Repairing damage… sort of

[Something or other]

Hi all. Firstly, if this is the wrong place, I apologise.

I don’t post often but wanted to consult the collective wisdom of PH.

We have a 65 reg Octavia on 82000 miles. We plan to run it into the ground.

A few weeks ago we got it back from being repaired after being sideswiped by a lorry. The rear three quarter panel had been scraped and dented.

Today, the car was side swiped by a concrete pole and the damage is in exactly the same place. I’m tempted to do some basic repairs to protect the metal work rather than shell out hundreds repairing it. It’s my wife’s daily and she’s not bothered.

So…
- Would it be possible with no experience and minimal tools to clean this up?
- What process would you go through? I’m thinking touch itn the scratches and machine polish it. I’d try taking the arch liner off and pushing the dent out.
- What would you do about clear coat? Use it? Not bother?

Ultimately, it’s this or a £600 PDR or £1300 body shop bill. As my own car, a Focus, needs its wet belt doing in July, we’d kind of like to keep costs down.

Any help gratefully received. Pics below (I hope).

[Something or other]

Thanks. Definitely the way I’m leaning. My main concern is rust long term.

It’s maintained and looked after mechanically, decent tyres, etc. I’m not expecting 23 years out of it though!

[Something or other]

Yeah… the numbers above are the estimates I’ve been given based on photos. The body shop in question want to see it in the metal, so I imagine the price will change. I might pop in for a chat with them at least. The PDR guy is really good (he’s done minor stuff for me before) but I worry he won’t be able to do much when the car only had a repair there a few weeks back.

[Something or other]

I may have been borrowing from the Putin school of fact reporting when I said the pole side swiped the car. Let’s leave it as the car and pole had a coming together (I wasn’t driving by the way—it was my wife who’s now beating herself up big time).