Dent removal on my GE

SheepNutz · #1 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 11:27 AM

It's been a bad weekend for my GE. On Friday, I scraped one of my wheels on a curb that was about 8 inches tall, scratching my wheel from the tire almost to the lug nuts. Then last night, my drunk brother opened the door of my wife's Prius into my Fit. I now have a small line about 3/4" long dented into my Fit right above my left rear wheel well. Can someone tell me the best method for removing this? I think it might be too small to take a plunger or dry ice to. Should I pull back the wheel well liner and try to hammer it out with a rubber mallet?

jsusanka · #2 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 12:21 PM

take it to a PDR (paintless dent removal) place they would probably be able to do it for less than 100 bucks.

just google paintless dent removal.

ptt127 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 02:12 PM

I totally agree. I can't imagine how many screw-ups they had to go through in training before they become masters, but I have personally seen these guys perform miracles. Why practice on your own car when a professional can do it right so easily. Well worth the money and you can charge it to your brother.

kenchan · #4 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 02:51 PM

Unless you have training don't do it on your own. You'll make it worse and make it that much harder for the PDR tech to fix when you give up. This is because you made the single impact point dent into a multiple impact wavey mess. Metal stretches and will be impossible to fix completely.

For me it took professional training and 3months intense practice before I could get larger dings out. It took another year or so to get 5"+ creases out. I use the same tools the pro's use.

Toughest is not so much pushing the dent out, it's getting proper access inside the panels with your tool. And being able to read where you are pushing while youre in a very odd position... It takes practice.

And no, I don't do pdr professionally and do not offer this service to locals. I use to, but don't have time these days...

justintime · #5 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 03:30 PM

My 2 yr old put a dent on the rear, about 1 inch above the rear tire. The PDR guy from Dent Wizard came yesterday , looked at it and said: impossible... cannot reach behind this area to push it out because it is double lined metal...

I looked closely, and he's right! If you stick your finger under and behind the panel there, you will notice there is in fact a second metal sheet, so no way to access the dented sheet from behind, arghhh!!!. If it had been a door he said no problem.

In fact, he then offered to take a dent out of my CRV (it only has one dent LOL after 8 years!) and he removed it entirely in 20 seconds. It's like magic as long as they can reach the metal from behind.

If your dent is in the same spot as mine, you're screwed!

SheepNutz · #6 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 04:17 PM

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll definitely leave this to the pros. Justin, my dent is about 3-4" above the wheel well. I guess I am screwed. Did it cost you anything to get dent wizard to come look at it?

GE8749EW · #7 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 04:28 PM

Just thought I'd share this video!

Fix a dent Video ? 5min.com

I don't know about the hair dryer, maybe something hotter like a heat gun set at low. Setting your car out in the hot sun would also do some good.

Look up the dry ice method too!

justintime · #8 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 04:29 PM

SheepNutz: The dealer where I purchased the Fit provided 1 free dent repair. I blew it with this one, oh well... at least I paid nothing!

kenchan · #9 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 05:37 PM

justintime- in your case, i would've pulled out my glue puller. plus, he had the option of trying through the tail lamp opening, drilling through the first layer if far enough from the gas filler area. but oh well.

justintime · #10 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 07:11 PM

Hi... you perform PDR? Yes the guy mentioned drilling from inside (he opened the door to show me where), but suggested best to NOT do it. And I agree, drilling..? No, I'd rather keep the ding!

Also, he told me he left his glue pullers, but would bring some in a week or two and try to pull it out for me since I was so disappointed... I forgot to mention that. But using plain 'push from inside PDR' was not possible...

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

justintime- in your case, i would've pulled out my glue puller. plus, he had the option of trying through the tail lamp opening, drilling through the first layer if far enough from the gas filler area. but oh well.

kenchan · #11 (**permalink**) 08-16-2009, 08:09 PM

yah, just on my own cars. lol

hope the glue works for ya.

depending on where the ding is i would drill a small hole for access as last resort. it's pretty normal for PDR. as long as you plug it up with a plug and some 3M seal, it's really no big deal. a lot of used cars have pdr drill holes if you look carefully.

hahaha.