Hello all...avid reader and seldom poster here. I bought my 2000 V6 about a year and a half ago and its running great, but I'm starting to think about fixing it up a bit. It has 2 issues:

Passenger side rear fender was obviously damaged before I bought it, I didn't notice it before, but after some time I noticed that the paint job was sub-par and began fading and peeling. I got an estimate from a good paint guy at $350. The wheel well doesn't seem dented or damaged so I can't really tell what caused the damage originally.

Also, my steering wheel as slightly askew...if straight towards the driver's seat is 90 degrees, then mine is pointed at about 85 degrees - toward the driver's side window. There's really no driving or steering issues that are apparent, but I was wondering if it might be a problem.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

My guess is that someting was spilled on the fender removing the clearcoat, that's why it isn't happening all over.

 

Oh also...when I bought it...the tire in there was different than the other three.

 

hmmm, thats odd. Is there any way you can contact the previous owner and ask what happened? Maybe that panel was repainted and it was just a shotty job of painting.

 

No, I got it from a non-Ford dealership. They claim to have no records on it. I checked Carfax before buying it and nothing came up negative...but they're not exactly foolproof.

 

btw all new edges steering wheels are tilted towards the window like that... idk why but they are

 

Thanks for the info crusher, that's good to know.

 

He could have gotten hit in the fender, and since it wasn't a reportable accident (car would have to be immobilized or an injury occured) the fender might have been replaced. And like FBCBEER said, it was a ****ty paint job. If he was paying out of pocket he may not have wanted to pay for a quality paint job.

 

Thanks all for the info...does $350 sound decent for the paint job? I've seen work from the guy, so I know he's quality.

 

350 isnt bad cause it will be done right and u wont have to worry about it, i havnt noticed my steering wheel bein tilted but i guess it could be
i would bet he was parked or hit his own car with another vehicle, who would report that