[MoparLady]

My tailgate. It has a camoflauged (sp?) spot of rust that can be ground out pretty easily because it hasn't eaten through yet, and a dent that looks like it can be pulled out at a paintless dent repair place & rubs from whatever hit it buffed out. BUT, the rhino lining makes it look impossible to get to the dent from the inside-which is how I have ever done dent repair...

My question: Am I better off replacing the tailgeat/painting a new one? Or paying someone to fix/paint the tailgate?? Which is more money efficient?

(I'm having a hard time trusting anyone in a body shop because I had my Neon's doors repainted because of the crappy factory paint job, and now a couple years later, it's falling off as well!! It doesn't even look like they roughed the surface before painting it!! :VHOT: )

 

[MoparLady]

I'd have it repaired. No point in wasting a tailgate for a little rust hole.

Find someone good to do the work. Did you ever take your neon back to the shop that painted it to show them how much they suck?

It's not even a hole yet...it can very easily be ground out & painted...I just wish I could find a reliable painter!!

I can get a whole tailgate for $20 at the junkyard & have it painted...that would take care of the rust problem AND the dent, but I just don't know which would be the cheapest route.

I havn't gone back to the shop that painted my Neon's doors yet because I've been working and they are about 25 minutes away from me...

 

[MoparLady]

If it's enough that you can see it through the paint, it's almost guaranteed through the metal so you've got a hole to deal with anyhow. I'd cut it out and weld new metal in. Some people would bondo it up.

I guess for 20 bucks you can't go wrong with having a spare tailgate. But then you'd still have to paint it, so in the end one of the tailgates is getting a paint job. And if the new tailgate has any rust on it then you're still dealing with a rusty tailgate, so I don't know which is worse.

I can do my own body work and my man cut/welded metal for a Ferrari bodyshop for a while, trust me, I know what to look for when analyzing rust damage. There is no hole, just surface rust that won't even need any metal replacement. I just don't have the means to paint anything-which is my concern....the dent removal & painting of the spot is what I'm asking advice on. Either pay someone to just fix it all, or just have someone paint a new tailgate??