Bodywork Basics

Cunningly reverse dents, dings and creases like a professional

How to remove dents from body panels like a pro.

Adent in an otherwise perfect panel can be as upsetting as a bondage scene in the middle of Gardeners’ Question Time. Meanwhile, the starting point of basic metal-shaping using hand tools is to rain a series of major dents into a virgin piece of metal to give it shape. Being able to smooth-out dents is therefore an important skill to add to your arsenal.

There are only five things you can do to a piece of flat metal to turn it into a Bugatti body: cut it, join it, bend it, stretch it and shrink it. A dent is essentially just a bit of unwanted stretched metal disfiguring the smooth lines of your classic’s body.

This article focuses on how to carefully shrink the metal back by hammering, heating and/or gently levering it. It’s likely you’ll find it useful to add a smear of filler at some point – and there’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t pay undue attention to those who are adamant that a panel should be worked until it’s smooth enough not to need any filling at all.

We’ll also look at paintless dent removal – known as PDR in the trade. If the paint wasn’t unduly damaged in the first place, it’s often possible to remove a dent without the need to respray or touch in the paintwork. Modern classics are ideal candidates for this process as the metal is generally thinner, lending itself to the gentle levering and coercion required to eradicate damage. Specialists on Youtube and similar make PDR look easy-peasy, but if you’re unsure of your abilities, it’s a good idea to start by practising on a scrap panel.

A number of classic cars have aluminium panels, which are even more susceptible to denting. The dent-removal processes are identical, but if you need to remove anything other than a few dings you’ll need to anneal the area first. This involves heating the aluminium to just below its melting point, then allowing it to cool slowly. The melting point is dependent on the type and alloy of aluminium, but around 340°C is a good starting point. Temperature pens are a reliable indicator.

Whatever your project, dent removal is a satisfying job. It’s not a skill that anyone’s born with. Like most other things, though, it’s something that’ll come with practice and trial-and-error. If you make a pig’s ear of it, it doesn’t matter as you can always shrink or stretch the metal again until it’s correct.