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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 11, 2020 21:58:56 GMT -5
Has anyone here had a PDR done, maybe due to hail damage or something a little more serious?
I backed into a truck's bumper with our Buick, and we haven't had an insurance claim in years. but we recently changed insurance companies, so I'd rather not put in a claim. I tried to find someone in this area that could do a PDR, but I'm not having much luck. So I started researching what's involved, and I watched several videos on it. Now that I'm "officially trained", I've decided to try it myself. I bought a PDR kit and I'll be trying it out as soon as the weather clears up. Even if it doesn't come out "perfect", it's got to look better than it does now. The alternative was either $500 deductible plus increased rates, or paying a large repair bill out of pocket.
Has anyone here tried a PDR themself? I don't really want to be the guinea pig, but if necessary, I'll "take one for the team." 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
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Post by Dr Bass MD on Feb 11, 2020 22:54:52 GMT -5
I wouldn’t do it myself, but have had it done by a pro.
Worth every penny. I’d challenge anyone to find the repair on the company sled.
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Ryder
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Butterscotch Blues
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Post by Ryder on Feb 12, 2020 8:42:31 GMT -5
No experience here. We have no dents. I usually almost total a vehicle when getting dents.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 12, 2020 9:07:02 GMT -5
No experience here. We have no dents. I usually almost total a vehicle when getting dents. Lol, been there, done that! Not in quite a few years though.
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Post by Laker on Feb 12, 2020 15:33:05 GMT -5
When I had my Yukon it was dented up in a hail storm and insurance paid for “paintless” dent removal. The people that do that use kind of specialized tools so it seems that without proper training it would be questionable to accomplish. Something else to consider is that a dent from hail does not crease the edge of the indent so it is quite a bit easier to pop out than a dent from contact with a hard/shaped surface.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 12, 2020 18:32:06 GMT -5
Thanks Laker. I've considered all the above and I've already purchased a kit of special tools, enough to get it looking much better than it looks right now. There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be able to do that. Getting it to look perfect is another matter, and that's not my goal. My goal is to get it as good as I can, without turning in an insurance claim.
A crease isn't a show stopper, I watched videos where they fixed dents that were quite a bit worse than mine. Depending on how it turns out, I may post before and after pics later on.
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Shoes
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Post by Shoes on Feb 12, 2020 18:50:55 GMT -5
I have had dentless paint repair.
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Post by Laker on Feb 12, 2020 21:38:27 GMT -5
Thanks Laker. I've considered all the above and I've already purchased a kit of special tools, enough to get it looking much better than it looks right now. There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be able to do that. Getting it to look perfect is another matter, and that's not my goal. My goal is to get it as good as I can, without turning in an insurance claim. A crease isn't a show stopper, I watched videos where they fixed dents that were quite a bit worse than mine. Depending on how it turns out, I may post before and after pics later on. Good luck with your project!
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Post by neilp on Feb 13, 2020 9:54:39 GMT -5
About 15 years ago the Mustang I had at the time was caught in a hail storm. Hundreds, likely thousands, of small pea to quarter size dents. I got quotes from traditional and PDR places and opted for the PDR. After paying for the repairs I ended up about $1500 ahead as my insurance assumed that you would use a regular body shop. The work was great. They use heat to help with the process and one area started to show the repair after a few months of Texas sun if you looked at _just_ the right angle. They fixed it and the car looked perfect ever after. I would not hesitate to use PDR again.
I've looked into doing it myself for other needs but I think it's one of those things that looks a lot easier than it is ... and takes a lot of practice. Professional PDR is not the expensive if you shop around. I'd go that route personally! Good luck!
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Ryder
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Post by Ryder on Feb 13, 2020 10:18:50 GMT -5
I was visiting my daughter years ago helping her move when a freak hailstorm hit. The garage was so full I couldn’t get my car inside. I just stood there and watched my Honda get beat up badly. It was totaled, the insurance paid me and I sold it, as is, and bought a pickup truck. I didn’t even consider PDR at that time.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 13, 2020 11:13:34 GMT -5
I was visiting my daughter years ago helping her move when a freak hailstorm hit. The garage was so full I couldn’t get my car inside. I just stood there and watched my Honda get beat up badly. It was totaled, the insurance paid me and I sold it, as is, and bought a pickup truck. I didn’t even consider PDR at that time. I don't know how long PDR has been around, but the only reason I'm even aware of it is because a friend of mine took a course in it a few years ago. I was under the impression he was going to start a business doing this, but he never did.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 13, 2020 11:19:34 GMT -5
About 15 years ago the Mustang I had at the time was caught in a hail storm. Hundreds, likely thousands, of small pea to quarter size dents. I got quotes from traditional and PDR places and opted for the PDR. After paying for the repairs I ended up about $1500 ahead as my insurance assumed that you would use a regular body shop. The work was great. They use heat to help with the process and one area started to show the repair after a few months of Texas sun if you looked at _just_ the right angle. They fixed it and the car looked perfect ever after. I would not hesitate to use PDR again. I've looked into doing it myself for other needs but I think it's one of those things that looks a lot easier than it is ... and takes a lot of practice. Professional PDR is not the expensive if you shop around. I'd go that route personally! Good luck! This is good advice! But, I've already invested in the tools, they're supposed to arrive today. I wouldn't try it on someone else's car, but I'm not afraid to try it on my own. It will definitely be a learning experience. I have plenty of time, and hopefully enough patience, and I do have a good heat gun already. The tools were $76, not much of an investment. My wife's car has some dings in it also, that I hope to be able to remove.
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Ryder
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Post by Ryder on Feb 13, 2020 11:34:00 GMT -5
About 15 years ago the Mustang I had at the time was caught in a hail storm. Hundreds, likely thousands, of small pea to quarter size dents. I got quotes from traditional and PDR places and opted for the PDR. After paying for the repairs I ended up about $1500 ahead as my insurance assumed that you would use a regular body shop. The work was great. They use heat to help with the process and one area started to show the repair after a few months of Texas sun if you looked at _just_ the right angle. They fixed it and the car looked perfect ever after. I would not hesitate to use PDR again. I've looked into doing it myself for other needs but I think it's one of those things that looks a lot easier than it is ... and takes a lot of practice. Professional PDR is not the expensive if you shop around. I'd go that route personally! Good luck! This is good advice! But, I've already invested in the tools, they're supposed to arrive today. I wouldn't try it on someone else's car, but I'm not afraid to try it on my own. It will definitely be a learning experience. I have plenty of time, and hopefully enough patience, and I do have a good heat gun already. The tools were $76, not much of an investment. My wife's car has some dings in it also, that I hope to be able to remove. I say go for it. You play well so you can do this well too! The right tool always helps!
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Post by neilp on Feb 13, 2020 14:04:23 GMT -5
Please let us know how it goes. I will admit while I will tackle just about anything mechanical on a vehicle, bodywork and paint give me pause. There's a scratch on the tank of one of my Harleys and it drives me nuts. I've been contemplating getting some touch up paint for ages. On balance, while it annoys the heck out of me now, I know it would annoy me far more if I did not achieve a near perfect repair. So it remains!
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 13, 2020 14:15:47 GMT -5
This is good advice! But, I've already invested in the tools, they're supposed to arrive today. I wouldn't try it on someone else's car, but I'm not afraid to try it on my own. It will definitely be a learning experience. I have plenty of time, and hopefully enough patience, and I do have a good heat gun already. The tools were $76, not much of an investment. My wife's car has some dings in it also, that I hope to be able to remove. I say go for it. You play well so you can do this well too! The right tool always helps! Thanks for the compliment! I really feel like I don't have much to lose, it looks pretty bad right now!
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 13, 2020 14:19:59 GMT -5
Please let us know how it goes. I will admit while I will tackle just about anything mechanical on a vehicle, bodywork and paint give me pause. There's a scratch on the tank of one of my Harleys and it drives me nuts. I've been contemplating getting some touch up paint for ages. On balance, while it annoys the heck out of me now, I know it would annoy me far more if I did not achieve a near perfect repair. So it remains! I will post results here later, it may be a few days because our weather isn't cooperating. I don't have a way to post pics right now, but I should be able to find a site for that. A scratch is a different story though. I'm not sure which looks worse, a scratch or a lousy touch up job.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 13, 2020 15:52:45 GMT -5
Here is a link with pics of the damage I'll be attempting to repair. Good thing I enjoy a challenge. Poor Buick!
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hilltop87
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Post by hilltop87 on Feb 13, 2020 16:44:49 GMT -5
I bought that Nu Finish Scratch Doctor stuff. It did not work.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 13, 2020 17:08:26 GMT -5
I bought that Nu Finish Scratch Doctor stuff. It did not work. Sorry to hear it! Thanks for the heads up! I won't be trying that then.
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Post by neilp on Feb 14, 2020 11:45:31 GMT -5
Here is a link with pics of the damage I'll be attempting to repair. Good thing I enjoy a challenge. Poor Buick!I don't think that is a candidate for PDR. Small door dings yes, but I've always been told that anything with a crease in the panel is not going to come out.
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Post by Laker on Feb 14, 2020 14:36:10 GMT -5
You might get better results with a drain plunger with a dent that large, however, the crease will probably still be quite identifiable.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 14, 2020 16:05:16 GMT -5
Here is a link with pics of the damage I'll be attempting to repair. Good thing I enjoy a challenge. Poor Buick!I don't think that is a candidate for PDR. Small door dings yes, but I've always been told that anything with a crease in the panel is not going to come out. In this case, you're right, I won't get the crease out with the tools I purchased. I'm just trying to get the big dent out. But, I did watch a video where they got rid of a crease, also. The guy was obviously experienced.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 14, 2020 16:14:11 GMT -5
You might get better results with a drain plunger with a dent that large, however, the crease will probably still be quite identifiable. That's funny! Because part of the dent kept popping back in when I tried to remove the glue that's used with the repair kit I purchased. Frustrating! The last thing I did, after getting the glue off, was get the plunger out of the bathroom to pull it back out. And it worked! I did get (most of) the largest dent out, after 4 hours of work. Yes the crease is still there, and so far it doesn't look as good as I had hoped it would. I would call it a good learning experience, so far. Lots of trial and error! I will have to decide if I want to go further with the repair, because it would require purchasing additional tools. It's already to the point where a lot of people won't even notice the dent though. People without their glasses on, blind people, etc. In process, or done?
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Post by Laker on Feb 14, 2020 19:57:19 GMT -5
You might get better results with a drain plunger with a dent that large, however, the crease will probably still be quite identifiable. That's funny! Because part of the dent kept popping back in when I tried to remove the glue that's used with the repair kit I purchased. Frustrating! The last thing I did, after getting the glue off, was get the plunger out of the bathroom to pull it back out. And it worked! I did get (most of) the largest dent out, after 4 hours of work. Yes the crease is still there, and so far it doesn't look as good as I had hoped it would. I would call it a good learning experience, so far. Lots of trial and error! I will have to decide if I want to go further with the repair, because it would require purchasing additional tools. It's already to the point where a lot of people won't even notice the dent though. People without their glasses on, blind people, etc. In process, or done?I, being the anal guy I am when it comes to cars, couldn’t leave that alone. I’d be covering the surface with something soft and putting a dolly behind it (if possible) and working it a tad more with a flat utility body hammer. If you’re satisfied with what you have you should maybe leave it alone...it’s just the perfectionist in me that would keep at it.
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 15, 2020 5:31:06 GMT -5
I, being the anal guy I am when it comes to cars, couldn’t leave that alone. I’d be covering the surface with something soft and putting a dolly behind it (if possible) and working it a tad more with a flat utility body hammer. If you’re satisfied with what you have you should maybe leave it alone...it’s just the perfectionist in me that would keep at it. Oh, believe me, I'm right there with ya! I'm glad I made some progress, and I've only got about 4 hours into it so far. I'm also glad that I haven't damaged the paint, so far. Just a few spots that need to be buffed out, but they were there from the initial hit. The sheet metal is so flimsy that it doesn't do what you think it will, just using the pullers I purchased. Many times, it just pops back after pulling, also. There are PDR training videos that show how to remove a crease. I'll go back and watch them again, study the tools that they're using, look into the cost of them, etc. They also use lights that cast stripes onto the car, making it easier to see the high and low spots, etc. I'll probably be looking into the cost of those, also.
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Post by digiboy on Feb 15, 2020 9:16:45 GMT -5
Guess I'm not much of a car guy.
Every time I scroll through the thread titles
what I see here is:
"Painless Dental Repair"
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Ryder
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Post by Ryder on Feb 15, 2020 9:53:28 GMT -5
I’m kind of a perfectionist too. I’m afraid I’d go too far trying to make it perfect. Then I would be real frustrated. I’d be studying those videos too.
Its looking pretty good Bill. I don’t know what you do next but I do know what you mean by the sheet metal being so flexible. I’ve leaned up against our Honda and was surprised, looking for a dent I may have made. It just kind of popped back out.
Good Luck!
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Post by walshb 🦒 on Feb 15, 2020 20:15:27 GMT -5
Today, I watched some more PDR training videos, and I decided to tackle "the crease". I didn't purchase any additional tools, I just used things that came in the kit I purchased. I still have a long way to go, but I did get a lot of the crease out. About 3 or 4 more hours of work today, but I got a late start, so these pics were taken in the garage because it was too dark outside when I quit working on it. There are a lot of reflections in the pics, so the car may or may not look better than what you see here. But definitely better than yesterday's results. Edit: I added a few outdoor pics this morning, so it's easier to see what I have left to repair. Working on the crease
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2020 22:19:03 GMT -5
Guess I'm not much of a car guy.
Every time I scroll through the thread titles
what I see here is:
"Painless Dental Repair"
I hear ya. I thought I saw “Pantless Dent Repair”.
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Post by rkstrat on Feb 15, 2020 22:23:42 GMT -5
I just had a dent in the hood of my Lexus repaired with PDR. It cost $125 and is invisible.
Not sure how it happened, but it is gone.
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