How to Repair Dents on Cars

Nothing ruins a car’s good looks than a dent on its body. Whether it is big or small, dealing with a dent on your car can also cause a dent on just about anybody’s day. Fortunately, there are ways to undo these unsightly bumps without causing your pocket dents. Keep in mind, however, that not all do-it-yourself methods can repair every type of bumps and dents. A trip to the auto shop might be required for larger and complicated dents. This article provides some methods on how to repair simple dents on cars.

Required Materials

• dent pulling kit or tool
• dolly
• metalworking hammer
• sandpaper
• touch-up car paint
• spray primer for cars
• medium surface-conditioning disk
• drill with 1/8-inch drill bit
• body filler
• block of wood

Steps to Repair Dents on Cars

1. Drill a hole at the center of the dent using a 1/8-inch drill bit. Alternatively, use the hot glue gun that comes with some dent repairing kits to glue the plastic adaptor to the center of the dent.
2. Insert the dent pulling tool into the hole. If you have glued the plastic adaptor in the center of the dent, fasten it to the plastic adaptor. Pull on the dent pulling tool to pop out or flatten the dent.
3. Place the dolly at the back of the dent. Use a metalworking hammer to hammer the front of the dent.
4. Grind the paint down to bare metal with a medium grit disk attached on a drill. Enlarge the area out about an inch around the dent itself. Fill the area with body filler.
5. Let the body filler completely dry before sanding the area. Wrap the sandpaper around a block of wood to make sanding easier. Start with a 36-grit sandpaper and refine with a 120-grit sandpaper.
6. Prime the area with a spray primer. Coat the area six times, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next coat.
7. Sand the primer with a 600-grit sandpaper to remove scratches. Use both wet and dry sandpapers for this step. Furnish the area with automotive paint of the same color.