Replace the mirror. It looks like you may need to also massage where the mirror mounts on the door as well. If that is the worst of the damage from an encounter with a tree, you can count yourself lucky.

You should be able to get one from a junkyard or a cheap one on rockauto.

 

Most people who haven't done much bodywork just get in there and bang things around like an ape and cause more damage than they fix. If you take your time and massage it carefully this way and that ..with whatever tools you can, you should be able to straighten out the door to the point where you won't really notice it's bent by the mirror. If you don't feel comfortable, consider taking to a bodyshop just to have them do the metalwork. Shouldn't take much. Then, make sure any cracked paint is scrapped away and covered with a good primer (like a self-etching primer).

Good luck!

 

I am willing to bet you live near a scrap yard that would have a door in your colour haha (From what I've seen and been led to believe about US junk yards. Here in Canada, I was SUPER lucky to find a black XJ, 1 year off from mine model year wise, so I got a hood).

If not, I would just get a mirror from the wreckers (grab all the connectors and bolts too), and then gently try to massage the panel back. Try to figure out the exact way it bent, and reverse it best you can. There are various ways to do that (like using the mounting holes and some home-made tool to use them as leverage points, etc)

Youtube is your friend!

 

Problem if you get a replacement door from a salvage yard is the paint is almost for sure not going to match. It'll look close till you get it on there, but even if it's the same color, that particular type of color would have faded a little different over the years, or the mix ever-so-slightly different on the assembly line. Silvers and golds are among the hardest colors to match and blend in. Generally on a color like that, a good bodyshop would have to blend the paint well into the rear door and front fender then clearcoat all 3. But even then, even then a 1st year bodyguy would be able to see the blend. You'd almost need to paint the whole side of the vehicle to NOT see a color difference unless a bodyshop was able to get a very close match. (partly b/c blends sort of lighten up and the metal flake lays slightly different at the outside edges of a blend which affects how light reflects off. Worked at a bodyshop for years and painted a lot of cars/trucks so I know what I'm talking about.

The best and cheapest thing is to carefully fix what you have. Massage back into shape with care using non-marring tools. That damage isn't too bad, just find someone who's done it, then you don't have to mess with painting. And it won't cost you very much either.

Best of luck

 

Im honestly not worried about the paint. I just want the mirror to be back to the correct spot and function. The scrapes and paint don’t really mean anything to me. I know I’ll probably never find a gold xj like mine. I’ve never done bodywork or been around it. What are these terms “massaging and non marring”? I’m gonna look into it tonight.

 

Do you have any reference material I can look at that would show examples of this.

 

That's quite true, golds and silvers are a nightmare to rework (my close family friend is/was an insurance body guy, I've talked to him numerous times and seen him work). I know that these days, they are able to use a light/paint gun (fancy doo-hicky haha) to match the paint and adjust for fade etc. but again, that's expensive and a huge amount of work !

 

look up "paintless dent removal" on Youtube.

these guys are friggin amazing...and they often work out of mobile vans, so they come to you

as the door card has to come out, a clever one could do the mirror for you while he is at it

 

If you find a body guy or dent removal place, they may be able to work that out for you for somewhat cheap, especially if you are not all that particular about the results. Massaging is a term I use for delicately reworking metal with a hammer and some wood blocks, or if you spring for the body tools, check out summit racing or harbor freight for them.

 

FYI, there are at least 2 options for the exterior mirror. One being a heated power mirror. The other just being a power mirror.

For massaging the metal & non marring, it's basically using something like a small block of wood between the metal you are working with & your hammer. DO NOT wind up & put the metal back into place with 3 powerful swings. Do it in like 100+ taps.

An example of a non marring tool would be to use a BRASS punch to remove the lock ring from your fuel tank. If you used a steel punch, you have the risk of creating a spark. Basically you are using a softer tool (brass, plastic, etc...) than the material you are working on.

Have a go at it. It doesn't look that difficult. You can always do your best to get it to work, & at the same time, keep your eye open for that perfect donor / junkyard door. Have you tried www.car-part.com ??? It connects salvage yards across North America. If you play around with it by looking up different parts, you might see a picture of an XJ the same color as yours. Plus, you might find some options you never knew you needed.