f18pilot5

i have a a dent in my rear quarter panel i belive its called. its right there where the spare tire is but its hitting i guess a reinforcement on the body. that bar beween the spare tire and the outside body. ive posted some pictures. ive tryed to hammer it out but im not a body shop.. here are some pictures

GTA50

I'm not a professional by any means, but I have done quite a bit of body work on my cars. First off, clean off the paint as you will need to do that to apply filler (yes, you will need to do so). This will also let you assess the total damage.

Take some masking tape and match the body crease so you don't lose it.

Also, many people make the mistake of trying to beat out the worst of the damage first. But, the metal is stretched to the max there. You need to work from the edges in. That will gradually bring the center up closer to the original line.

The idea is that by the time you are finished with the pick and filing (LIGHT body hammer - yes the italics are meant to be there, as in don't use a ball peen) you should be within about 1/16" of the original body contour. Then you can apply filler, sand progressively (from 60 to 220 grit), prime, sand (up to 320 grit), guide coat (sand), and paint then clearcoat, then polish.

Very rough overview and the pro's will add their comments (and rightly so) and you can also search.

So, good luck and post some pics of how it works outl.

Mad_IROC-Z

Tht bar is just a place for the spare to attach to.
If you can get a board behind that bar try to place the edge of the board along the top or bottom side of the body line and push or hammer on the board.
Get most of the body line out and you can fine tune the rest.

Mad_IROC-Z

If he works from the outside edges going in he could easily lose that body line. Working on getting that body line out, you keep the line in tact and the rest of the dent will follow.
And that is in no way a bad stretch.
I would also leave taking any paint off until the dent is pretty well worked out. the gloss of it will help the person see the dent.

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

first things first, are u planning on doing it right or half a**??/ cuz if u want it done right u need a stud welder gun, slide hammer, body hammer and maybe a spoon (body wrk spoon, please dnt go to ur kitchen lol)

f18pilot5

my budget is zero. im just trying to get rid of this one so i can get a 91 t tops. im just trying ot get the most money out of the car. so since i dont have alot of tools i can try to use a hammer and a board if you guys agree.

Mad_IROC-Z

Since I have done auto body and paint professionally for over 25 years I would agree with the hammer and the board, also I have used a hammer and board many times in all those years so that is why I mentioned it.

You certainly don't need a stud gun. Besides the spare tire mount it is all open back there!

And since you're just trying to get it to look a little better a hammer on the metal directly will put lots of little dents in it. Try a board on areas you're working out. A board or something flat and wide will cover more area and if you don't go crazy it wont look as bad as a bunch of high spots.

native1031

I took a class on body work last year. The body hammer and a dolly will work best. A hammer and board can be used instead, but GOODLUCK. Put something softer around the board to minimise paint damage.

Personally I wouldnt suggest trying to just hit it out, because it mite come out looking worse. And ide rather see dents left alone and not half *** when im looking to buy a car.

Dont just wack it either. Use precision and go in circular motion so you dont get a concave dent.

Anyone is free to correct me. Im a beginner too but thats just what ive learned

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

Since we are professionals we know that every body man uses different methods than others, thats why i asked if he wanted it done right, i always use the stud gun to reduce the amount of filler used, and the spare tire mount its definitely on the way.



but anyways if i were you, like native1031 said i would of left it unmolested if your not gonna fix it right, whoever is gonna buy it is gonna low ball u anyways so just put a higher asking price considering how much the cars go for in your area

Mad_IROC-Z

Well since the OP had to ask here it is rather obvious that he is NOT a professional and not everyone wants to go out and buy body tools to fix one dent.
And a stud gun does not reduce the amount of filler used, A body man that knows how to use a hammer and dollies (or wood blocks) reduce the amount of filler used. If you can get to the back side a stud gun is a waste.
There is a better tool than a stud gun. It uses a ground clamp and welds the slide hammer onto the damaged area. The stud guns need to be pressed so the spring loaded tip goes in far enough to ground the outter ring and that is putting more inward pressure on the dent. But seeing how you're a professional you would know about the other dent puller tools.

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

im not gonna get into an argument about stuff like that, we're not in jr high anymore, if u wanna discuss, or put our knowledge to the test ur welcome to pm me whenever u want, if not thats also fine with me.

Now back to the topic

Mad_IROC-Z

I am certainly not going to PM you,
1, I don't like communicating with people that don't have the brains to spell out words completely, u no wat i mean?
2, I find it worthless trying to teach a tree stump new tricks.

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

Hahaha grammar class from some one who spells "boidy tools" but yeah i agree with "You" so i'm done here.

Mad_IROC-Z

What does grammar have to do with a typo. Being the "O" and "I" are next to each other on a Qwerty keyboard, two letter next to each other being typed out at the same time is bound to happen.
But I can put up with misspelled words. Even misused like "your" and "you're". But not the ignorance when a person cannot spell out either of those words and have to use "ur".
Public education system = Free
Looking like a tard by not showing any type of education = Priceless

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

camaro42

I'm not sure if i've learned anything about dent repair... but i have noticed that any "arguments" that occur on here end up being unintelligent bashing of one-another's grammar. Plenty of intelligent people don't type well, or spell well. And, believe it or not, not everyone cares about a few misspelled words as long as the poster is making a valid point or is attempting to help out a fellow f-body lover. "ur" is now an accepted form of spelling in the age of short-hand texting. it didn't start because of stupid people. It started because you're limited to 160 characters in a message, so why not free up a few by shortening a word.

And on to dent repair... I've always been told to start on the outer edge and work my way back in. I'm not very experienced with doing it myself, but that's what i've always been told. don't force the metal back too far to the point that you are above the natural curve of the body and leave room for filler. Maintain the original line and take your time. Small steps make for small corrections when a mistake is made.

native1031

Its in our nature to be dominate over others.

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

Yup you just gotta be smart enough to know when is time to stop...

juanillox8

iTrader: (7)

f18pilot5 Just an idea, why dnt u just test the waters and see how much u get witht the car as is, because u still gonna have to buy some materials.

Mad_IROC-Z

This is not buddies texting each other. It is a forum. Other forums I have been in did not find "text" acceptable. It is not acceptable in every day life. Are you going to use text when typing out a resume to save some ink and space on the page.
And I don't text because I cant stand reading it. That is why I told the other poster I was not going to PM him. I don't communicate personally in that way.

As for the dent, always starting on the outside working in is not always true. Like I stated to the OP, work the line and the rest should follow. Years of experience also puts years of tricks up your sleeve.

camaro42

I give up... good luck with that banged up rear f18pilot5. I hope it all goes well. post pics.

native1031

No we don't use txting during resumes or papers or speeches or anything important.



Good luck

camaro42

When I said "acceptable spelling", I meant in random online meanderings and casual conversation writings. Not that you'd find "ur" in Webster's dictionary. We all now what it means when we see it. And I agree that "text speak" is annoying to read if it's overused. i.e: "C u L8tr". Peace offering, truce, and let's commence thirdgen topical discussion.

scottmoyer

Ignoring all of the arguing here......

There are many ways to remove the dent. The first thing you need to do is not push so hard on the deepest part of the dent. I can see many high spots and cracked paint from pushing too much. You can remove a lot of what was the original dent by gradually working down the crown that is holding the dent in place. Your 4th picture shows the crown clearly. The crown is holding the dent because it has created a new body line which is very tight compared to a flat panel. DO NOT HIT HARD. gradually tap down the crown applying a light pressure to the inside and as the crown is relieved, the majority of the dent will come out on it's own.

Metal is similar to water in that for all of the lows, a wave is created which makes a high. Most people jump right in to the center of the dent, creating more damage than originally there. Relieve the outside pressure and the center will usually come back alot easier.

white gold 88

If you look hard at his pics it looks like that yellow primer on there. Maybe a coat of filler too. If that's the case then all bets are off on repair so to speak. You can either grind on the outside or look very hard at the inside of the panel to check for previous repair. Can just gouge it with a knife in a few spots, needs repair anyway.

Depending on your area and what you are looking for a shop should be able to repair the panel for under 400. Close guess in my area. Paint would be extra and could be a pain for painter as there isn't a cut off line on 1/4. JMO