I received my first dent on my car from someone who was careless with their door. Does anyone have any suggestions on repairs or tips. I am trying to get an idea on repair cost, and if I should take it to the dealer or have an auto repair shop work on it.

 

Look on your local MINI club board for 'paintless dent repair'. They have all sorts of tools to get in behind door dings and pop 'em out so that you won't even know that it happened.

I pay about $85 per ding at a good shop here in Dallas, TX. I've seen prices as low as $45/ding.

 

Best bet is to use a tool like agranger points out. I personally do not like to do small repairs, because you run the risk of not getting the paint matched correctly and over time the paints will definitely will age differently.

 

if there's not a crease in the metal from the dent, they're very easy to fix without fancy tools.

Heat up dent with a blow dryer, then put dry ice on the exterior.

I have not done this personally, but I have heard it works, and the theory behind it makes sense....

 

I have had a couple dents in my mini already from careless people.

The first one I had Dent Wizard to take it out. It cost about $130 and was PERFECT when done. However, you must take the access panel off prior to bringing your car there... or else they will find their own way to get behind the metal by drilling or prying. Not good. I had to remove the entire interior from the back seat back to the trunk.

My second dent was in the driver side door. I "rolled" it out myself to about 90% complete. It is really barely noticeable... but drives me crazy.

I now own a new dent about 3" away from my first dent. THat one... unfortunately... came from within our own garage. . I'll have to pull the interior again... but this time, ill attempt it myself as it is pretty small.

You can make it worse if you try to correct it yourself and have never seen it done before. The metal panels on these cars are REALLY THIN. Im a little suprised how thin the sheetmetal is on these cars. A little disappointing.

Im not so sure on the whole heat and ice thing. Theoretically it may work... but you may damage the paint and it wont come perfectly out. YOu will still need to help it along from the back side.

 

i'd sell it and buy new

 

I've seen a similar trick done w/ a hair dryer and a computer air-duster (compressed air in a can) held upside-down to shoot out the propellant instead of air.

I still trust the professionals and let 'em do their job.

 

Thanks for all of the replies, I am going to get an estimate from a local body shop.

 

I agree....something like that happens to me and, assuming the paint is okay, I call my "paintless dent repair" guy...not a typical body shop. This is all this guy does and he is an artist. Funny thing is, he's very reasonable, too. I always have to stop by his shop in Fort Worth because a quote will depend on exactly where the ding is and how hard it is to get at w/ his tools. I've had door dings repaired for under $50 by this guy.

 

What shop do you use in Fort Worth? Just got a ding in my new R56.

 

I woke up this morning to find a lovely dent in the roof of my Mazda3 which is parked on the street. Looks like someone took a hammer to it. Doesn't look like any branches or anything fell on it, so I'm confused.

 

Sorry to hear about the ding - unfortunately they happen. Crack a beer and call a local PDR as suggested above.

Frustrating for sure.

 

I whacked my driver's door on one of those &%$#@! posts at the gas pump a few months ago, and dinged the back edge of my door for about four inches worth ... a tough place to pop back out because there's a lot of folded metal there for the door-edge, and no good place to drill from the inside.

1. The "compressed-air-duster-and-hair-dryer" trick did NOT work.
2. The "dry-ice-and-hair-dryer" trick ALMOST worked ... but popped right back, twice.
3. The "Simoniz Pops A Dent As Seen On TV" kit (http://www.fitsmybudget.com/product.php?productid=16154), as HOKEY as it sounds, DID work. This is basically a hot-glue-gun, some specialty glue, and a handle-shaped gizmo that you use to pull the ding out.

YMMV ... but I was willing to try #3 when my usually-reasonable "paintless-dent-guy" said $180
(and would give NO guarantee that he'd succeed) --