Tell Me About Paintless Dent Repair

[Qs Laptop]

I came out of the grocery store yesterday and saw the dent in my 2018 Ram 1500, with grocery cart nearby.



The paint is unbroken. The dent is elliptical shaped about 1" long, 3/4" wide.

Please share your experiences and knowledge of paintless dent repair.

 

[Samething]

I had it done a few years ago. It was remarkable. Absolutely no visible evidence of the repair when completed. Your dent looks a bit deeper than mine was at the bottom. If I remember correctly I paid $75. Money well spent. Good luck.

 

[pb4uski]

I've had a number of dings repaired. It is amazing. Essentially the guys uses various tools and sort of massages the sheet metal back to what it was.

 

[Time2]

I've had a number of dings repaired. It is amazing. Essentially the guys uses various tools and sort of massages the sheet metal back to what it was.

Watch some Youtube videos of paintless repair. These guys can do amazing work.
This is a nice one, very tedious work though.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've done a little of this with paintless dent repair kits that work pretty well on small dings/dents like that (hail dings too)... Particularly when the paint isn't damaged like yours seems... I think I paid under $100 for my kit and it's reusable.... Plenty of utube DIY's using these kits.


Reminds me, I've got a couple I need to work on.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I've done a little of this with paintless dent repair kits that work pretty well on small dings/dents like that (hail dings too)... Particularly when the paint isn't damaged like yours seems... I think I paid under $100 for my kit and it's reusable.... Plenty of utube DIY's using these kits.


Reminds me, I've got a couple I need to work on.

Your screen name speaks volumes. I can tell from the videos that paintless dent repair is somewhat of an artform. I think I'll leave it to the pros.

 

[Car-Guy]

Your screen name speaks volumes. I can tell from the videos that paintless dent repair is somewhat of an artform. I think I'll leave it to the pros.

Well you did ask.... It's really not that hard, but I can understand someones reluctance that hasn't messed with this sort of thing. On the bright side, a pro "shouldn't" charge you that much for such a small ding.

 

[CRLLS]

My dad had that done on a VW beetle rear fender back around 1970, well before the PDR bandwagon was around. An old school bodyman at the VW dealer did it! No paint, just push the metal back where it wanted to be.

Your little ding looks to be a prime candidate for a pro for low bucks. I wouldn't bother trying to do this myself on a nice car. I've tried removing a dent or2 or 3 in an old gas tank with a little success. Nothing anywhere close to acceptable for a visible area like yours. The kit that Car-Guy mentioned would cost about what the pro would might do it for. Just guessing. And I am a car guy too. Just not much good on finish bodywork.

 

[freedomatlast]

If you buy the kit and try it yourself, the key is take time to find optimal lighting. Fluorescent at the sides works well. Also, work around the outsides of the dent slowly and work your way in. Don't be in a hurry.

 

[Midpack]

I've had a number of dings repaired. It is amazing. Essentially the guys uses various tools and sort of massages the sheet metal back to what it was.

+1, it is amazing! I’d only add that the sooner you have the dent repaired, the better and higher the probability of success. Do it right away! If you let the ding sit for months, the paint may crack (the opportunity is lost then) and metal loses its “memory” - and that’s an integral part of what makes paintless dent repair work.

 

[Big_Hitter]

that's a deep one - pdr place may charge $150 to pull it?

 

[Big_Hitter]

I've had a number of dings repaired. It is amazing. Essentially the guys uses various tools and sort of massages the sheet metal back to what it was.

same - no way I would try that myself, I would just make it worse

those guys are pros

 

[Sunset]

OP - You have other choices:

• Ignore it, as there will be more later.
• Install some stick on molding along the vehicle right at that height, to cover the ding and protect from the next shopping trip.

stick on sounds lousy, but I put some molding on my van and it has lasted perfectly for 6 years. Cost for mine was $20 on Amazon.

 

[badatmath]

I thought it worked great, done by a pro.

 

[Ian S]

I've had it done on a couple of cars and highly recommend it. In both cases, the repair was invisible. Have it assessed by a dent repair guy for sure.