DIY Paintless Dent Repair

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:51 am

Found this this morning:

Whoa

Ever seen that before?

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Hell - I'll be the guinea pig :lol:

- I have paint work I want done on dent day anyway (and a crease I know this can't fix).

I'll take pics and report back once I find the dry ice.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:04 pm

I can imagine it working. I think factors such has how thick the metal is may impact how well it works. Also if the metal is just popped in the wrong direction and this pops it back, I can believe it. If the dent has really stretched the metal, I don't think this is going to doing a perm shrink to make it all good. So once the body goes back to normal temp, I wonder if you may see some of the dent reappear. Overall I don't think you can really tell from the video what it looks like when he is finished. I pulled a small dent with a DIY kit on the Civic and it was pretty easy, but if you look hard, you can still see evidence. But I think it is worth a try on a beater to see how well it works.

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

You callin' my car a beater :wink:

?

It doesn't matter to me if it doesn't work all the way, since I'm signed up for dent day if they spring back then they can finish it.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:27 pm

KendtEklund wrote:

You callin' my car a beater :wink:

?

Nah.

Well there is that "I saw in on the internet" thing. Like the "open a locked car with a tennis ball" trick that is apparently bogus. I would hate to start rubbing a block of dry ice all over my hood and then watch something go really wrong and not be able to easily fix it.

I would probably experiment on a junkyard hood or fender before I tried it on my own car. Even if it does work, it can't hurt to get the practice first and polish your technique before you try your own car.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:29 pm

Someone please bring a cooler of dry ice to Rally-X tomorrow. We can remove a few dents and have a little fun at the same time.

:angeldevil:

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:53 pm

I got the perfect car to test this on in the back yard. My old Miata!!

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

Ryan Holton wrote:

I got the perfect car to test this on in the back yard. My old Miata!!

OK - you first!

I do have my truck to try it on, but none of its dings are small.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:23 pm

I tried this tonight on a couple small dings on the Sentra. Didn't work- at all. I can scarely imagine better conditions for trying it- it was a warm evening, and I started with a small ding in my still-warm hood. Moved the dry ice around, held it still, did all the same stuff fron the video, but no effect. One thing is that it was actually hard to tell after taking the cold off because, even after wiping the area with a towel, the hood was still all frosty which stopped the reflections I needed to tell easily if the dent was there. But it was.

I tried a bunch of other small dents on the fender and door, with exactly the same results. Maybe the dents had all been there too long and had "set in" or some such (there was a comment on the video along those lines), but you'd think if this technique really worked it would have helped at least a little.

I bought 2 pounds of the stuff and I've got a bunch left, while it lasts. I've got it in the freezer now but would be surprised if it lasted the weekend even so. If anyone wants to come by my place (south of Chapel Hill) and take what's left you're welcome to it. It was kind of fun to play with. :-)

I got the stuff from the Harris Teeter on 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. At $0.99/lb, you can't go too wrong if you want to try it yourself. I don't know if other Harris Teeters also carry it or not, though.

ChuckNelson · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:27 pm

The dent guys we use refused to do one of the dents on my car because it was to cold. Seems the cooler it is the more likely the paint will pop off rather than flex back with the metal underneath. They did say they would try it on a nice warm day.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:57 am

Well the dry ice stuff was busted, didnt do a damn thing.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:32 am

Ryan Holton wrote:

Well the dry ice stuff was busted, didnt do a damn thing.

So you tried it too?

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:48 am

I played with it as well. I removed some of the dent, but it was not as noticable as I originally had thought. I was a very warm day in the 90's, so the conditions were ideal.

At least I was able to put the dry ice in water and make smoke :roll:

- AB

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:37 am

Aaron Buckley wrote:

I played with it as well. I removed some of the dent, but it was not as noticable as I originally had thought. I was a very warm day in the 90's, so the conditions were ideal.

At least I was able to put the dry ice in water and make smoke :roll:

- AB

You should have put it in a 20 oz coke bottle with water and crank the cap on tight. Then the fun happens!!!!!! :twisted:

ChuckNelson · **Posted:** Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:12 pm

Shredded alluminum foil and drain cleaner is even better.

THSCC Forums

DIY Paintless Dent Repair

Who is online