Aw crap. Crushed my rocker panel ... any body & paint guys here?

Took my (beautiful and previously undented) 2000 Z71 Ext Cab on a muddy offroad trail yesterday, and ended up sideswiping a huge rock.

It creased the passenger side rocker panel. The rocker panel lip was pushed up so that it stopped the passenger side front and rear doors from opening.

Well, I hammered the rocker panel down so the doors can open. But I want to finish the job right. Hopefully I can get that body part to look like new. But most importantly, I want to properly paint and protect the bare metal from future rust.

Some background: I've done a little auto body as a hobby ... I've painted one car. I have a good automotive spray gun. Done alot of plastic filler. Have a new 130 MIG welder, but have never welded.

So I'm wondering . . .

1. What are the coatings (e.g., zinc, primer, etc) Chevy used to protect the bare metal underneath the paint? I understand these trucks have a really good metal protection system.

2. Would you hammer down and Bondo the lip area of the rocker panel (the normally rounded lip has been crushed upwards into a sharp edge), or would you weld a new piece in?

Thanks for ANY advice!

It's a 4x4 you suppose to leave the body damage.

Bondo / Primer / GM Factory paint - several coats should take care of it.

Try to use as little bondo as possible.

I would not worry about rust. Just remember when you get the body panel down to metal it will start rusting. The faster you cover the metal the less likely it is to start rusting.

You might not see the rust when you do the work but in about two years you might get little rust spots that have grown from under the paint.

CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN the metal as much as possible.

It might not hurt to put some Rust Converter on it first before you prime. Once you get down to bare metal it will seal the metal before painting; just a thought.