer you will have to pay to strip off later to paint it the color(s) you decide to for show.

 

The rest of paint is in excellent shape... only 2 rock chips... but you really have to be a paint spy to find them. It is in super shape for 7 years old. I've Zainoed this thing every year... and every single time, it makes the truck look showroom new for the entire year. It's insane stuff. I just feel bad this happened.

But I'm inclined to keep it the same color, only because I like it, and that color red is not common... most reds are metallic, or have some other unique feature... this is just flat bright red... really stands out from most neutral and ambient colors, like most new trucks for example. I think the F150 would look excellent in this color red or possibly a flat bright white... I like the silver metallic because it is natural, yet neutral... and it also hides a lot of road gunk.

 

Then yea I'd just have them repair the damage.
They can break it off at the tailgate and probably wont even have to paint past about 1/2 way up the bed side. Worse case break it off at the front of the bed. As long as there is a gap or some sort of break of some kind, even if there is a slight tint difference, then even the most highly trained human eye can not detect it as long as it's not a full step difference.

Be glad it wasnt anouther 3" back.... if it would have distored the metal around the tail light... you would be buying a new bed side to fix it right.....

 

Cause there are no Ford vehicles that come with orange peel from the factory.

 

If orange peel was the worst I can see on new car Ford lot, I'd buy you a 6 pack Rolling Rock.

It's not just Ford, and Ford is not the worst by far, it's everyone, but Ford is not exempt either.

 

They body shop that did my repaint also did a lot of mobile body work for dealerships and other car lots selling new and used vehicles. Like others have said, paint gets damaged during assembly, and also gets damaged during delivery and/or unloading, or even just moving vehicles around the lot. Anyone who thinks that Ford does an entire repaint because of some minor damage is smoking crack, they'd never be able to stay in business. My guy was saying at some dealerships he'd seen major dents in body panels, etc. on brand new vehicles... they'd pound it/pull it as best they could, then use body filler, then repaint the affected area. Brand new vehicles, never had to disclose that damage was done to vehicle, looked as good as new when they were done .
Makes you wonder what you are buying when you buy a brand new vehicle, even from a reputable dealer.