I've got a whole bunch of door dings, (some very tiny), on the crest of both doors on my '83. I've taken it to a couple of PDR guys who tell me that they don't have room behind the support to work out the dings. One guy quoted me $850 to go around the whole car IF I remove the door panels for him ahead of time.

I know we've got afew PDR guys here. So, what's the trick?

 

Experience. And the right tools.


Ive done body work for a few years and have dabbled in PDR but I still can very rarely remove a dent by massaging it.

Ive done a few easy dents with using 134a and then a heat gun. And a few with high strength suction, but I fail when it comes to the tight dents and a tool.

 

leave your car outside all day during a hot summer day and then take dry ice and hold it super close to the dent....sometimes they literally "pop" out i watched my buddies grandpa do it to his Caddy is was pretty cool but sometimes not its worth a shot

 

Yeah. The dent just popped in so it'll also just pop out!!!

The problem you are experiencing is that the dents sound like their behind a brace. If that's the case, they are more difficult to access and the traditional PDR guy is in business to crank the work out and move on to the next job. If it takes too long, they are losing money. There is room behind the brace to get the dents out. I've done it plenty. Dry ice and heat will not fix the dent. By doing that, you are playing with the chance to have the paint separate from the panel. Not really a risk I'm willing to take. The trick is having the right tool and the patience to re work the metal into the correct shape. If the dents aren't removed correctly and you use these "tricks", there will always be remnants of the dents and you won't have a smooth, straight panel.

The technique is also different from traditional body work so most body guys and gals don't have the proper training to accomplish it. I'll bet most body shops have a PDR tool set because they sent a guy for training but couldn't get it down. It isn't easy and takes a long time to get good.

 

You are correct. I think the PDR guys I've tried, figured they'd knock the whole car out in 30 minutes and didn't want to proceed further after they realized it would take longer. What's the best approach to get behind the brace? Is it better to approach from above or below?

 

Depends. There are precision tools to access the dent from both areas dependent on where the dent is located. There are some tools to squeeze between the brace and door panel to get at stuff right in the middle. Usually if there is glue securing the panel to the brace, certain tools will "cut" the glue to allow the work to be done. When completed, the tool should be heated, stuck back in where the "cut" was made and pulled back out to allow the glue to fuse itself together again.

A benefit of being an ex full time PDR guy is that I have another full time job and do this on the side. It's not a skill that can be learned in a part time environment. By doing this on the side, I can take the time needed to do it right. I work by word of mouth and specialize in show cars. I spent 2.5 hours on a single dent in the rear quarter of a convertible Easter Sunday. The dent wasn't very big, but the access was so restricted that it took that long to get it right. Most PDR guys would've walked away or drilled a hole for access. I DON'T DRILL!! Especially, not on a show car!

 

It's too bad you don't live in the Chicago area Scott. I'd be giving you a call!

 

Scott, if you ever travel through Alabama I've got a small dent in a front fender I would hire you to fix!

 

hey, i live in chicagoland, and could use you to look at very minor dings...