Paintless Dent Removal or Traditional Body Shop Work: Which Should You Choose?

Car dents can be a sight for sore eyes, especially if you're obsessed with your car's appearance. Generally, there are two ways to repair them. The traditional way is to restore the dented panels back to their original shape and then repaint the area all over again--also known as Traditional Body Shop Work. A more modern option is to repair the dents without affecting your vehicle's factory paint, which is commonly known as Paintless Dent Repair or Paintless Dent Removal.

Traditional Body Shop Work

Traditional body shop work use more intricate and intrusive methods to your car. And while this may not be good for minor or surface-deep dents, this method is very useful if the dent is very deep; or the car paint has been badly scratched; or there are damaged, broken, or missing parts involved with the dent.

Normally, a typical Body Shop Work costs around three times the price of a Paintless Dent Repair--from PHP2,500 to PHP3,000 per deep dent.

Procedures for Traditional Body Shop Work

1. Holes are drilled into the car panels to pull the dents out.
2. The paint will be sanded before the body putty is applied.
3. The dents will be filled with putty, and in most cases, don't exactly match the metal's original finish.
4.  Car will be spray-painted, although the paint might not match the exact color of the vehicle.
5. Car will be "baked" in an oven to set the new paint.
6.  The car's finished surface is polished.

Advantages

1. This technique is a go-to option if the dents are far too deep to be removed using the Paintless Dent Repair.

Disadvantages

1. The paint doesn't match very well.
2. Surface usually has an orange peel effect, or the metal won't look as good as the original one.
3. Contours don't exactly match the original shape.
4. The body where the putty is placed might be prone to getting rusty.
5.  It's more expensive compared to Paintless Dent Repair.

Paintless Dent Repair / Paintless Dent Removal

The Paintless Dent Removal is a more affordable and less intrusive way of removing minor dents from the body of a vehicle. It works on all kinds of minor dents, dings, and creases, although the shallower the dent, the better the results will be.

Its technique is simple: it uses special tools and gadgets to 'massage' and slowly mold the metal back to its original form. It uses metal rods and body picks to push the dents out from underneath the body panel. It also uses specially-designed tabs or glue to pull out the dents from the outside of the car's panel.

Normally, a typical Dent Removal costs somewhere between PHP400 per dimple-like dent and PHP800 per each minor dent.

Procedures for Paintless Dent Repair / Removal

1. Dents are pushed out from underneath the panel or pulled from the front without affecting the car paint.
2. Metals that push out higher after this procedure are tapped back into perfect alignment.
3. Tools are used to match the original contours of the vehicle.

Advantages

1. It is less expensive--no need to pay for new car paint or panels.
2. It's faster--the process usually takes less than two hours, and it doesn't require many steps compared to the traditional dent removal methods; you also won't need to wait for new parts and paint to arrive.
3. It retains your car's paint and body panels--the car maintains its structure and paint color.
4. It maintains your vehicle's market value longer--applying car paint over a vehicle's original one can significantly lessen its resale value.

Disadvantages

1. Plastic bumpers and other parts can't be repaired using Paintless Dent Repair.
2. Paint scratches and chips that exist on small or minor dents can't be replaced.
3. Some parts--such as window glass, door panels, hardware, paint, and interiors--can't be repaired using this technique.

Car dents may not be a serious problem that can affect your vehicle's performance, but they can still affect your car's appearance and market value just the same. Luckily, they can easily be removed using the two options discussed above. Weigh their pros and cons carefully, so you're sure that you're choosing the right car repair for your vehicle.