Paintless Or Conventional
Dent Repair? The Paint Decides.
Paintless dent repair works when the paint over the dent is fully intact, because the metal is worked out from behind and the factory finish is never touched. If the paint is cracked, chipped or scratched to bare metal, the panel needs conventional repair: filler, primer and a refinish to match.
Paintless dent repair
Paintless dent repair, or PDR, applies when there is no crack, no chip and nothing scratched through to bare metal. A technician reaches the back of the panel and works the metal back toward its original contour with specialized tools. Nothing is filled and nothing is repainted, so the original factory finish stays on the car. It suits everyday damage: a door ding from the car parked too close, a shopping cart crease on a rear quarter, scattered hail dimples on a hood or roof.
Conventional dent repair
When the paint is broken, there is no intact finish to preserve. The panel is reshaped, any crease is filled, the surface is primed and block sanded flush, and the repair is refinished and blended into the adjacent paint. We use the Spies Hecker paint line with color-matching technology, and every paint job carries a lifetime guarantee for as long as you own the vehicle.
How to tell which one you have
Look at the paint first, not the depth of the dent. A deep dent with unbroken paint can still be a PDR candidate, and a shallow one with a cracked finish is not. Creased or stretched metal, and damage sitting on a panel edge or body line, usually cannot be pulled back cleanly from behind either. We check the paint at the estimate and tell you which category the dent falls into, rather than forcing a technique onto damage it was not built for.
How to decide, step by step
In The Shop.
Related Reading And Services
More on this topic from the shop:
Paintless vs Conventional Dent Repair,
Answered.
Can any dent be fixed with paintless repair?
No. It only applies when the paint is fully intact and the metal can be reached from behind. Creases, cracked paint and damage on panel edges usually need conventional repair.
Does conventional repair mean the panel gets repainted?
Yes. The panel is reshaped, filled where needed, primed and refinished, then blended into the neighboring paint so the transition disappears.
How do I find out which one my dent needs?
Bring the car to either shop for a free estimate. We inspect the paint and the panel and tell you which repair applies.
Not Sure Which Dent Repair?
Free estimates. No pressure. We handle everything, including your insurance claim.