Oh the pain - my dented door

[stat71]

Howdy,

Returned to my car a couple of weeks ago after shopping to discover this :



It's been a few weeks as I couldn't bring myself to take a picture until now!

It is a vertical dent crossing the fold in the front passenger door, with a small chip in the paint. I need some advice on what to do. Where should I take it? - paintless dent repairers are not an option as the paint is chipped? The excess on my insurance is $800, so am not keen for an insurance route either.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

[QBDentFree]

Ouch, it always hurts coming back to your car and seeing new damage, knowing someone's done it then just left you to deal with it. Hurts when it's not your fault but you still have to fork out for it.

What I'd be doing, is finding a panel shop that works closely with a PDR guy. Get the PDR guy to repair the dent, then the panel shop will have to paint the door (push-to-paint as we call it). That way you have no filler in your car, and there is no chance of shrinkage/ripples later on. Looks like it's just about in the middle of the door, so it shouldn't need the panels either side blended (but then, I'm no painter)

You will find people (touch-up guys etc) wanting to do PDR, then a little spot repair but I find those repairs never last more than a couple years before you start seeing outlines of where it's been painted.

I'd say it's doable for less than your excess, but avoid places saying they will do it for a couple hundred $$.

[stat71]

Thanks QB for your reply. Now to find such someone up in Sydney who can assist!

[Alister]

Bugger - sorry to see, especially on such a new car...

[stat71]

Bugger - sorry to see, especially on such a new car...

Washing her hasn't been the same, I get to the passenger door and the cleaner she get's the worse that door looks!

[platinummale]

Try this Avron from All Star Dent removals in Sydney. I just had my car done and for next to nothing, he fixed my dent. 0438 039 837 www.allstardentremoval.com.au. He came out, gave me a free quote then booked me in and was able to even come after 6pm on a Thursday to fix the dent. Great guy.

[The One]

You just bought a new car mate... You should be so skinny and have huge calf muscles all those extra meters you should be walking from where your car is parked to the shopping center...

[stat71]

Sorry to resurrect the old thread....I just returned from O/S and have been sorting quotes to have the door repaired. First place I visited today was advised that PDR was not possible as the dent crosses a crease in the door. He advised I would also need the affected door (front left), the rear left door and front quater panel re-sprayed to match the rear quarter panel...he quoted be $850 for the lot. I was surprised that all but one panel on the left side of the car requires re-spraying....when I questioned him he stated it is critical to ensure a colour match....now I'm a bit lost! Any thoughts on the above (obviously I'm hunting down other quotes)???

[Polo GTEye N9]

That is not color matching at all. All they are doing is painting the same color across the entire side of the car. So you can't notice the difference in colors. Go where they can actually match colors.

[n0d3]

Make sure they know what they're doing, otherwise you'll end up with it looking different from the surrounding if it's not blended properly.

[CT69]

Stat71: share your pain; was rear-ended when my GTI was just 3 days old. Needs new bumper and repair to tailgate and cargo hold.
Fortunately covered by other driver's insurance so at least I won't be out of pocket.
Look forward to May 26 when repairs begin.

[stat71]

Just an update: I visited Avron from All Star Dent Removal this morning. Avron spent approx 1hr 45mins working to remove what he told from the outset was - a difficult dent.
He has done a stellar job!!

The only thing necessary after dent removal was a touch up with some OEM paint on the chip in the picture which I had ordered from my VW Dealer ($22 for pain and clear coat). I arrived home and asked my neighbour if he could find the dent on the left hand side of the car - he couldn't.

Am so glad I went with Avron and not the road of the panel beater

[Passat R36]

Just an update: I visited Avron from All Star Dent Removal this morning. Avron spent approx 1hr 45mins working to remove what he told from the outset was - a difficult dent.
He has done a stellar job!!

The only thing necessary after dent removal was a touch up with some OEM paint on the chip in the picture which I had ordered from my VW Dealer ($22 for pain and clear coat). I arrived home and asked my neighbour if he could find the dent on the left hand side of the car - he couldn't.

Am so glad I went with Avron and not the road of the panel beater

good news, well done! saved you a lot!

BTW, I am curious about the touch paint you got from your VW dealer. What kind of touch up paint do they supply? Did the VW dealer(or their panel beater) mix the paint for you or it's the VW packaging paint? Thanks.

[CT69]

R36: I got some touch up paint (not for the rear crumple catastrophe described above, but some front stone chips) - free from dealer, came in small glass bottle with brush in the lid). Completely unlabelled, but matched perfectly.

[stat71]

good news, well done! saved you a lot!

BTW, I am curious about the touch paint you got from your VW dealer. What kind of touch up paint do they supply? Did the VW dealer(or their panel beater) mix the paint for you or it's the VW packaging paint? Thanks.

I ordered it over the phone from the Parts Team at the VW dealer I purchased the Golf from. It arrived next morning. Is identical to the ones in the following pic VW Touch Up Stick Genuine Paint Kit

One bottle is labeled "Sunset Red" and the other is a clear coat.