xchinamanx

Hi,

Long time lurker since I haven't had too many problems with the RX300. I recently dented my fender and need to get it replaced. Went to a couple body shops and the price is about $450 to replace it.

I found a painted fender on ebay for $280 shipped. My question is, how hard is it to replace the fender (driver's side)? I'm not too familiar with body work but I'm pretty handy. I've tried searching but couldn't find any instructions.

Thanks in advance!

saudiboy

I did this. It took me a little while to figure out, but all in all it was pretty easy and I'm glad I did it. The fit (in terms of the line between the hood and the fender) isn't precise, but it's an excellent result for the money.

I got a painted fender for about $240. The first fender arrived damaged, but it was replaced free of charge and the replacement looks good. Removing the old fender is just about finding all of the bolts. You need an allen wrench to get the mudguard off, but otherwise the bolts are all the same size; you just have to look for them and they're not too hard to find. There is one compression like plug near the door and at the top of the fender. When you remove all of the bolts, this is where it will stick. But it pops out. Be sure to save all of the plastic mounting pieces from your old fender.

I think you have to remove the inner lining inside the wheel well, but again no big deal. Some patience, a little planning and time are your allies.

P.S. If you need some help locating the bolts, I probably remember their location by heart, so let me know if you get hung up.

salimshah

Are you talking about the metal piece above and around the driver side wheel?

Last info I have (ref code) is that it is bolted on, and doable.

Things to watch out for:

There are plastic shield underneath and in a accident they crack. See if they can be re-used.

Matching paint will be a biggie. You may have the same shade/color-code but paint fades and the human eye can spot the difference. Paint shops have to blend-in a repaired area.

Salim

saudiboy

I assume he is talking about one of the front fenders. They are not bolted on. Presumably, the rear ones are. I've got a 2002 RX 300. I felt I was taking a rider purchasing a painted fender online. When the first one arrived, I thought my worst suspicions were confirmed (although the paint wasn't the issue). If the paint isn't a match (and I'd take a bet that no one could spot the replaced fender), it is so close that I would do it again in a heartbeat. But there are a lot of online places doing this sort of thing, so it's always a bit of a gamble

JAB

Saudiboy: I think you have it backwards. The front fenders are bolt-on, bolt-off; the rear ones are part of a much larger body panel and if they can't be straightened, must be cut off.

saudiboy

I thought that is what I said. I replaced my front fender; bolt on, bolt off.

code58

Believe JAB is correct.

xchinamanx

Thanks for the quick replies! I think I'm going to try and do it. It's the front fender, driver's side.

Just to clarify, there are only bolts on the wheel wall side of the fender? There's no need to remove the bumper or anything, right? Thanks.

saudiboy

I did the passenger fender. You don't have to remove the bumper. I took off the bolts holding in the head lamp and loosened it a bit. You will need to remove the lining in the wheel well and the trim piece over the mud guard (and the mud guard itself). The trim piece is held on by tape and some clips; you just need to work it off. Again, when you get all the bolts off, you'll notice that you're hung up by something near the top of the door. It is another clip and you just have to pop it off (hopefully it doesn't break - mine didn't). This white clip, which is attached to the car frame, looks like a little stick with a ball on the end of it; the balll snaps into another plastic piece on the fender.

The piece you get will be close hopefully, but not a perfect match. For example, I caulked in some of the clips off the original fender to hold them in place until I could get some bolts back on. Your piece won't come with any of the plastic clips in your original fender; make sure you account for them. When I installed my fender, I found it was too close to the hood. So, I pulled on it a bit before i tighted the bolts under the bonnet.

saudiboy

I didn't have my glasses on and wrote the reverse of what I intended.