A Guide to Removing Dents and Dings

There’s nothing worse for a car owner than finding a dent or ding that has appeared almost magically out of nowhere. At White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex, we see a lot of vehicles from classics to modern cars with some form of body damage.

Even if you’re the most careful driver in the world, dents can occur for a variety of reasons. We all have to accept that they’re simply a fact of life. The longer you have a car, the more likely you are going to get one at some point.

It’s important to do something about dents, however, especially if the paintwork is broken. Leaving the damage can mean damp gets under the surface causing the metal to rust. Bigger dents can be more of a problem, for example, stopping you opening and closing your door properly.

Common Causes of Dents and Dings

Did you know that you are more likely to damage your car in a car park than anywhere else?

With people moving in and out of spaces, objects like supermarket trolleys to collide with and the general bustle of the location, it’s not so much of a surprise that car damage is often caused. People have a small collision when reversing into a parking space or they don’t see a post or trolley when opening their door to get out.

Footballs, golf balls, even cricket balls: we’ve seen the damage caused by all of these when car owners come into our garage in West Sussex. The truth is that people can’t avoid this type of external action. We’ve lost count of the number of cars that have come to us where the door or side panel has been scratched by a passing supermarket trolley.

Then there are acts of nature, of course. One of the big issues is debris on the road itself. Stones that are spat up by the wheels of the vehicle in front, flying pieces of branches during high winds and even heavy hailstones can all cause minor but noticeable damage.

Types of Dents and Dings

We see all sorts of damage at White’s Bodyworks. The most common are:

• Sharp or angular dents are easiest to notice and usually occur because of a significant impact. They can be difficult to repair using a home kit and generally require the expertise of a garage.
• Creased dents can often follow the contour of a car and can be quite unsightly. They tend to be larger and longer than sharp dents and a little more problematic in repairing.
• Round dents are more common and often caused by a direct impact. If the paint hasn’t been broken and you have a little know-how, these can often be massaged out.
• Dings: These are generally caused by small objects such as stones and hail hitting the car or small bumps such as door collisions.

Repairing at Home

There are plenty of kits on the market for getting out dents and dings and they can be useful for small areas of damage. If you get the application wrong, however, it can cause more damage and a bigger garage bill.

For example, dent pullers work on fairly shallow damage that is on a flat surface. The area you need to pull, however, needs to be flexible to work with. If the surface is also creased or scratched, these DIY kits will only do part of the job.

Getting Professional Dent and Ding Removal

While it might cost a little more, getting professional dent removal through a reputable garage is always the best solution. They will have the right equipment and the necessary expertise to get it right the first time.

Once they have finished, you should barely be able to see where the dent was, if at all. If the paintwork is scratched, it’s also important to match the colour up perfectly, something which a garage should easily be able to do.

Contact White’s Bodyworks For Dent and Ding Removal

At White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex, we’ve got all the expertise and equipment you need to do a good job in removing any car body damage. We’re the local experts at returning your car to pristine conditions.

Whether you’ve had a prang in the car park, got caught out by a flying golf ball or discovered a mysterious dent on your door, contact us today to find out how we can help.