Guest CAB Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Following an argument with a pheasant (he lost) I now have a small dent on the front edge of the bonnet of my 2005 Ducato 'van. No damage to paintwork. I have been quoted over £150 for a "fill and re-spray". Several Sunday papers are advertising "dent pullers" for around £10 working on a suction principle (the rear of the dent is hidden by a box section so a "push" is not possible). Has anyone tried this device? Does it work? Can you overdo the suction and leave a raised "bubble"? Looks too good to be true. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Hi Clive and welcome. There are specialist companies about that will "suck" this dent out for you, at what cost? I'm not sure but if it was £150 I'd rather pay it to have it done this way than "fill and sprayed". D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 you got off lightly - most clashes with pheasants result in the destruction of the radiator grill :-> B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CAB Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I did lose the Fiat badge as well, but the grille is OK. The local "Paintless Dent Removal Mobile Repair Service" I contacted removes dents by working from behind (removing trim where necessary). These repairers are "pushers" not "suckers". Unfortunately in this instance there is no rear access to the dent. I'll order one of the suction dent pullers (cost £5-£10 so nothing much to lose compared to the quote). I'll let you know if it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 £2,500 when I hit a pheasant. It dented the luton and the overcab roof had the be replaced. Dent pullers are OK in expert hands but struggle to cope with double skins. When I dented a wing (ladder fell on it), the garage drilled a small hole, used a claw in the hole to gently pull out the dent and then re-filled the hole and sprayed the wing. Cost me £80 but that was 9 years ago so I reckon your quote is good value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayKay Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 CAB, they do not work with regard to pulling or sucking out dents ( Iwas tempted to add further to that but thought I would probably get banned ) John D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 CAB If your dent has a crease in it then its likely impossible to suck out again, it also depends how hard the bird hit, if there's an icrease in the surface area due to the collision that's also a factor, if the dent is on a front radius then it cannot be sucked out. Is the box section underneath spot welded to the bonnet making the job more impossible? Don't forget around £30.00 of your 150 plus is VAT which the repairer has to pay the government, he also gets taxed and has to pay his operators. One of those occasions where a DIY job sounds doubtful. The repairer may charge three hours but a DIY job may take one and never be correct! £10 for a dent puller you say, I would imagine its as effective as a length of linen duck tape, (yes it can be used on soft dents) or the windscreen sucker on a Sat Nav base. LB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 £150 seems a bit steep. I'd do that for about £70. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minstrel Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I digress a bit, but is it possible to get a new fiat badge. One of the idiots who owned our Helga before us took off the fiat badge and put on a Lands End one. We also have a Catalonia flag on the back but that's reasonably tasteful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 It may be possible to access a dent in a box section from behind by drilling a hole in the back and using a soft headed 'pusher' to push the worst of the dent out? As long as the raw edges of any access hole are painted to prevent corrosion it should not notice, and you could even insert a grommet in it for a complete cover up. If you are left with a minor imperfection a wide self adhesive 'go faster' type coachline stripe, of which places like Halfords sell plenty, in a suitable colour might hide it. Certainly if a sticky stripe is appropriate it could also be used to hide a not very good diy repair if the repaired area is not too widespread. Difficult to tell without seeing it but very often a little ingenuity can save a lot of cash on minor repairs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 A pheasant cull would surely eradicate this menace to road users. And whilst we're at it how about badgers too.......... Dam it - some bugger's already thought of that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 AndyStothert - 2008-04-17 9:51 AM A pheasant cull would surely eradicate this menace to road users. And whilst we're at it how about badgers too.......... Dam it - some bugger's already thought of that one. How about a cull of Fiat executives Andy - would that help do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 CAB - 2008-04-16 10:17 PM The local "Paintless Dent Removal Mobile Repair Service" I contacted removes dents by working from behind (removing trim where necessary). These repairers are "pushers" not "suckers". Unfortunately in this instance there is no rear access to the dent. Have you actually had the 'Invisible Repair' people tell you they can't do it, as I had one removed from the bonnet of a Pug 406 I owned with no access behind it (or so I thought) and you wouldn't know it had been there. They were able to get in from an opening some two and a half foot away and used long tools to work on it. Mind you they charged £59 but it was worth every penny. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Minstrel - 2008-04-17 12:06 AM I digress a bit, but is it possible to get a new fiat badge. One of the idiots who owned our Helga before us took off the fiat badge and put on a Lands End one. We also have a Catalonia flag on the back but that's reasonably tasteful. Yes, have a search on Ebay, or is available form a dealer. They are £6 to £10 from a dealer I believe, but only a few pounds when available on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 AndyStothert - 2008-04-17 9:51 AM A pheasant cull would surely eradicate this menace to road users. And whilst we're at it how about badgers too.......... Dam it - some bugger's already thought of that one. a cull of fiat badgers me ansms - now thers a darn proper idea. penberthy now as a collection of over thirty and they aint all professional my luvvers. f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CAB Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I think I am a sucker in more ways.. Just paid over £15 for the badge from the dealer, but could have got it for £6 (including postage) from Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290221375253&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019 Another dent puller/sucker is taking a looke tomorroe. Fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Tracker - 2008-04-17 9:43 AM It may be possible to access a dent in a box section from behind by drilling a hole in the back and using a soft headed 'pusher' to push the worst of the dent out? As long as the raw edges of any access hole are painted to prevent corrosion it should not notice, and you could even insert a grommet in it for a complete cover up. If you are left with a minor imperfection a wide self adhesive 'go faster' type coachline stripe, of which places like Halfords sell plenty, in a suitable colour might hide it. Certainly if a sticky stripe is appropriate it could also be used to hide a not very good diy repair if the repaired area is not too widespread. Difficult to tell without seeing it but very often a little ingenuity can save a lot of cash on minor repairs?And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Richard?. I hate to think the state your van must be in, with all the bodging you must do. For christ's sake this is a hobby and if you can't do a job correctly don't do it at all. Pity anybody that ends up with your van second hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hol Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 CAB - 2008-04-16 8:42 PM Following an argument with a pheasant (he lost) I now have a small dent on the front edge of the bonnet of my 2005 Ducato 'van. No damage to paintwork. I have been quoted over £150 for a "fill and re-spray". Several Sunday papers are advertising "dent pullers" for around £10 working on a suction principle (the rear of the dent is hidden by a box section so a "push" is not possible). Has anyone tried this device? Does it work? Can you overdo the suction and leave a raised "bubble"? Looks too good to be true. Clive I haven't tried using a"dent puller", so can't comment on their use, but when we had this problem on the bonnet of our Boxer, I found a local vehicle repairer who agreed to fill and respray for about £50.00, if I just brought them the bonnet. It was easy to remove/re-fit, and the repair was excellent. Like yourself, I had tried other repairers who could fit the motorhome in their workshops, and wanted well over £100. Mick H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 peter - 2008-04-17 11:15 PM And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Richard?. I hate to think the state your van must be in, with all the bodging you must do. For christ's sake this is a hobby and if you can't do a job correctly don't do it at all. Pity anybody that ends up with your van second hand. Hey Peter lighten up a bit :-D , I thought that tracker gave some very sound advice I would certainly look for any way that I could do a satisfactory repair without paying out for expensive 'professionals'. But the onus is on satisfactory, at the end of the day any repair is not a perfect factory finish ( and we all know that factory finish vehicles are often repaired as they come off the line, thats how the invisible dent repairers first started) so does it matter how the repair is made providing it is satisfactory. I certainly have made several minor damage 'repairs' on ours that anyone closely examining would never know they were there. So I believe you are unfair to condemn Trackers advice. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Basil - 2008-04-18 9:34 AM peter - 2008-04-17 11:15 PM And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Richard?. I hate to think the state your van must be in, with all the bodging you must do. For christ's sake this is a hobby and if you can't do a job correctly don't do it at all. Pity anybody that ends up with your van second hand. Hey Peter lighten up a bit :-D , I thought that tracker gave some very sound advice I would certainly look for any way that I could do a satisfactory repair without paying out for expensive 'professionals'. But the onus is on satisfactory, at the end of the day any repair is not a perfect factory finish ( and we all know that factory finish vehicles are often repaired as they come off the line, thats how the invisible dent repairers first started) so does it matter how the repair is made providing it is satisfactory. I certainly have made several minor damage 'repairs' on ours that anyone closely examining would never know they were there. So I believe you are unfair to condemn Trackers advice. Bas We don't worry about Peter's insults Basil as he is socially inept and unable to make any constructive or helpful suggestions on any topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Really? try reading some of the other threads. I just don't like bodged work done on what is supposed to be someones pride and joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Come, Come gentlemen enough is enough, its only a dent. Simple filler and a respray is all that's required. Much better than the days when we had to tin the surface with solder then fill with plumbers lead and level of with a dreadnought! Squabling over some else's dent is rather childish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 It may be only a dent to you, but it's all about point scoring to us. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Ah, but the one who scores most points is the one who fixes the dent. It seems there are many suggestions perhaps we should have a contest with a selction of identical dents lined up, then see who produces the most efficient repair at the lowest cost, say within a time scale of 30 minutes, prior to final paint of course for that's an added extra. All that's needed is a supply of flying pheasants of the same weight to speed ratio. I'm up for filling with lead @ 22 minutes with a discount for removing paint first. LB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Chewing gum ... 2 minutes. Chewing Gum colour matched - extra 5 pence for wrigglies spearmint rather than Tesco own brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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