Bro just get your old bonnet dented and repaired,
the bonnet doesn't really have a seal per se,
it has support structure underneat which will need to be cut so that the panel beating can be done, the support can be cut at an angle where it will not be visible when it is welded back, the weld can then be ground out using a hand held grinder, a light whiff of body filler can then be applied to that area, sanded down and the whole bonnet repainted inside and out.
After this repair, even you would never be able to tell where the support had been cut from.
The bottom line is that whether you get a new bonnet, a used bonnet or repair this bonnet, it will still have to be re-sprayed. Therefore the car will be de-valued irrespective,
I would just go to a very good repair shop and make sure the job is done to a high standard, re-spray should be done in a booth and ask the painter to match the spray pattern on the original bonnet and you should be good to go.
A good workshop would be able to make the bonnet look like it's never been touched, and a buyer who knows a thing or two about cars will be able to see that it was only the bonnet that was damaged and the car was not involved in a major accident. These kind of minor touch-ups are quite acceptable in the used car market especially if your car is a few years old and if you do consider that your car will be de-valued, it wont be devalued more than you would spend on buying a new bonnet and having it sprayed etc.
In my opinion, the denting and painting of this bonnet should not cost u more than 7,000 to 8,000. If you buy a new bonnet, you're looking at 25,000 plus at least 3,000 to 5,000 for paint, so all in you're looking at 30,000 and thats a lot more than the depreciation on the vehicle (if any).
Depreciation on touch ups is normally not more than 5,000 per panel.
So lets say a similar used car is trading for 100,000 if it has no touch-ups, you will still get 90 to 95,000 for your car with a single panel touch up. If you're really worried about depreciation just show a potential buyer the photograph of the damage so that they can judge themselves that the car has not had a major frontal impact and it was just a panel repair.
Just bear in mind that when you go to sell your car, just don't lie and say the car has never been repaired and is in brand new condition, be honest, don't try to cheat and a genuine buyer will certainly appreciate your honesty.
