Spot repairs for everyone - fix dents, remove scratches, repair rust holes!

Technically the car may still be in good shape, these minor defects make it hard to sell. We'll show you what you can do for spot repairs yourself!

Serious damage from an accident will certainly take a toll on the value of your vehicle. But even small ugly spots significantly reduce its residual value and comfort. Scratches, dents, and rusty holes eating away at the exterior make a car a lot less attractive.

Spot repairs: timely action saves money

Timely treatment is the best way to get rid of dents, scratches and rust holes. . Postponing a spot repair will increase the damage.

• This applies especially to rust: once bare metal is reached, destructive corrosion cannot be stopped until you finally have to resort to welding equipment to save the car.

• Although this does not apply to scratches and dents , most likely, there will be an "addictive effect": having got used to the first scratch, you, as the owner, will not notice the second, third, fourth, etc.

• Add a few dents, a tiny star on your windshield, or a dull cover headlights, and you get a car whose value has turned into scrap metal.

Regular inspection for this kind of emerging damage is part of owning a car of a certain age. . This is the right way to keep its residual value at an acceptable level - and you will enjoy the car until the moment of sale. Plus, you don't have to be ashamed of your car.

What is possible for spot repairs and what is not

Spot repair means fixing minor body damage . Instead of sanding, puttying, and painting the entire metal body, spot repairs involve point-by-point processing .

• With a little luck and skill, you can fix the dents yourself.
• When it comes to painting, you can count on professional help.
• In the presence of scratches and rust spots, you can do a lot of preliminary work yourself, which will significantly reduce the cost of fine-tuning by a professional.

So, first of all, when real skill is required, it becomes difficult for a beginner. This applies to both painting and welding.

So, first of all: welding equipment is not for beginners! Non-professional operation of this device may result in serious damage to your vehicle. . In addition, you risk harming yourself and others if you don't know how to deal with it.

Metal massage - patience and tools

A dent in the metal is a nuisance, but not a disaster. Spot repair theme has spawned a booming industry with many interesting products that have made repairs that used to be terribly expensive much cheaper.

Dent repair involves returning the metal to its original shape. . Since the dent is the result of external pressure, it must be removed by external pulling force.

Consequently: simply removing the inner lining and hitting the dent with a hammer at the rear will only exacerbate the damage. .

Suction Cup Spot Repair Kits available for professionals and hobbyists.

This procedure is very simple: work from largest to smallest .

In the first step of dent repair the vacuum force of the largest suction cup is used. Unfortunately, only in rare cases the dent returns immediately.

• therefore spot repair kit contains several suction cups of different sizes . For smaller cups, the tension in the dent will be too strong to be pulled out with vacuum alone.
• For this purpose small rubber bands are attached to the dent with a special glue . In the process of repairing a dent, a wrinkle forms in its center. The elastic bands have an elongated notch that allows them to attach to the crease.
• Now the included slide hammer is used . After repair, the adhesive can be removed without leaving any traces. Step by step you are getting closer to the desired result.

When nothing can be gained from pulling, spot repair kits include pushing tools . With the help of a long pusher, the fold is neatly straightened from one side to the other.

Dent repair requires slow, careful and fine work .

By doing so, you can often save your car's leather.

Removing a dent in a plastic bumper is much easier .

This can often be corrected by watering hot water.

With luck and eventually with the help pulling tools , the flexible plastic will return to its original shape.

Scratch Removal - Pen and Patience

Small scratches can be filled in with a touch-up pencil . The handle can be purchased at the dealership where the model is sold.

It is very important to order exactly the color that matches the color of your car. . Otherwise, the repair will show.

To repair scratches you will need:

- a pencil for touching up a suitable color – silicone cleaner or isopropyl alcohol – car polish grit 200 and 3500 – hand polishing tools – polishing discs of different grain sizes

• First the damaged area is thoroughly cleaned isopropyl alcohol or silicone cleaner .
• Now the scratch is filled with retouching. The paint must be allowed to dry completely.

• After this place is polished 200 grit polish and a coarse polishing sponge. After that, the whole car is polished 3500 grit polish .

Now you have removed not only a scratch, but also a shiny car.

Many people try to buff out a scratch without using an airbrush pencil. At first the result looks good. However, going through the car wash three to four times will wash the filler out of the scratch, which will eventually become visible again. Consequently: the scratch is missing paint and can only be adequately repaired with new paint .

Removing rust stains is a temporary measure

When repairing rust stains and rust holes, proper evaluation is very important. Essentially, you have a choice between three procedures:

– filling with putty and painting – replacement of panels with new or used parts – cutting out the damage site and repairing it by welding

• Filling is always a temporary measure. When professionally performed, it will last five years. A poorly filled place begins to corrode after a few months.
• Front fenders, doors and trunk lids can often be bought as used parts for little money . After spending some time searching, you can even find a part of the corresponding color. This is the fastest and most effective way to remove a damaged spot on a car.
• This does not apply to stains on the inside of the body. . The rear wheel arch is often affected. Here, only puttying and welding help to update the exterior of the car.

It's very easy to fill out:

• First the place of rust is sanded down to bare metal. There should not be the slightest bit of rust left.
• For fidelity externally cleanly polished place is treated with a rust converter. Filler putty is mixed in a given ratio of filler and hardener and applied liberally. Feel free to add 2-3mm optional .
• Then the stain is polished by hand and wetted.
• In the end , a professional automotive painter should apply the final protective coat.

This will give you the perfect result at an affordable price.