Anyone done any PDR - Paintless Dent Removal [View all]
Bought a used 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. 161K miles. Needed steering gear, transmission service, tires, struts and shocks. Leaks oil, but it's a Dodge. Doesn't leak as much as my 2005 Saturn Relay did. Couple of things I can do over time to slow the leaking.
It has a few small dents, and one reasonably large one on the lift gate. Lift gate opens, closes, and seals just fine.
I took it to a local body shop I trust that's done insurance work for me before. $4K. About what I expected. Guy gave me some "insider" help saying here, on the estimate, this is the source of the used lift gate (off a silver Chrysler T&C), and $395 is my price, so you might be able to get it cheaper. And if you're handy, replacing it is relatively easy. All true. And I appreciate that DIY help.
Silver Dodge Caravan versus silver Chrysler T&C might not be the same silver, especially if it's different model years.
Talked to a friend about body hammering it myself. He helped me get the trim panel off to see the lift gate is double-walled with no access hole so unless I cut a sizable hole on the inside, then I cannot get to the dent with a body hammer.
That took me to PDR. Basically, hot glue a plastic tab to the dent, and use a slide hammer with a slot to grab the tab. There are some other tools, but same principle of hot gluing (with special PDR glue sticks). Cool innovation since the last time I did slide hammer work to a beater car.
The YouTube videos make it seem magical, and I'm sure those folks have done it a LOT, and probably wrong a LOT, before they ever got to where they could make a decent YouTube video.
I figure I cannot screw it up too badly, and if I do then I go buy a used lift gate and get my friend to help replace it.
Curious if anyone has had success with PDR the first time?
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