front end damage

[dorkins]

to start off, the front end of my car was rebuilt prior to me buying the car, from an accident...

well, shortly after i got it, i noticed runs in the paint, chips of paint, globs of clear-coat, and my hood and headlights are not lined up correctly

about 4 months after i got my camaro, i backed into the back of an astro van with my front right fender (very odd angle) and the corner of the bumper cover...

i just ordered a new bumper cover and right fender, primed and ready to paint...

should i also take off and paint my left fender at the time i paint the bumper and right fender?
should i sand it down, and r-prime it?

i have never painted any body parts before, how hard is it to get a good paint job on there? what is a good quality paint, that will last?

also, i have a little chip on my drivers side rear end, would i have to take that off and repaint the whole fender? or what?

would it just be easier/cheaper to just put the panels on, and take it somewhere to be painted?

are there any walkthroughs to replacing panels?

and, finally... where can i find a list (or bag at that) of parts needed for the replacement?
there are a LOT of missing screws and those rubber connector screws in my panels, due to the previous rebuild i guess...

thanks for all the help!

[hockeyman]

Sounds like a crappy body shop wanted the insurance money or the previous owner wanted the car to look good for a quick sale. Either way, if you have never mixed paint before or never painted a car, don't start on your ride! It is complicated to say the least and requires quite a bit of "know-how".
You will need to start with a full (dust free) garage, good QUALITY spraygun, at least a 30 gallon 6hp (or more) air compressor, air de-humidifier, hoses, heat lamps, plenty of 1000-2000 grit sandpaper, paint, clearcoat, etc. By the time you get all of that stuff, you could have spent the same amount of money on a new paintjob.

Look around a bit and price some bodyshops. Tell them you are in no hurry to get it done, but will jump at the oppertunity if the price is right.

As for body fasteners, try ebay. I sometimes see a person selling the body fasteners for an f-body in one big bucket. Great deals too!

[montytrmpt]

When I repainted a few panels of my car I used this guide.

http://www.projecttransam.com/Projects11.asp

It is a great guide, but if you've never painted on a car I wouldn't recommend it. You will probably end up with the same runs and chips, if you don't get a healthy coat of orange peel. If you do choose to paint it yourself practice first!! I ended up repainting my hood and I should have repainted the other panels too. I have found that painting is best left to somebody who does it for a living.

[Rob Bell]

Agreed. Painting a car is really difficult, I tried painting panels before and the results were not stellar. Not bad, but I probably needed to sand and polish the paint to finish it up. Preparation is the most important, and most difficult, part. plus then you've got to get the new paint to blend in with the old paint, and that's a nightmare. If I were you I'd have a good bodyshop do it, they know what they're doing. Maybe go to the dealer or just ask them for recommendations.