Replacing Panels (vh wagon)

[MG's VH Wag]

Hi all the vh wagon i recontly bought has a large dint in the panel behind the rear tyre. Just wondering if that panel can be replaced or what would be the best way to fix it?

I have attached a pic not of my car but just a picture of one i found on the internet just circling were the dint is.

The dint is about the height of the tail light and goes in about 50-90mm and is the result of the previous owner backing into a pole and the panle just buckled in.

I will get some pics up soon of the actual car and the dint.

Cheers

[PEAKN6]

not seeing the damage its hard to say but the way i see it is, anythings fixable to a certain extent

[DANNY8]

I wouldn't be replacing the whole panel for a dent there. It should be able to be popped out pretty easy. That area is accessible if u remove the inner trim, and u might be able to push most the dent out. You can also pull it out from the outside by using either a dent puller or there's a gadget which welds either itself or pins to the metal and can be pulled out then twisted off. Once you've got it as straight as u can, put a smear of bog over the area. Make sure u sand a big patch around the dent back to metal, and smear the bog over the dent and also around it a fair bit. Don't use more then u have to...then use a longboard and start sanding.

It might take a few shots to get right but doing it urself is waaay cheaper. I work at a panel shop, but I'm not a panel beater, just a sh*t kicker (clean up after everyone else) lol .

[Dayvo]

Show us somepics . You might be able to knock it out then file finish it . Better than using bog and quicker

[MG's VH Wag]

Thanks for all the info guys. I am not able to get picks up till tuesday but when i do i will get them up ASAP.

Cheers

[MG's VH Wag]

Also to bang the dint out would i use a rubber mallet or a metal hammer?

[SL/ENUT]

I would use a rubber mallet. And don't tap hard, just gently.

[Dayvo]

The problem with using a hammer or rubber mallet is that some people tend to knock the dent ( dint or ding ) over flush and stretch the metal due to the surface area of the hammer . the best way is to get hold of a banana file from a body shop supplier . They look like an ordinary file but has a slight curve in it so you only file the section you are working on .First remove the paint from the damaged area.
You use the side of the file and start at one end of the dent and tap the panel right down the middle to the other end then do the same half way between the section you have tapped out and the bottom of the dent . Then do the same again at the top part of the dent. then file across the dent about half a dozen strokes , give it a bit of a wipe then start again to tap out the low parts of the panel then file again . keep doing this till the dent has been completely fixed .The trick is not to hit the dent out too much as you will file a hole in the panel . I will search around for an old panel and take some pics and write up a "how to file finish a panel " when i have some spare time .

[MG's VH Wag]

Ok here are some pics i took in the dark of the big dint and also 2 other smaller dints that i would like to fix. What would be the best method to fix the dints?

Cheers

[MG's VH Wag]

Anyone got any ideas on how to fix them?

Cheers

[DANNY8]

If it was me I'd use the tool I mentioned above. The gizmo (sry dunno wat it's called) is sort of like a welder and u put the earth clamp on the car and u hold a handle (which is connected to the machine) on the dent and push the button and it tacks itself onto the panel, u pull the dent out (can take a few shots), then twist to break the tack, keep doing that until it's out as much as it comes out. You'll need to rub back around the dent to bare metal, then use the gizmo.....then once done put a smear of bog over it and sand it smooth.

Bog isn't a bad thing, normally when u put it on, most of it is sanded off, only leaving very minimal on the panel to make it straight. Of course if u can file finish then that would be the better option, but I'd just get the dent out as much as possible, then smear some bog over it.

[R0d]

If it was me I'd use the tool I mentioned above. The gizmo (sry dunno wat it's called) is sort of like a welder and u put the earth clamp on the car and u hold a handle (which is connected to the machine) on the dent and push the button and it tacks itself onto the panel, u pull the dent out (can take a few shots), then twist to break the tack, keep doing that until it's out as much as it comes out. You'll need to rub back around the dent to bare metal, then use the gizmo.....then once done put a smear of bog over it and sand it smooth.

Bog isn't a bad thing, normally when u put it on, most of it is sanded off, only leaving very minimal on the panel to make it straight. Of course if u can file finish then that would be the better option, but I'd just get the dent out as much as possible, then smear some bog over it.

i think your talking about a nail welder, the thing with that is if you use it to much the area around the dent will get volcanoes.....

[DANNY8]

It's similar, but it doesn't weld nails, but it welds the handle u hold, then u pull the handle, and twist it to come off, put it back on the desired spot, tack it again, pull, twist etc etc. So it works the same way.

I'm guessing by volcano's u mean little dimples? These would file off I would imagine.

I work at a crash repair place and see the gear get used a lot, but I only clean up their crap and wash cars so I dunno the exact names for most gear, or how it's used....I just go by wat I see lol....so yeah there's a big possibility that I'm wrong lol...altho I did use this special tool to pull a big dent out of a spare door for practise.

[Dayvo]

I have used a similar thing called a stud welder . It welds studs to the dent then you use a slide puller and hook it under the stud and pull it out , then you grind or file the stud off.

[R0d]

It's similar, but it doesn't weld nails, but it welds the handle u hold, then u pull the handle, and twist it to come off, put it back on the desired spot, tack it again, pull, twist etc etc. So it works the same way.

I'm guessing by volcano's u mean little dimples? These would file off I would imagine.

I work at a crash repair place and see the gear get used a lot, but I only clean up their crap and wash cars so I dunno the exact names for most gear, or how it's used....I just go by wat I see lol....so yeah there's a big possibility that I'm wrong lol...altho I did use this special tool to pull a big dent out of a spare door for practise.

different shops use different equipment but gives the same result if done properly

[DANNY8]

Yeah so far at work I've come across 3 different machines which weld onto the panel to pull a dent out...so there's heaps out there.

[MG's VH Wag]

Thanks for the help guys. I think i have a fair idea now. Just wondering if anyone knows how much would it be approximately to get fixed by a panel beater?

Cheers

[DANNY8]

If ur lucky you'll get change out of $1000 IMO.

[MG's VH Wag]

Oh that much. May aswell do it myself. Just pulled the trim off from the inside and there is another panel on the inside so i wont be able to push the dint out from the inside so i will have to get hold of a stud welder or similar to pull it out. Also i put some pics up of my car in the 'My Ride' thread.

Cheers