Door Ding Removal

[Filmcutter]

Some careless ass opened his door into the back panel of my '07 MINI. Looks like there is a very, very minor indentation and possibly some minor paint loss. However when I look at it in good light the dig might only be into the clear coat. Right now I'm praying it is. Where his door made contact there are some small white areas. Not sure if that's from his door or a dig into my paint. I'm taking it back to the dealership Wednesday for them to fix it.

Any thoughts on how I might be able to repair such a thing myself? And how perfect can a dealership make repairs? I essentially don't want to see any imperfections or heavy swirl marks when they are done and I'm kinda sweating bullets about it. Want to make the right decision.

[MLPearson79]

Hopefully it's paint from his car. If it is, it will polish out with no problem.

The dent could probably be removed by PDR for under $100, if it's in the right area and the paint is not damaged. Look up "paintless dent removal" in the Yellow Pages or get a referral. The dealer will charge you through the nose.

[muggy]

I'm in the same boat as you, someone dinged my rear quarter pretty bad...like there's a pit in the paint there. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[gokartride]

Originally Posted by Filmcutter

Any thoughts on how I might be able to repair such a thing myself? And how perfect can a dealership make repairs?

I doubt you can do this yourself, and if the clear coat is damaged then PDR is out. I think the dealer can fix it, but tell them up front about your concern for swirls. From what I can tell, too many body shops are inept at delivering a quality finish, so you'll have to watchdog this one. If you have the discussion up front you may have a better chance of success. Ask them if you bring the car back for a touch up if you see something later that you're not happy with. It may look great from one lighting angle, but lousy in different light.

[kenchan]

i hate dings. ive had doors, bumpers, UPS trucks, shopping carts fly
into my cars over years.

anyway, it sounds like the dent can be pushed out. paint will probably be
able to be polished out. PDR is a little tricky for beginners. it's probably
best to have a pro do it for you. don't touch it or try pushing it out yourself
cause if you miss the affected area (not so easy to see where to push
without experience) you will distort the metal more and make it that much
harder for the tech to push it out.

[Filmcutter]

O.K. thanks guys. Appreciate the positive feedback. Will definitely be upfront with the dealership about my detail-oriented expectations and concerns.