PDR on Old Metal?

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gunbunny

gunbunny

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Anybody know if this can be done? Had a kid sideswipe me in my Dart last month. My car is mostly okay, it pushed the absorber on the rear bumper in about 10mm.
Also left a small shallow dent in the quarter panel. The car is a survivor, original paint. I don't want putty or paint work done. Once we do that, it's over.
Anyone had any experience with the old heavy sheet metal?
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I've heard that if a dent is small that a toilet plunger will pull the dent out BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A FACT.
 
i think a good PDR guy could ease that out. there doesn't appear to be any hard creases(?) so that's a plus.

if you don't have any leads on a guy, head over to a higher end dealership or paint shop and ask who they use. also, wrap/tint/rim shops that do nicer stuff are a good resource too.
 
I agree with everything junkyardhero said. I've been doing PDR at a Lexus dealership for over 20 years and 30 years total. Every dealer has a PDR guy, but I would stick to the high line dealers. Also detail companies and body shops would be good places for leads.

Access to the back of the dent is going to be the key on that repair. In front of the gas cap is probably gonna require removing the LR arm rest/door card to get access. If it was behind the gas cap you have easy access through the trunk.

Find a good PDR tech and ask for references or pics of previous repairs. Most of us keep some pics on our phones of past accomplishments.
 
A friend of mine has a PDR shop and is very good at it, he says old metal can definitely be PDR'd, just takes a little more effort because it is heavier/thicker. Not every ding can be fixed mind you, its like @junkyardhero said, there doesnt appear to be any hard creases in it, which is a plus, and definitely go to someone reputable whos been around for awhile, its amazing how many pdr shops will "spring up" during storm season.
@BrianT said it right
 
I been doing PDR work since the mid 80'S and now I'm too old to keep a steady hand and a good eye on the dent.
Defiantly worth finding someone that is good to remove it. It can be pushed out and totally understand you not wanting to fill it full of bondo and repaint it.
 
I have a 78 fury 2 door that has a bunch of what look like shopping cart dings and I took it in for. A quote on a repaint and had 2 body shops actually suggest that I take it to one of those type places first before I let them have it for the repaint. I haven't done a thing with it yet that's been a few years since.
 
The young man who did the PDR work on the passenger side doors of my 2004 Ram was truly an artist at his work. My wife killed both doors when she sideswiped a wooden post. Long shallow dents but the paint wasn't scratched. He fixed them perfect...like it never happened! Hopefully you can find someone equally skilled in your area, or con @BrianT into a road trip...lol. @BrianT Would the glue on dent puller attachments work on this type dent if no access from behind?
 
Glue pulling has it's proper place. Pulling on 50+ year old paint isn't one of them. :lol:
 
JDMopar said:
The young man who did the PDR work on the passenger side doors of my 2004 Ram was truly an artist at his work. My wife killed both doors when she sideswiped a wooden post. Long shallow dents but the paint wasn't scratched. He fixed them perfect...like it never happened! Hopefully you can find someone equally skilled in your area, or con @BrianT into a road trip...lol. @BrianT Would the glue on dent puller attachments work on this type dent if no access from behind?
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Yes. PDR is essentially hot glue. There are different glues. The surface prep, type of tab(s), tab prep, how long you wait to pull, lever versus a slide hammer, etc. It all matters. The process is repeated (glue tabs let go) until it is completely pulled.
 
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