Whenever you tackle bodywork on a car you can be sure you need to deal with a few dents here and there. You could choose just to fill them in, but in many cases you would want to “pull the dent” first and then fill with filler or whatever.
Here is a simple video showing how to pull dents with the right equipment. Just abut anyone can do it quickly and efficiently. Just by spot welding a full pull points you can get the tools behind and pull the dent back to as near the shape it was before the accident.
Its not the best video we have seen, but iut serves a purpose.
There are real benefits of learning how to do your own DIY car body repair jobs. As the video says, it will save you money than paying someone one else to do it, your car will look better and it hopefully will have an increased value at the point you want to trade it is. Of course although, this can be deemed as a simple job we would recommend practice first to ensure you do not make any mistakes and find yourself making your car worse than it was before you started.
Choosing and having the right tools is also very important. Something you should consider though, if you are only going to do this the once, by the time you have bought the tools to do the job, you may not have saved as much as you thought. Key issues are safety such as masks to keep dust and paint off you and electrical tools to get the job done quicker.
This video is the first on a “four parter” and goes really though the tools and preparations to do the job and a little but at the end regarding a small repair. But for the beginner their should be some useful information to get you on you way doing car body repair.
In most salvage cases (normally not flooding)there will be some panels that need changed, the cost and complexity of changing these panels is normally what dictates whether the car is repairable or not. There are different ways of buying these panes, you can try and buy them second hand through a car parts location service like CarSpareFinder, or through your local breaker’s yards, you can buy them new from an auto shop (these parts tend to by copies made abroad) or you can go to the main dealer and the buy the same quality of panel that was put on the car at new.
The decision of which route to take is normally related to the value of the car when finished, it is unlikely you will put used old cheap parts say on a new BMW, but with a cheaper or older car, you may go down the used or cheaper copy route. The next question is whether that panel bolts on or needs welding? The answer of this question normally dictates whether you do it yourself or pay and experience welder to do it for it, unless you are trained at welding of course.
You then decide on how big and where the panel is. Below is a video of a garage replacing a quarter panel, which normally needs cutting out wand welding in. This is one of the most expensive panels to replace on a salvage car and the cost and hassle to this repair should be considered carefully before buying any salvage project.
The paint is the next consideration, but that is for another 2 way automotive post.
If you want that killer shine on your car then why not find out hot the Hot Rod workshops do it. Here you will see a buffing machine making that black look like a mirror. Easy clear advice and maybe some promotion for the Hot Rod workshop thrown in within the footage. It seems the angle and the products play a large part in making your car look the business. For some of us it is the car wash but for other who really want to se their car gleam it may be worth the watch.
This is a question asked by many DIY motorists trying to keep costs down. Of course buying an original new part will always be better in terms of the life span of the part, but you have to take into account the higher cost and the prep work you still have to do with a new panel. The value of the vehicle will also play a part in how much you want to spend on repairing a damage panel on the car.
Buying used is another consideration, but here you have problems with colour, possible rust and a possibility that this panel is also damaged in way that needs further prep work.
Garages automatically buy new and depending on the model of car or if the vehicle has been left at a dealership or not will buy original or a copy. For example it is unlikely that a Mercedes dealership would ever consider using a copy panel to fit on to their cars. It is usual for example for a back street garage to use a copy part on a 6 year Ford Fiesta for example.
Garages very rarely use second hand panels, first because of the time to locate a good one and second, the fitting can take more time than planned. The amateur mechanic, who is repairing a car within a budget, will of course consider a used part over a new to keep cost down, especially when you can get a genuine part cheaper than a new copy version.
It is now easier to locate car parts and panels than ever before because of the internet, but locating can be the easy part as shipping can be hard. There is an expectation that delivering such items is the retailer’s problem. But losing time on a project sending back a damaged panel can cost the project time and unneeded stress. Delivery Carriers are just not set to deliver car panels, so getting one local may just be the solution.
This probably means doing things the old fashioned way, by picking up the phone then driving to the local yard to see how good the panel is for you. Then you can nurse than panel back home. As panels tend o be the first victim of an accident that makes a newer car salvage, you may find that even with the internet you are forced to buy new.