Ok if you own a car long enough youll eventually get a few minor dents or scratches and most guys will prefer to do minor repairs yourself if it saves a good deal of cash.
read the linked instructions below for detailed info
I had my first fast car, a 1965 Pontiac tempest with a BIG BLOCK Chevy and a MUNCIE 4 speed when I was about 18 if I remember correctly, the car was almost new but the previous owner had blown the pontiac v8 engine running it without coolant so I got it very reasonably,I temporarily repaired it, until I had time, then, I promptly installed and modified several different engines, in the car over the next several years.
anyway, the car came with minor dents I wanted repaired, I ask around and one of my mentors showed me how to do the repair, the short version, is you use a dolly and hammer to smooth out what is excessiable from both sides and a slide hammer on panels that can,t be accessed from the inside, the idea is to get the metal surface back to as close as you can to its original location, once everything's within 1/16-1/8" or so from its intended location you sand the surface with something like 80 grit sand paper wrapped around a sanding block until you've removed old paint and basically smoothed the surface but left it covered with micro scratches, you clean and dry the surface several times, then use a flexible applicator to try to smooth the peanut butter like bondo over the minor surface blemishes after mixing the two components that form the bondo,( per instructions) you need to be fast, because temp and the amount of hardener used effect the bondo consistency. after about 3-6 minutes it starts to get stiffer (QUIT ! WAIT! for it to harden, that can take 30 more minutes until its easily sanded, once it is, you sand and repeat the bondo application until and as often as necessary to get the surface correct, each time use a bit finner sand paper (WET DRY) and a running water hose is good once you get things really close and reach about a 300 grit, you try to get about a 600 grit finish before even thinking about primer paint, but once your almost perfect and glass smooth the primer paint gets used as it helps spot imperfections. it needs to look perfect with a lightly sanded primer over the bondo , and with no more than about a 1/10th inch thick bondo for the job to work out correctly
thats the basics, but read the links for far more exact info
theres quality bondo type fillers like this
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/marson- ... 10295.aspx
and theres the cheap crap you get at chain stores and walmart
http://www.ehow.com/how_2149826_body-fi ... epair.html
http://autorepair.about.com/b/2008/02/1 ... ad-out.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/od/fixityou ... /bondo.htm
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video ... ir-267153/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db3PQQvm7cQ
http://www.ehow.com/how_112958_repair-minor-dents.html
read the linked instructions below for detailed info
I had my first fast car, a 1965 Pontiac tempest with a BIG BLOCK Chevy and a MUNCIE 4 speed when I was about 18 if I remember correctly, the car was almost new but the previous owner had blown the pontiac v8 engine running it without coolant so I got it very reasonably,I temporarily repaired it, until I had time, then, I promptly installed and modified several different engines, in the car over the next several years.
anyway, the car came with minor dents I wanted repaired, I ask around and one of my mentors showed me how to do the repair, the short version, is you use a dolly and hammer to smooth out what is excessiable from both sides and a slide hammer on panels that can,t be accessed from the inside, the idea is to get the metal surface back to as close as you can to its original location, once everything's within 1/16-1/8" or so from its intended location you sand the surface with something like 80 grit sand paper wrapped around a sanding block until you've removed old paint and basically smoothed the surface but left it covered with micro scratches, you clean and dry the surface several times, then use a flexible applicator to try to smooth the peanut butter like bondo over the minor surface blemishes after mixing the two components that form the bondo,( per instructions) you need to be fast, because temp and the amount of hardener used effect the bondo consistency. after about 3-6 minutes it starts to get stiffer (QUIT ! WAIT! for it to harden, that can take 30 more minutes until its easily sanded, once it is, you sand and repeat the bondo application until and as often as necessary to get the surface correct, each time use a bit finner sand paper (WET DRY) and a running water hose is good once you get things really close and reach about a 300 grit, you try to get about a 600 grit finish before even thinking about primer paint, but once your almost perfect and glass smooth the primer paint gets used as it helps spot imperfections. it needs to look perfect with a lightly sanded primer over the bondo , and with no more than about a 1/10th inch thick bondo for the job to work out correctly
thats the basics, but read the links for far more exact info
theres quality bondo type fillers like this
http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/marson- ... 10295.aspx
and theres the cheap crap you get at chain stores and walmart
http://www.ehow.com/how_2149826_body-fi ... epair.html
http://autorepair.about.com/b/2008/02/1 ... ad-out.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/od/fixityou ... /bondo.htm
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video ... ir-267153/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db3PQQvm7cQ
http://www.ehow.com/how_112958_repair-minor-dents.html