Body work?

[TobyU]

To help set your mind at ease, aluminum body panels are nothing new. Individual AI panels go back to Model T days. In fact Tudors and Fordors bodies were usually aluminum.

I'd have to see the backside of the hood where that goose egg is. I'm guessing its double walled, and if so, we'll be drinking beer outta that hood in a few months. Either way, with hourly labor rates the way they are and the body shop industry desire for quick job turn-around, replacement hood all the way.

JL1Z-16612-A is the Ford part number. Brand new one on ebay right now, $499 or best offer, with FREE shipping. Search item number 293091838301. Its in Sanna Tone, so should get to you fairly quick.

Unfortunately, most body shops only replace and paint.
Most don't even know how to do the old school body work the old guys used to do daily.
Very sad.

It used to be about the price to do the job...not how many hours it took.
I have seen guys sand on fenders for hours/days to get them perfect but now it's the hourly rate and since most everyone esp insurance wants the best price, its slap a new cheap quality 40-60 fender on it and paint to match.

The only bright side is many of them can REALLY PAINT! They can match it up to where you can't tell it was fixed.

 

[Boose]

my 17 Platinum with the 2017 white platinum paint was in a crash last year. The paint technology is amazing. The shop uses a camera to take a high res pic of a clean area of paint. The photo is uploaded into a computer where necessary modifications are calculated to the factory paint color formula. 100% match, can't tell at all. My hood was in far worse condition then yours after my wife rear ended a Ram pickup. So a replacement was necessary. But I'd rather they replace with a factory fresh hood then a chance for a failed repair in a few years.

 

[aggiegrad05]

my 17 Platinum with the 2017 white platinum paint was in a crash last year. The paint technology is amazing. The shop uses a camera to take a high res pic of a clean area of paint. The photo is uploaded into a computer where necessary modifications are calculated to the factory paint color formula. 100% match, can't tell at all. My hood was in far worse condition then yours after my wife rear ended a Ram pickup. So a replacement was necessary. But I'd rather they replace with a factory fresh hood then a chance for a failed repair in a few years.

Was this the Ford body shop or an independent, i.e. Service King, Collision Masters, etc.?

I'm going back and forth on whether to take it to the dealer or not. I think a collision place would be cheaper but I think Ford would probably have a better shot at matching the paint. My deductible is $500 and if the fix is less than $750 I'd prefer to avoid the insurance claim.

 

[Boose]

It was an privately owned independent shop that the dealer uses. Not a chain that I am aware of. I had the truck back to the dealer just after delivery for warranty work due to some wind noise on the highway. The dealer repair scratched the drivers door up through to the metal. They brought the truck over to this shop for the repair. They did such a good job that when I needed the work done I took it there myself.