Paintless Dent Repair

What Is Paintless Dent Repair?

Owning a new car is one of the great pleasures of adulthood. Although automobiles can suffer countless breaks, wrecks and problems throughout their lifetimes, there is simply no substitute for the joy that comes with a shiny new chassis and that new car smell. Perhaps this is why so many car owners take great pains to preserve the condition of their new rides as long as possible, avoiding potholes and inclement weather along the way.

Inevitably, however, even the best laid plans are tested when your perfect vehicle suffers its first ding or dent. It’s not unusual for drivers to throw up their arms at this development, assuming nothing less than a full panel replacement can ever return the car to its original luster. In fact, there is an easier way.

Paintless dent repair is a relatively new process, but it is one which has undergone considerable refinement since its introduction in the ’90s. What began with a few hobbyists tinkering with special tools has today become a full-blown industry and one which saves drivers coast to coast over a million dollars a year.

If you have been putting off a trip to the repair shop because you feared an exorbitant estimate, you may find considerable solace in the low prices associated with paintless dent repair.

How does it work? Anyone who watches metalworking reality shows is aware that metal is a pliant material. Most cars made in the last couple of decades come with polymer color or a powder coat - two robust ways of providing color that will not crack, peel or corrode.

Look closely at a dent in your car and you will likely notice that the color itself has not creased or ripped. That means with some sound finishing tools and a lot of patience, a paintless dent repair professional can work the metal back into its original shape from the inside out. Even panels that do not allow for easy access can usually be serviced by removing trim and getting inside the chassis itself.

It works. PDR can save you literally hundreds on a simple dent, and today the craft has evolved to the point where it can safely and invisibly remove dents up to ten inches across. If your car has not sustained damage near an edge or been reworked in this manner before, you should be able to expect a flawless repair job within a matter of hours.