I got this dent in my 2018 Hyundai Ioniq. It's from backing into a dumpster at work. The car has over 140K miles, so I don't think it's worth the $1000 or so to get it professionally fixed, as I'm sure I'll never resell the chicle. But, the dent is ugly, so I'd like to see if there's a way to make it less ugly, by removing or minimizing the crease, popping out the dent, and throwing some touch up paint on it. Is there something I could reasonably do at home to make this look less ugly? Thanks in advance for the help.
2 Answers
Of course, you can do it at home, but with this kind of damage, it will take a long time because the sheet metal has been bent where the sheet metal is bent. If the sheet was only dented, it would be easier. In this case, in addition to pulling out the dent, it will probably be necessary to tap the dent back in, and it will not be possible without filling and repairing the paint. Personally, in the case of such a defect, I would probably choose an expensive repair, where they have it in hand. As a beginner, you can fiddle with it for several days and still not be able to get it straight.
Either you can try to buy a puller. It is a metal wheelbarrow on which plastic handles are attached, which are glued to the drip tray with plastic, or you can try it from the inside. But in the case of internal pressure, it depends on how you get to it, whether you can tap it with a hammer, push it by hand, or need a special extraction tool. It will therefore be necessary to push the washer outwards and push the bent sheet inward in the direction of the inner bend, or inward from the outside.
When you have settled it, you should degrease it, for example with a thinner and, for example, apply putty with a brush. When the putty hardens, you can sand it with highly fine sandpaper 800-3000 and find the shade of color you need according to the VIN code.
You could improve the general appearance with a cheap fix. Sand rust and apply body plaster to get original contour . Sand plaster smooth and paint with a spray can of same color . Main risk is color match may be difficult. Chances are rust will lift off the body plaster in a year or two. In the old days when rust holes were common , I made several similar hole repairs using fiber glass.