Discovering that your car has a dent is rarely a pleasant experience. “Patina” is a term that is only used and appreciated in the context of classic automobiles.
On the other hand, everyday vehicles are susceptible to losing value whenever a dent is present.
It is possible to save money by performing the work on your vehicle rather than taking it to a professional body shop to have the entire exterior refinished.
In this piece, we will provide some pointers on how to get rid of dents in your vehicle.
The Rules: Do’s and Don’ts
Dents in automobiles are defined as “small indentations in the outer sheet metal.” A non-specialist cannot repair accident damage or even a frame that has become deformed.
In general, repairing a dent will be a lot simpler if the outer edges of the ding are softer and more rounded. On the other hand, the improvised fixes could not work if the border is ragged and curved.
The difficulty that comes with clearcoat
Bodywork dents do not always mean the painting has been compromised. Clearcoats used on modern cars are highly elastic, so it may be possible to repair a dent without painting the affected area.
However, heat is the most critical factor in determining how successfully a dent can be removed. The porous and crack-prone cold varnish has a thin consistency.
Because of this, a dent should always be treated with sufficient heat to enable the paint to adjust to the movements of the sheet metal.
Dents in automobiles can be repaired in one of two ways: by pulling them out or pressing on them from the inside.
When approaching them from behind, there is a more significant opportunity to apply the necessary force.
However, a large number of the components will need to be taken apart. It might be challenging to use enough effort to remove a dent from a surface without chipping or ruining the paint.
As a result, a vacuum is always utilized when dealing with this situation. It is also possible, under certain conditions, to work with glue; however, when removing the remnants of your work, you will need extreme caution.
The first thing that came to mind was hot water.
It is recommended that you rinse the surface of the dent with hot water, preferably boiling water, before attempting to repair it with any tool.
If we succeed, the sheet metal will eventually relax and resume its original form. This method is also effective for repairing plastic bumpers.
In any event, the hot water temperature provides sufficient heat to soften the paint and the base material.
The plunger was the tool of choice for the second attempt
If the dent is significant enough to be removed with a plunger (something brand new! ), it is already in good condition to be repaired successfully.
The dent is first treated with hot water, then the plunger is positioned over it, and a strong pull is applied. It is possible to effectively repair large, flat dents by using this method in most situations.
More minor dents require a smaller suction cup. For instance, suction cups on mobile device mounts are an excellent choice.
Suction cups on high-quality mounts are typically designed to exert significant force on thin metal sheets despite their compact size and strength.
You can also look for “suction cups for heavy loads” in the trade, which typically only cost a few euros each. Another option is to look for “suction cups for light loads” in the business.
Assault from the rear position
If these approaches do not produce the desired result, the dent should be worked on from the back end.
It is also possible to pull the dent out by applying hot glue or Loctite over the area where the pattern is. However, there is a possibility that the paint will become damaged.
If the car is only receiving spot repairs rather than complete polishing, then the time to devote to the other side of the vehicle has long since arrived. The following items are required for this:
- 1 Hot air dryer
- 1 Device that can be used to peel away the inner lining
- 1 Rubber hammer
- 1 bar made of plastic or wood with a rounded end and a diameter of approximately 5 centimeters
Before anything else, the inner lining is stripped away.
Initially, the inner lining is stripped away. It is highly recommended that you use a disassembly tool designed for professionals.
The smaller levers only cost about 5$ each, approximately. They are helpful in that the rivets and clips on the door panels can be loosened with their assistance without the panels being split.
Caution: During the assembly process, the plastic foil behind the door panel must be re-adhered in its original position.
If you don’t do this, water will get inside the next time you take your car to the car wash.
After the dent has been exposed, it is then heated for the first step in the process. You can accomplish this task from the inside as long as there are no plastic components in the immediate area.
If that is not possible, it is best to heat the sheet metal from the outside to ensure everyone’s safety. To prevent the paint from catching fire too quickly, keep at least 15 centimeters of the distance between the two.
When the sheet metal is hot and the dent is accessible, begin working on it by making gentle strokes from the edge toward the center of the pattern.
Use the round bar, the rounded end of which can be positioned wherever you need it to be if you find it difficult to reach the edge of the platform.
After that, use the rubber hammer to tap the opposite end of the bar carefully. Always make sure you are working in a circle.
This leads to the most successful outcomes. At some point, the dent will start to disappear, and the object will revert, at least partially, to its original shape.
The following is the most critical step in removing dents from a vehicle: Less is more!
The use of gentle strokes prevents unnecessary damage and speeds up the process of reaching the desired outcome.
Partial success is also a success
If the dent cannot be repaired using the methods described, the painting will need to be done. With each millimeter that the pattern has been smoothed out, the amount of putty required decreases.
The repair will be more straightforward and long-lasting if the leveling coat is applied in a thinner layer. Putty that has been used in thick layers often peels away.
In addition, they have a propensity to collect water, which can result in severe rust damage that frequently goes unnoticed for a considerable time.
Sand, grind, and fix it up.
Therefore, a smoother and less lumpy dent contributes to a reduction in the thickness of the putty layer.
Sanding the varnish, lightly or thoroughly, is done just before applying the putty. After that, a coat of primer is put on.
It is highly recommended that a complete masking job be performed on everything because the paint is already being sprayed.
A paint repair that covers the entire surface from edge to edge is always the best option. On the surface, a clean transition is tough, if not impossible, to achieve.
Masking is best accomplished with ribs and edges. It is also possible to apply the new clearcoat to larger cars and more minor spots in the comfort of one’s home.
You must always use precise color in this situation. Upon presenting the documentation required for vehicle registration, the dealer will be able to provide you with this.
Alternative to the process of lacquering
Before lacquering a car, the surface must be massaged as part of the preparation process.
One should give some thought to the desired refinishing or repair before beginning. It is possible to save a significant amount of money by bringing the vehicle to the body shop after it has been wholly puttied, smoothed, and sanded.
If everything is well masked and critical parts (tail lights, etc.) have been removed, the refinisher will have a short time with their work.
When it comes to more mature vehicles, on the other hand, this constitutes an investment of more than one thousand euros.
Painting the car may still be the most elegant and cost-effective method to remove one or more dents from the vehicle.
However, if the entire car requires a makeover, there is an alternative to repainting the vehicle that can be done instead.
Finalizing produces results very similar to those of applying a new clear coat.
The benefit is that any handyman with some talent and some practice will eventually be able to carry it out, regardless of how much talent they have.
However, just like a new coating, the quality of a film is determined by the quality of the surface to which it is applied.
To successfully vinyl coat a car, it is necessary to carefully remove dents from the vehicle and apply putty in the appropriate amounts.
It is typically learned much earlier than the proper handling of a spray gun, even though it is not easy.
A factor to take into account before the sale
Several hundred euros can increase the value of a vehicle by applying a new paint job free of dents.
Therefore, investing a Saturday in dent removal yields immediate returns on investment. If the same amount of effort is put into preparing the car’s interior, the car’s value will increase even further.
It’s hard to resist getting behind the wheel when you see a car that looks brand new, has been meticulously cleaned and features spotless carpets and shelves.
If you are looking to sell a car, this is something that you should take advantage of.
