Can my hood be saved??

[WaarrEagle]

So here is the story - I had a fender bended in my 97 Maxima 6-7 years ago, where the very front driver`s side corner of the hood got bent under. I had it repaired, but they obviously did a terrible job. The paint started fading (and eventually cracking) at the corner where the damage was, and now the entire hood and fender have faded to a TERRIBLE color. I put a coat of wax on a portion of it about a month ago, and it almost looks worse (see picture). I am thinking about embarking on a complete detail job on the car but I am wondering if the hood is beyond repair. Has anyone successfully gotten something this bad to shine again, or will I have to get it painted?



FYI, the car has not been washed, which is why the passenger fender looks bad. The driver side fender has also faded, as it was painted when the hood was. I didn`t bother washing the hood before taking the pics because it looks no different when it is clean.



http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/AIChE/AUSRC2008/images/hood/DSC01162.JPG

http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/AIChE/AUSRC2008/images/hood/DSC01163.JPG

http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/AIChE/AUSRC2008/images/hood/DSC01164.JPG

http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/AIChE/AUSRC2008/images/hood/DSC01165.JPG

[WaarrEagle]

Bump before the thread dies for good...

[ajnavo61490]

paints crackin



respray

[Eliot Ness]

Not much you can do about the cracking...... it looks like a poor repair job and the Bondo or putty is cracking (probably from heat or the flexing of the hood).



As for the fading you might try a good paint cleaner like KAIO (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/kus-kla-10.html) and see how that does. Below is a 1/2 and 1/2 picture of a Toyota truck that member Jngrbrdman did with KAIO:



http://www.ocdetails.com/assets/images/AIOside2.jpg



Below is the whole thread about that truck but the pictures have long since been lost from the article:



http://www.autopia.org/forum/detailing-articles-videos/23482-behold-power-aio-lots-pictures.html



I wouldn`t expect a miracle and you`ll most likely need to find a good body shop to redo or replace that hood.