How big dents can body filler fix?

arleitiss

Hey, not my pic but something a tiny bit smaller than




Can such dent be repaired with body filler? or would I first need to undent - straighten out the panel? I am planning to wrap a specific panel (no hate pls) and I don't want to be wrapping a dent So I plan to fix dent first. What would be my best option?

Stheno

I'd imagine that would need to be pushed out

Nissan doctor

You have to have the dent removed first. A poorly repaired dent will be just as obvious under a wrap then it would be normally.

Are you talking about your 3/4 panel BTW?

kirving

Yeah, looks way too big to fill.

Supergurrier

PDR

arleitiss

Nissan doctor wrote: »

You have to have the dent removed first. A poorly repaired dent will be just as obvious under a wrap then it would be normally.

Are you talking about your 3/4 panel BTW?

What do you mean 3/4 panel?

Alright pushing it out won't be a problem so as it's easy accesable. What type of dent or perfection would I have to look for to make before using body filler?

arleitiss

arleitiss wrote: »

What do you mean 3/4 panel? .......

Rear quarter panel, bits behind rear door on the side

dgt

Waste of time filling that. Wrapping it is a nono till it's fixed fully

Try this as a start


Or even this

arleitiss

dgt wrote: »

Waste of time filling that. Wrapping it is a nono till it's fixed fully

Try this as a start


Or even this

eem... sorry I may be very wrong, but isn't first thing for Windows/glass and 2nd one for toilets?

arleitiss

RoverJames wrote: »

Rear quarter panel, bits behind rear door on the side

1 is at wrong of car which can be accessed from wheel arch. And 1 smaller (very small) dent is on rear quarter panel.

dgt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db9GIjY_jFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_XGQuL2cq4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2OrKiunneM

Stheno

arleitiss wrote: »

eem... sorry I may be very wrong, but isn't first thing for Windows/glass and 2nd one for toilets?

From what little I know you use both to attach to the dent and give you extra grip to pull the dent out?

edit: posted as dgt was

arleitiss

oh god, simple objects by simple people do the advanced job. Thanks guess I am off to shop tomorrow to get a plunger I thought I will ned to take pretty much half of the boot apart to push it out.

Stheno

Was it on the car when you bought it or did you have a tip?

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

Was it on the car when you bought it or did you have a tip?

It was on car, I saw it and got only 200 euro off the price for those two small dents

Stheno

arleitiss wrote: »

It was on car, I saw it and got only 200 euro off the price for those two small dents

That's not a small dent lol

Still if you are going to wrap it, push it out and get it back to the normal shape.

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

That's not a small dent lol

Still if you are going to wrap it, push it out and get it back to the normal shape.

I will take pics of my two dents on car and post in this thread. They are not as big as that one, but the location of it is same.

anthony4335

I doubt a plunger would do anything with that dent. Try heating the area with a hair dryer, and push it out from behind the panel, you would get access through the wheel arch.

MetzgerMeister

Another way of getting out dents is to use a heat gun and compressed air in a spray can. First you heat up the panel, getting it fairly warm then spray the cold air on it and it will pop out on its own.

MuppetCheck

I wouldn't take a plunger/heat gun out to my car as you risk doing more damage. And it's a part of the car where it would be very noticable.

The best option is Paintless Dent Removal, they should be able to tell you fairly quickly if they can do it and it's not that expensive either.

MetzgerMeister

Holding a heat gun to the car isn't any more damaging than having the car sitting in direct sunlight during the summer. The cold from the compressed air is no more damaging than having the car covered in frost/ice

JohnBoy26

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Holding a heat gun to the car isn't any more damaging than having the car sitting in direct sunlight during the summer. The cold from the compressed air is no more damaging than having the car covered in frost/ice

Yes but using a heat gun and then cold air straight after it would cause an immediate temperture change rather than a gradual tempeture change with sun and ice which can't be good for the metal.

MuppetCheck

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Holding a heat gun to the car isn't any more damaging than having the car sitting in direct sunlight during the summer. The cold from the compressed air is no more damaging than having the car covered in frost/ice

That isn't the same thing. The sudden change in temperature and popping of the metal can cause the paint to crack. It's an extremely bad idea unless you're willing to take the risk of getting the panel sprayed should it go wrong.

It also most likely will be a perfect finish afterwards in the same way PDR usually is.

ongarite

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Another way of getting out dents is to use a heat gun and compressed air in a spray can. First you heat up the panel, getting it fairly warm then spray the cold air on it and it will pop out on its own.

The videos on Youtube of it are pretty cool, can't see any damage afterwards either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVWPzO_swY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQDldgr5C5I

MetzgerMeister

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Yes but using a heat gun and then cold air straight after it would cause an immediate temperture change rather than a gradual tempeture change with sun and ice which can't be good for the metal.

That's the point, the heat makes the metal expand then the cold from the can makes in contract and pops the dent out.

It doesn't damage the paint because paint is able for that kind of temp/movement.

arleitiss

So which is safer way? I don't care if it damages paint. I just need it to be 100% perfectly smooth and straight with the rest of car.
Heat+Air or Plunger?

dar83

The safest way is let a panel beater or someone professionally trained remove it for you.

If you need it to be 100% smooth without any paint damage, then this is the only way to go.

arleitiss

dar83 wrote: »

The safest way is let a panel beater or someone professionally trained remove it for you.

If you need it to be 100% smooth without any paint damage, then this is the only way to go.

As said before i dont care if paint damages or falls off.

MuppetCheck

arleitiss wrote: »

As said before i dont care if paint damages or falls off.

You will have the best chance of a good result for the wrapping with a pointless dent removal service.

Stheno

arleitiss wrote: »

As said before i dont care if paint damages or falls off.

Do the people who are going to wrap it do repairs on bodywork?

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

Do the people who are going to wrap it do repairs on bodywork?

It's just me with friends. One of them had experience of wrapping car during summer as he worked in garage. So he will help and teach me too. Only thing he suggests and did before is actually pop out the dents from inside from wheel arches etc.. but not using any kind of plungers.

biko

Use a hair blower and compressed air, it'll be grand sure (it won't harm the car anyway).

Tbh, for that one you can probably just reach in behind and push it out.

arleitiss

biko wrote: »

Use a hair blower and compressed air, it'll be grand sure (it won't harm the car anyway).

Tbh, for that one you can probably just reach in behind and push it out.

For wheel arch area yes I can reach it and push out, but I have same but smaller dent on panel near petrol cap, which cannot be just pushed out and requires some boot screws to be taken off which is bit pain in the ass. Guess I will try all methods if none work will take boot apart.

biko

Try checking in local factors if they have a dent pull tool. Might work but it depends on the shape of the dent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clniPrGhC44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdVpvL_FpoQ

JohnBoy26

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

That's the point, the heat makes the metal expand then the cold from the can makes in contract and pops the dent out.

In theory yes, in reality it's a diffrent story because for the dent to pop out succesfully you have to subject the metal to significantly high temperatures and then straight after you have to subject the metal to well below freezing tempertures. The downsides to this are it could damage the paint due to the heat or the rapid temperature changes could cause the metal to harden and make it more brittal than it's original state.

I have try'd this method myself using a hairdryer and then spraying it with dryed ice straight afterward and I was unsuccessful in removing the dent. For me to have been successful I would have to subject the metal to far higher/lower tempertures which tbh I wouldn't do because I'd only be doing more damage than good.

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

It doesn't damage the paint because paint is able for that kind of temp/movement.

The high temperatures required to soften the metal could well damage the paint. Movement is a diffrent story, paint is usually flexable enough in that regard provided the dent isn't massive.

dar83

arleitiss wrote: »

I just need it to be 100% perfectly smooth...

arleitiss wrote: »

As said before i dont care if paint damages or falls off.

Make up your mind, if you damage the paint then it won't be 100 percent smooth...

MetzgerMeister

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

In theory yes, in reality it's a diffrent story because for the dent to pop out succesfully you have to subject the metal to significantly high temperatures and then straight after you have to subject the metal to well below freezing tempertures. The downsides to this are it could damage the paint due to the heat or the rapid temperature changes could cause the metal to harden and make it more brittal than it's original state.

I have try'd this method myself using a hairdryer and then spraying it with dryed ice straight afterward and I was unsuccessful in removing the dent. For me to have been successful I would have to subject the metal to far higher/lower tempertures which tbh I wouldn't do because I'd only be doing more damage than good.


The high temperatures required to soften the metal could well damage the paint. Movement is a diffrent story, paint is usually flexable enough in that regard provided the dent isn't massive.

I'm obviously open to correction on this but from what I have seen, this technique hasn't caused any damage to the paint

Nissan doctor

arleitiss wrote: »

I will take pics of my two dents on car and post in this thread. They are not as big as that one, but the location of it is same.

The dents In question methinks,





You need to sort these issues too before you start wrapping,

JohnBoy26

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I'm obviously open to correction on this but from what I have seen, this technique hasn't caused any damage to the paint

Im not saying it would. It might work a treat and do a great job.:) What im trying to say is that it could damage the paint and I wouldn't chance it on my own car again tbh.

When I try'd this technique with the hairdryer I had it pointed on the dent for ten minutes so the metal was well warmed up(It would nearly burn you if you touched it)yet still I would need alot more heat than even that for it to work.

arleitiss

^ Yes those dents that nissan doctor posted are the ones from my car (that's my car) so it needs bit more than plunger. I thought I would get rid of them by:

First popping them out as much as possible, then sanding off the bits and paint around that area, then use body filler for the dent with crack to make it as smooth as possible = done. Would that not be the way to go?

In general I will go over car and remove any small rust bits. I know there is bit of rust under bonnet just above where the coolant cap is. So I will get rid fo such small bits of rust around car too while doing all.

Stheno

arleitiss wrote: »

then use body filler for the dent with crack to make it as smooth as possible = done. Would that not be the way to go?

Is that the dent in the 3rd picture?

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

Is that the dent in the 3rd picture?

Well okay not really a dent, more of like cracked bit. It looks like it was a dent before but then was filled with something and cracked. (that's what it felt like, almost like plastic around that area).

Stheno

arleitiss wrote: »

Well okay not really a dent, more of like cracked bit. It looks like it was a dent before but then was filled with something and cracked. (that's what it felt like, almost like plastic around that area).

I'd not be too certain that just using filler would sort that one out, it looks like an entire area of the body has been damaged/weakened, you've the crack, then an uneven shape up and around it, so there's a whole section there that is damaged.

You might need to do more than just use filler on it, especially if it's been filled before.

I may well be wrong though

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

I'd not be too certain that just using filler would sort that one out, it looks like an entire area of the body has been damaged/weakened, you've the crack, then an uneven shape up and around it, so there's a whole section there that is damaged.

You might need to do more than just use filler on it, especially if it's been filled before.

I may well be wrong though

Not a big deal so, I could just go to my friends father who works in very same garage and ask him to weld it up can't I?

Stheno

arleitiss wrote: »

Not a big deal so, I could just go to my friends father who works in very same garage and ask him to weld it up can't I?

Yes

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

Yes

Or if welding fails (which shouldn't)
I could ask scrap yards/some places for part #41358240406
(Which is around 260 euros apparently) while welding solution will cost me a tenner or less from friend or god knows how much if I ask some guys in some garage?

Stheno

Seeing as you've got friends/friends family who work on stuff like this, probably your best option before you do anything would be to get them to look over all the bits and pieces that are wrong with the bodywork and give you their opinion on what needs to be done.

That way from the outset you can plan the costs etc and know the scale of what you're needing to do, and decide if it's worth doing.

arleitiss

Stheno wrote: »

Seeing as you've got friends/friends family who work on stuff like this, probably your best option before you do anything would be to get them to look over all the bits and pieces that are wrong with the bodywork and give you their opinion on what needs to be done.

That way from the outset you can plan the costs etc and know the scale of what you're needing to do, and decide if it's worth doing.

Well welder isn't a professional car welder, it's my friends father who is builder and has welding machine at home so he can have a look if he will be willing to do it and weld it up.

I plan to spend around 500-600 euros on wrapping (materials)
Materials so far I will need is:
About 1.50x15 metres of white carbon wrap.
About 1.50x5 metres of black carbon wrap.
Heat Gun.
3x Paper knifes (yes, I do not have them at home )
De greaser/Wax removal spray/liquid.
Measure tape.
Few sponges/brushes.
Body filler + primer (if I end up needing it)
Few sandpapers of few grades.

So hopefully I can get all that under 600 Euro. That way I end up spending 50% of the real cost of wrapping done by some garages (over 1200 usually). + I learn a useful skill for future (hopefully)

Nissan doctor

Stheno wrote: »

I'd not be too certain that just using filler would sort that one out, it looks like an entire area of the body has been damaged/weakened, you've the crack, then an uneven shape up and around it, so there's a whole section there that is damaged.

You might need to do more than just use filler on it, especially if it's been filled before.

I may well be wrong though

The crack in the third pic is only in the paint and the bubble around it is where the paint has lifted from the metal. It seems like a poorly painted wing rather then any issue with the metal.

arleitiss

Nissan doctor wrote: »

The crack in the third pic is only in the paint and the bubble around it is where the paint has lifted from the metal. It seems like a poorly painted wing rather then any issue with the metal.

Thanks for having a look. I haven't gone into much detail on body work yet as I been mostly dealing with mechanical things. Well that solves a lot of problems for me so.

Nissan doctor

arleitiss wrote: »

Thanks for having a look. I haven't gone into much detail on body work yet as I been mostly dealing with mechanical things. Well that solves a lot of problems for me so.

Well hopefully all your (many)mechanical issue will be sorted now so you can concentrate on the body.