This post details the repair of a Ford Focus station wagon. This is by far the most amount of damage I have tried to repair. This massive damaged fender was repaired with an Easy ABS Repair Kit and a lot of additional ABS sheets to replace the missing pieces
Lots Of Missing Pieces
There was a large amount of pieces missing. As you can see here there was about 30% of the fender gone. The driver hit a chair that had fallen out of the back of a truck at night and could not find all of the broken pieces in the dark. I began by fitting the only remaining broken piece back into place. I held it in place with masking tape to hold and maintain the shape while the resin air cures.
Step By Step Fix an Area And Move Onto The Next
To make pieces to fill in the missing areas use the Additional ABS sheet material. If you require more material you can order additional ABS sheets on our website. Put masking tape onto the supplied patch material and trace out the shape. Use a pair of tin snips or a jig saw with a fine toothed blade to cut out the piece. Tape the patch into place it does not have to be a perfect fit as the resin will fill all of the gaps.
Finish Rebuilding The Missing Pieces
This is the last large piece and it cuts of my access to the inside of the fender and the remaining pieces must be taped from the front. The piece must be secure but make sure you are leaving enough spaces to apply the resin. When cured remove the tape and finish applying the resin. The last patch at the bottom of the fender has a sharp curve. We will need to heat the patch and mold it to the curve of the lower fender. I use an old toaster oven to heat the patch. It only takes a few minutes to heat up and it will become as flexible as a piece of paper.
Use The Resin To Fill The Low Spots
Once all of the missing pieces are in place you can start sanding. If you use a power sander go slow and stop often to let the surface cool down. Use the resin to fill any imperfections or low spots. Don’t use any 2 part body fillers as they will not bond to the plastic properly and will eventually crack and fall out. Use a body filler spreader to spread and smooth out the resin. Work quickly as the resin will react to the air and start to cure rapidly.
Prime, Sand, Spot Fill, And Apply The Finish Coat Of Paint
Use a good quality sandable primer that is designed to be used with plastics. You will be able to see any imperfections while the primer is wet and shiny. Once you have applied the primer you can no longer use the resin to fill. Use a single part spot putty to fill any imperfections. Before applying the finish coat it is recommended to wipe the entire surface with a tack cloth to remove any remaining dirt or dust. Paint the finish coat with even strokes and thin coats to prevent running of the paint.