I just found a small dent about an inch and a half to the right of the door sill on the drivers side. I'm pretty sure it happened at the gym just the other day. That's the only place where people can park next to me on either side, even if I try to avoid it.

It didn't affect the paint at all, and it's actually kind of hard to see unless the lighting is right and you look for it. But it's there, and I know it, and it bugs me.

I guess the best way to describe it is a minor/acute "dimple" dent, probably just less than a quarter of an inch in diameter. I think someone's plastic trim hit it because it didn't do a thing that I can see to the paint.

Anyway, I heard that these rear quarter panel dents require drilling for paintless dent removal. Should I just live with it or try and deal with it? I have 0 deductible comp on my insurance so I think they should at least chip in some.

 

Look into it. No sense having $0 deductible if you don't use it.

 

I've seen a video of someone popping out a dent themselves like the one you describe. They sprayed it with the freezing liquid from a can of compressed air held upside down and then immediately followed that with a hot hair dryer or heat gun. After a few seconds of the heat it popped right out like magic. When I'm home I'll see if I can find a it on YouTube.

 

I wonder if that'll have any effect on the paint.

 

Oh Black Betty if you could find that video it would be awesome. I too have a tiny ding, got it before I even had 1K miles on the car . I've seen places here in Atlanta charge about $70 a panel. If you have more than one ding in that panel they just charge you $10 per ding after the first one so in my opinion it's not worth having it professionally done until you have at least 2-3 dings. Unless you are super **** and want the dings out (can't blame you if you do tho I'm the same way, is why I park in galaxies far far away when I park in public)

 

Something like this? Too bad I don't have any dent to try this on.
Compressed Air Dent Removal - YouTube

 

if its tiny i would hold out and wait till you get another one. if you drive the car alot it WILL happen again! it should cost less to take care of 2 dents at the same time than 2 in seperate instances. i got my first dent which was quite small from a door ding ding like yours. then 6 months later i got a 2nd dent in the same spot from a shopping cart that was really nasty and a must fix. since then ive noticed a tiny dimple on the passenger side rear fender that is hardly noticeable and it doesnt bother me at all knowing this sh*t will happen.

 

I have a few dings I need to fix but couldn't see myself spending $100~200 for PDR. I'm planned to do this compressed air method for some time now but I don't know if/how safe it is for the paint finish so lmk if you have success in trying this out first hahah

 

The compressed air/heat gun method seems valid. A rapid expansion of the sheet metal followed by a rapid contraction might just force out any imperfections. With that being said , I am still wary of the effects to the paint and clearcoat. Does rapid expansion then contraction of paint cause cracks and pits? Any chemical engineers out there?

 

I have a golf ball ding on my Acura trunk. I will try it out this weekend, if I have time.

 

If you do try to, inspect the paint after you finish and see if there are any hairline fractures. If there are then I think this method is too destructive in the long term. I don't know if the fractures could become visible over time or even peel and crack but I don't want to chance it if it does. Be careful Coprolite and good luck.

 

These are rather large dents.

 

Only one word can address this:
Lease.

 

HAHAHA why didn't you say so? Heat dat b*tch up!!! Like we care about long term damage. Fix it then let us know what you see.

 

Wow that looks a bit shifty, paint is such a fragile/expensive thing id be concerned how the paint was after this procedure. Paint is plyable to a certain extent but if it were to crack then its paint work ,at the body shop and that sucks!