I used to think a quick sand and spray was fine for small dents

This old guy named Frank at a trade show in Cleveland last year saw me looking at a cheap dent puller. He said, 'Son, you're just moving the problem around. You gotta get the metal right first or it'll ghost back in six months.' He showed me on a practice panel how to work the low spots with a spoon and dolly, not just fill it. I tried his way on a 2018 Civic fender last week, and the repair is holding way better. How do you guys handle those small but tricky door dings?

3 comments

3 Comments

richard_young803d ago

@kimw57 I hear you saying it's too much work, but that's where you're wrong. Frank was right about the metal. A quick fill just hides the low spot, it doesn't fix it. The tension is still in the panel. That's why it ghosts back later. For a lasting job, you have to work the metal smooth first, even on small dings. It's not overcomplicating it, it's doing it right.

kimw573d ago

Honestly? That sounds like way too much work for a simple door ding. I've been doing the sand and spray method on small stuff for years and never had a ghosting problem. You really think a grocery cart tap needs all that hammering? Sometimes the old school way just overcomplicates things.

abbyp613d ago

Seriously? It's a tiny dent, not a museum restoration. If it looks fine and the customer's happy, that's the whole point.