[Deepak K Gupta]

Originally Posted by saket77

Please post some pictures of the dents. Would like to see how merely pressing the bonnet with fingers results in dents. And if that really happens then the 'tin can' title crown of Maruti is in danger.
In fact, I always press down the bonnet of my Zen to close it rather than dropping as I feel pained while dropping it knowing well that dropping the bonnet is the correct procedure. I am yet to inflict any dent on my Zen which turns 13 this year!

Correct. My Zen 2002 had some solid steel on it.Never saw any dents in that generation of cars. But after that my 2006 Alto Lxi and now my 2014 Ford Classic are made out of much thinner sheet. I remember when my Alto was brand new someone had pressed in the fender just by leaning on it.In fact all cars will dent today with a little hand pressure.

The steel frame is to hold the entire hood together otherwise it would collapse but there are several places where the sheet does not have support. There are some places where you will find a gap between the frame and the sheet. Such a gap is there in front where the bonnet latch is situated. You will find several Altos on the road with dents, some visible, some visible at an angle, near the bonnet latch. These are due to the hand pressure while closing the bonnet.

Moderators, so sorry I should have used quote +. I'll remember next time.

[Dinesh_Malhotra]

@Mods

I apologise to say this, but you shouldn't have merged my 'dent' related ongoing case which Hyundai's dealership has agreed to take ahead as a product defect in a generic thread.

I believed that more of the elite i20 owners could get notified of the same and have my issue-solution like a roadmap for themselves to solve their problems in future.

The point of contention was the dealership saying that it's a product issue and then taking ahead with Hyundai itself (or claiming to do so). It's far from generic denting problems for which I would have asked about some solutions etc.

Anyways, I will stick with what you all decide.

Thanks

[hemant.kamat]

A big thank you to Joy for this informative thread. Helped me quite a bit in my recent DIY ding repair: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post3689747

[JP_800]

Hi Joy

Thanks for the really informative and detailed thread. I have one doubt though. Since the clear coat is the outer most layer and is exposed to the elements of nature over the years, does it deteriorate and become thinner over time or worst case, completely wears off? If so, is it recommended to reapply the clear coat? or can aftermarket products like Teflon coating protect it effectively?

Thanks in advance

JP

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by JP_800

I have one doubt though.

JP
Yes the clear coat does deteriorate over time and the effect of elements. High humidity, salt, sun, water all play a part in wearing it away. So also the top coat - over time it will lose some of its luster.

Re-applying the clear coat by itself will not serve any useful purpose. By the time it would have worn off, so would the top coat also. You may have noticed this effect on cars left out in the sun for long periods of time. The roof loses its luster earlier than the running board - as an example.
In such cases , careful paint matching across panels is the cheaper way - but still leaves room for error. The better way is full-body respray. But it's prohibitively expensive - and who wants to throw good money into a car which is past its prime - unless of course if its a classic.

Teflon coating primarily helps in giving a friction free surface. The coating does not allow as much dust or water droplets to adhere to the surface. While there may be some truth to Dupont's claim that it helps protect paint, IMO, it's just another physical barrier against the elements (like your car cover). In fact you are better off using a clean car cover to protect the paint from UV radiation. (dusty car covers do damage paint!) ,

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

But has it ever occurred to you , that knowing about common dents and their fix, can help you save $$$? Has it further occurred to you, that the slightest demonstration of knowledge and 'shopping around' can save you even more $$$?

Hello joybhowmik!

I plan to touch up a few scratches on my Scorpio's rear bumper, if I find an paint seller who is willing to mix & sell a very small quantity of paint.

Although I don't plan to do a very elaborate job of it, this is what I had in mind:

1. Smoothen the affected area - what grade emery paper should be used for this? The reason for asking is that am not sure if emery paper works on non-metal surfaces or not.

2. Do a brush touch up and then some rubbing/polishing with a rubbing compound.

More suggestions from you are always welcome!

Cheers,
Vikram

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Hello joybhowmik!

I plan to touch up a few scratches on my Scorpio's rear bumper, if I find an paint seller who is willing to mix & sell a very small quantity of paint.

Although I don't plan to do a very elaborate job of it, this is what I had in mind:

1. Smoothen the affected area - what grade emery paper should be used for this? The reason for asking is that am not sure if emery paper works on non-metal surfaces or not.

2. Do a brush touch up and then some rubbing/polishing with a rubbing compound.

More suggestions from you are always welcome!

Cheers,
Vikram

@ Comfortably Numb...
Nicked the rear bumper cover eh? Happens all the time to the best of us!

First off - you won't need emery paper for this job.

Second - for such scratches - and I am assuming the very worst - i.e. black plastic showing through - because base coat got scraped off....
1) Take an old (disposable) cotton handkerchief.
2) Make a pen out of the corner by twisting it.
3) Dip pen tip in the paint, and gently apply a small quantity at a time on the affected area.
4) Let this coat dry
5) Repeat steps 3) and 4) until you build up the thickness to the surrounding paint area. This requires patience - and it's OK if you don't finish this in a day.
6) Finally when done - use a good polishing compound, and gently polish the affected area and surroundings to blend it in (as much as possible).

Now, if your scratch is just about topcoat deep or less - you can even get away with using just the polish. That might leave a thin line - but it won't be noticeable much of the time - unless under close scrutiny.

Anything in between a light scratch and a deep gouge - it all gets down to the number of coats you need to apply using the kerchief.

Hope this helps.

BTW - do find a covered spot when doing this. It's really blazing sun outside!

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

@ Comfortably Numb...
Nicked the rear bumper cover eh? Happens all the time to the best of us!

Yeah, the black cladding is showing through, thanks to an impatient cyclist

Thanks for the cheat sheet I will definitely try it over the weekend and let you know how it goes.

Cheers,
Vikram

[ontheroad]

Friends, My Swift red vdi was in need of small denting and painting in bumpers. Last week a biker hit the RH fender and now have a big dent. Plan to give to a a workshop recommended by tbhp friend. The works involve denting and painting both fenders, painting and setting both bumpers(rear bumper have a tear), repainting in RH back door and rear fender due to "bubble" formed due to an earlier painting. The workshop guy quoted 12k.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Friends, My Swift red vdi was in need of small denting and painting in bumpers. Last week a biker hit the RH fender and now have a big dent. Plan to give to a a workshop recommended by tbhp friend. The works involve denting and painting both fenders, painting and setting both bumpers(rear bumper have a tear), repainting in RH back door and rear fender due to "bubble" formed due to an earlier painting. The workshop guy quoted 12k.

From the pictures:
it looks like one of the fenders is bent out of shape but no paint is missing. Ask if it really needs the repaint, or with some careful cajoling with a dolly, the dent can be removed.

The other fender definitely needs denting work in addition to filler and top coat.

The tear in the bumper cover can be easily "welded", and the area filled, sanded and top coated - see a bumper repair specialist, for this job to get an idea of the cost.

Has this mechanic provided a breakdown of the 12k - how does it stack up?

[ontheroad]

Both bumpers(6000), Back fender and Back door repainting (3500), Both fender repair(2500).

[joybhowmik]

I would suggest you to get independent quotations for the jobs from different people. Also check this post... based on personal experience long ago.

[souvik6]

Hi guys,

I just noticed someone from my colony parking lot has scratched the bumper, door edge and body cladding of my brand new car most likely while backing out and turning. This happened overnight so other than trying my luck going through cctv its pointless to confront anyone.

What I want to know is how serious are the scratches and what proper steps I can take to fix it. I am open to DIY job if anyone can guide me regarding all the materials required else I will have to take to neighborhood body shops around south delhi. Paint color is passion red offered by Hyundia on Creata & i20 elite.

I have been wanting to put 3M ppf on the bumpers, which I will do right after fixing these scratches.

[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by souvik6

What I want to know is how serious are the scratches and what proper steps I can take to fix it. I am open to DIY job if anyone can guide me regarding all the materials required else I will have to take to neighborhood body shops around south delhi. Paint color is passion red offered by Hyundia on Creata & i20 elite.

I have been wanting to put 3M ppf on the bumpers, which I will do right after fixing these scratches.

It's not very serious. I think the other car's paint is stuck to your car. Use any polish/wax from Meguiars or Turtle Wax and most of the paint will go.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by souvik6

What I want to know is how serious are the scratches and what proper steps I can take to fix it. I am open to DIY job if anyone can guide me regarding all the materials required else I will have to take to neighborhood body shops around south delhi. Paint color is passion red offered by Hyundia on Creata & i20 elite.

The upper (first) scratch is on the car body and seems to be white paint from the other car and can be removed using rubbing compound easily.
On the other 2 scratches you can see black colour which is the bumper's surface where your car's red paint has peeled off completely. This will need repainting or some touch up paint job.
The scratches on wheel arch and lower Grey colored portions of the bumper can be fixed easily with rubbing compound.