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Long story short u-haul pulled in and hit me in the parking lot, I took it to a couple body shops and got the same response, drill a few holes pull it out slap some filler "bondo" smooth and paint but I'm not really a fan of having it stuffed full of bondo, Any other suggestions? and I was getting quoted between $1800-$2500 on price.
If the body shop does their job right it won't be "stuffed" with bondo. But then again sounds like these are some old school body shops if they are still drilling holes to pull dents. . . . that just creates more places for moisture to create rust.
I thought all good body shops were stud welding to pull dents these days???
First I would find a body shop that does stud welding, then second once they get it pulled out to 80%+ is when they do a skim coat of body filler just to make sure everything is smooth the way it should be.
OP, 67Lark is right. No need to drill holes. And the filler will eventually lift or crack due to rust/moisture.
Again, he is right about a stud welder. See pic below. That is the way to go. If that doesn't work they can weld tabs on and pull it out. Or, try get it from the inside with pry bars/jacks...whatever works.
That panel doesn't need to be replaced. I wouldn't do it and I am pretty fussy. Nothing wrong with filler if it is done right. It has come along way since the days of "slap a coat of bondo on 'er". That repair should last the life of the car if it is done properly. When I worked in the industry we would aim for 1/8" thick filler max.
If they want to replace it I personally would refrain. I never liked the idea of breaking factory seals and welds. Also, if it is repaired make sure the inside of the panel is undercoated after.
Those two guys are correct. I've been in the field 15 years and the proper way to do the repair is to get the metal as straight as possible with the stud gun and hammer and dolly. Then a couple layers of mud and topcoat,prime,block,prep,paint. Done right and corrorsion protected inside and out and you should be fine. If shops are talking about drilling holes to pull out the dent then I'd stay away from them. Goto a shop that is ICAR certified and up with the times to get the repair done. No sense in getting the quarter panel replaced, more time and money and possibly opening up more problems, and mud will still get used. We've fixed way worse then that, Your dent is a walk in the park for a good body man.
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How bad is the damage? 
