Repairing dents is carried out very much along the same lines as the filling and/or repairing of auto body rust holes.
Dents become more noticeable in a vehicle the nearer they are to eye level. This means that we are also more likely to see a poor repair in the upper half of the body then the lower half.
Finding all the dents
The higher the gloss of the existing paints, the easier it will be to see all the dents. It is not as easy however, when the paint is dull. Even professional painters are often caught out by an obscure dent that only became noticeable when the new gloss paint was sprayed.
Firstly, ensure that the car is clean. Then park the car in an unlit garage. Now crouch down and sight along the sides from the front towards the rear, looking out towards the light that comes from the entrance. This should reveal most of the dents that might he missed. Then stand up and walk around the vehicle, looking at it from every conceivable angle. Finally, check it again outside in full daylight.
If a garage is not available, park the vehicle so that the low early morning or late afternoon sun is allowed to shine at an oblique angle along the sides. This is highly effective at showing up dents, but involves a lot of maneuvering of the car to ensure that the sun illuminates all areas. Dusk is probably the best time to check the upper half of the car.
It is a good idea to clearly mark all dents with a thick felt pen. Outline exactly the line between affected and unaffected areas. This will be a useful guide during repairs.
Repairing small dents
To repair dents up to 50mm across you will need:
1. 80 grit Drilube sandpaper
2. Carpenters hammer
3. Flat block of wood
4. Auto body filler.
Don't attempt to knock out small dents. It usually causes more problems than it is worth. The exception to this would be where the dent has caused an outward bulging of the metal surrounding the dent. If this should be the case, tap the bulged metal inward with a hammer and block of wood until it feels flush or below the surrounding undamaged metal.
Small dents are sometimes outward bumps in the metal. These are most common on the top and side panels of the rear compartment, usually caused by closing the top, or movement of, sharp heavy items carried.
Tap these bumps inward with the hammer until they become small inward dents, and treat as above.
Sand the dented area all over and a little beyond the edges of the unaffected area. Try and leave enough of the felt pen mark showing for a guide to the shape of the dent during filling.
If the original paint is not lifting off, there is no need to sand it all off, just roughen the surface and remove the gloss.
Next proceed to fill and sand.
