True, everyone has their own opinion when it comes to painting the part. But what I'm saying is, when you do plan to sell it, people would still be able to see the extent of damage that has been done to the part, after it has been cold dented as the dents are already visible in pictures and would be even more noticeable in real life, not really saving the 'resale' aspect, then why not paint it and make it look better? Painting a panel does not necessarily mean putting in loads of filler. That comes down to the skill and dedication of the painter. As long as the panel has been dented properly, the painter should be able to prep the surface with little to no filler and achieve a perfect finish, with the paint lasting almost as long as the original paint, provided that good quality products and procedures have been used.
About the current paint that is on the part, it may appear to have been saved but soon, the paint will start coming off. Metal has the property of stretching and then coming back to its original shape with panel beating, but paint once stretched, starts to crack and separate from the surface. If you see the paint microscopically, you'll see fractures forming in the paint, which when exposed to the weather, would start getting worse.
That said, there is no better alternative than replacing the panel if available and if the budget allows, to achieve the perfect finish.
