Want to replace my cosmetically damaged drivers side door exterior...

It's probably cheaper just buying the entire door, same color and all from a junk yard. Los Angeles has plenty

 

craigslist is your friend, lots of people selling there. It could range from $100 to $500. depending on who's selling. It's usually a complete door at that price.

 

Run it by a body shop? One advantage: putting doors on yourself, getting the alignment right, is tricky. With good paint blending technique it will be like new.

Also, getting someone else's door, the interior mighta been slim-jimmed multiple times, wiring messed up, hard to say. Interior upholstery condition might be iffy.

Also, that's a lot of steel going in a dumster; bodywork is greener.

 

it changes daily, if you're not desperate and don't need it right away, there will be plenty posted......from Ventura to San Diego, you will be able to find them.

but keep in mind, when you do this, the vin number's on the car doors won't match.

 

You don't need an entire door, just a skin. When the body shop is done with it you won't be able to tell the difference from new. IMO, this is not a DIY job unless you own a body shop.

The left outer door panel was $246.47 and 5.6 hours labor and 2.4 hours for paint at $48/hour. That's $630.47 before tax and part of a larger job.

If a professional shop with the proper equipment, facilities and expertise is billing 5.6 hours to replace the skin & hang the door how long do you think it will take you to remove a door then hang and align the used door and make the electrical connections?

Ask the shop what it would cost for a used door.

Since the rest of the car is perfect a used door won't be. It'll probably have a scratch, a chip, a ding, or the paint won't match. You may be able to save a little bit of money but you won't be happy with the outcome.

JC91006, Oh nooooooo! A Prius without matching numbers--the resale value will plummet. Just another reason to buy a skin.

 

With a door I think the bodyshop will take the inner panels off and hammer it out, then fill and sand. When they can't access the backside they can electroweld little nails onto the outside face, pull out the panel with them, then snap them off and so on.

The magic is with the paint: they first paint the damaged area, then dilute the paint with clear, extend out, dilute it again, extend further. Starting with a good colour match, coupled with this gradual fadeout, the new paint is undetectable. If done carefully.

There will always be subtle clues: a bit different texture, the inevitable overspray, but it can be done very well.

 

I would go to a bodyshop. Check online for customer ratings. A good shop like the one I use will explain your options. Usually these days it's cheaper to buy the part new and paint it to match. Labour is getting expensive.
Pearl S has a new rear bumper cover. It was cheaper than fixing the old one. The paint to my eyes is perfect. But I'm blind in the left eye and can't see out of the right.

 

try a few more body shoppes.

 

You want Priuschat members to glean your insurer and policy, and tell you how much your rates would go up?

Personally, with our insurer, I would file a claim. Deductible (my cost) would be $300. Rates might go up a bit.

 

You would get a new skin installed and body shop would install it and paint it. It may be cheaper to have it fixed with out re-skinning the door. If you can make it to O.C., Fountain Valley Body Works in Fountain Valley is one of the best shops in O.C.

 

A door skin is the sheet metal panel that is welded to the door frame.

 

I've never heard the expression "door skin". Our guy always works with what's there. Or replaces the whole door, if it's really stoved in.

 

Replacing door skins saves the insurance industry tons of money, I would rather have the existing door fixed like they have done for years.

 

You'll probably want the original NHTSA sticker (your VIN #) to remain appearing on your original door.

So, replacing the door skin is the way to go. Contrary to what other posters have mentioned here, replacing the entire door diminishes the resale value of the car, particularly if an "R-DOT" sticker is affixed to your "new" replacement door, or a rogue VIN number sticker appears on your "neighborhood replacement" door, or there's simply no NHTSA sticker on your "new" door.

Either way, it's a clear sign to astute buyers that the door is NOT original....and they might therefore conclude the auto has been in a crash...perhaps a T-bone, since the entire door has obviously been replaced. Try taking such a car to CarMax, for example. They'll zero in on a sheet metal replacement immediately...

Your call....if I was holding onto the car and private-party selling it at some point, I'd want all NHTSA stickers present.

Just my humble opinion....your car is presumably an '11...so I'd repair rather than replace.

 

Please know that not ALL NEW cars come with vin numbers/NHTSA on all the body panels. There are some manufactures who do not add them to the body panels. Honda is one of them.