Ideas to remove dents

T 3 Junkie · Post by **T 3 Junkie** » Thu Jul 10, 2003 6:08 pm

I just picked up a really nice squareback [1 owner]
But the roof has a lot of shallow dents in it, I dont want to pull the headliner out, it is the original one and in super shape!

Any ideas to get them out?
I want to shoot new paint on it but want the body to be straight too.

thanks

fastmatt1 · Post by **fastmatt1** » Thu Jul 10, 2003 9:32 pm

It all depends on how large they are. If they are large shallow dents, head off to your local autobody supply store and pick up a suction cup puller, these work wonders if there are no creases around the dent. If they are small ones, the only thing I can suggest is a unispotter, or studgun. this will actually fuse a small stud to the panel and you can use that to pull up on and using a body hammer to tap around the damage. you will probably want to pull the headliner out for that one though, or risk catching the headliner on fire.

Matt

E-boyz67 · Post by **E-boyz67** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 12:13 am

Aloha Martin, ever heard of pdr(paintless dent removal)? Works great if the guy who is doing it,but you may have to pull down some of the headliner.First find out from the pdr tech if it can be done without pulling it down.Also if a unispotter is going to be used make sure that the headliner is not to close or it will burn from the unispotter.

hillbilly · Post by **hillbilly** » Fri Jul 11, 2003 11:10 pm

why are you punching holes in my car............pdr.yes they can do a real nice job but the access holes thet put in to pry the dents out is a real let down.....I would use them..in certain curcumstances.ie new car .small dent .....easy access.....tough coulor to match...etc. If you are going to burn your head liner with a nail gun you are using to much heat if you can see a ring around your nail say 1/8 inch you are holding the button to long

you should not be getting the thing that hot....the duty cycle for a stud gun is, 1 second on 60 per hour. exceed that and you will prematurly wear out your gun. If you just blip the trigger (this will get you about 6 studs per minet) you will not create that much heat . I know this cause I am into my second gun in 15 years......also if you do it this way you can twist the nail head off ( instead of cutting them off and grinding the button.) note: long before the nail gun I would take a fully charged car battry and attatch a set of jumpper cables neg. to body(car

) the other I would "strike" a brass shaft that had a slot in it to hold a 1/4 "washer against the dent, the charge was enough to weld the washer on to pull the dent out,and twist of the washer....worked like a damn........should of taken it further..........