San Diego's Body Shop Alternative
San Diego's Body Shop Alternative
Traditional body shop methods required straightening, filling, sanding, painting, and a big bill to repair even the smallest dents. With Paintless Dent Repair the filling, sanding, and painting are no longer necessary, and therefore the cost goes down because repair time is as much as eighty percent shorter and no materials are necessary. Also, since painting is not required, problems associated with a color match are gone and there can’t be any damage from over-spray.
However, all is not perfect with this system. Paintless Dent Repair works best on small dents and dings (about the size of a volleyball or less). Dents where the paint is damaged, dents located at the edge of a panel, or where the metal is creased or stretched might not be able to be fully fixed through PDR so we would need to finish with the Hybrid Repair Method or you might just be satisfied without going to the next level.
The theory behind Paintless Dent Repair is that metal has a memory; where it returns to its original shape as long as it isn’t bent beyond the limit of its memory. In other words, the metal has not been creased which would give it an entirely new form and a new memory.
Think about a metal drink can. Using an empty can, gently push on its side until it deforms. As long as you haven’t pushed too hard, you’ll notice a nice soft dent in the can’s side. Next, use a pencil to apply slight pressure to the inside of the can behind the dent. With very little pressure, the dent will pop out and restore the original form as if nothing had ever happened.
Now do it again, but this time press hard enough to cause the side of the can to be creased very hard. When creased the dent will mightily resist being pushed back into its original shape, the crease has given it a new memory and now it wants to stay in its new shape. This is what happens to the sheet metal on a car or truck and is what makes PDR impractical or some times impossible to make perfect.
Paintless Dent Repair is between 90 to 100% accurate, which means most folks will never be able to tell. There are some caveats to contracting for Paintless Dent Repair repairs on your vehicle; ask questions, be wary of the guys who approach you in a parking lot and shops that advertise they provide the services but only contract out as we are the only shop in San Diego and have been in the same location since April of 2010.
If you think you’ll do it yourself, forget it. Paintless Dent Repair requires enormous skill and finesse. PDR, it’s not for every dent, but it sure does warrant looking into by someone like Eddie Martin, who has been in the business since 1983.
Watch Eddie Martin repair this smashed fender before your eyes with his paintless dent repair process!
Dent & Ding Repair can be up to 80% cheaper than traditional methods and is usually lower than insurance deductibles.
How Much Does Paintless Dent Repair Cost?
In most cases, dings and dents take only a few hours of work. You can have your car ready on the same day!