My car was covered in dirt and salt so I washed it today, and immediately noticed a small dent in my driver's door from some uncaring individual who obviously hit it with their door in a parking lot.

Grrr...

So, do those suction cup dent removers work, or do I need a body shop?

Mike

 

The suction cup things don't work, from what I've heard. Maybe only on extra large rounded dings with no crease.

What size is your dent? Or is it a ding? If it's a ding that's not on a crease or doesn't have a crease then research your area for a "Paintless dent removal". As a kind of art form, it's crucial to find a technician that does great work where you won't find evidence of the ding after it's done.

 

Take a pic and let us see it.
The suction cup is ok for a large dent without any ridges in the dent. Kinda like a bow in the metal like a pressure dent, the suction cup works well. the dent in a parking lot is usally takes a dolly and hammer to remove or a trip to the Dent Dr. Sorry to hear about the mishap.

 

More of a ding really, only an inch across. I should take a pic...

I'm seriously considering side mouldings now to prevent this.

 

How to repair a dent in your car with canned air. [VIDEO]

Check out this fix method

 

I never understand the idea of applying a side molding. For me, and let me iterate that...FOR ME, my tastes, side moldings destroy the clean appearance of today's cars, so which is worse - applying moldings to both sides of the car, although you're not sure you'll be dinged, or fixing dings as they come?

Plus, one would have to apply the moulding at the most prominent apex of the body side to catch the swinging door. BUT, there's no guarantee that a offending door's apex will meet where you applied the molding.

 

I got my first one this summer, door ding. Still not sure how it happened, I park in the middle of nowhere, had to be my wife's fault...

Anyways, I took it to a couple shops that do ding repairs and they took it out for $50.

I was certainly concerned how it would look on my black car, but it looks great, it was easily worth the cash for me to have it done right.

Side molding wouldn't have helped where this one got me.

Good luck.

 

At 5500 miles, my Fit has 3 dings, in a row, exactly on the character line of the passenger rear door. At home I have a carport, and when I'm out I have been extremely cautious how I park. I search for those spots up against a curb and then almost scrape my wheels getting close. Doesn't seem to help. I'm getting me a set of effing side moldings.

 

The Fit moldings look good.

 

Not to me.

 

Yea me neither.

For some reason in the side shot of your car my eyes are immediately drawn to the moldings sharp lines. Could be the shadowing or the angle but i'll pass on the moldings.



Clay

 

A before and after.

 

I don't mind the looks, myself. I'm just hoping I can get the dings popped cheaply w/out needing paint. I know I'll get more dings eventually - and not on the character line. I just am a bit crushed by how quickly the "new" got taken away from the left side of my baby.

 

:werd:

Totally agree.

(serious lack of smilies here... )

 

Once again, right on track. Don't know how they do it (method) but assuming the ding has no serious creasing, any of these guys should be able to do it for less that $100 easily.

 

wonder did anyone else hav tried this before with their dents?