Who's a ding king!?! Help.

[wheel1856]

Once again, I need to call on the experience and expertise of this forum for some tips and info.

I am I GIANT fan of doing things my damn self. I don't like spending money on stuff (well other than beer) and I really just like making stuff and the whole pide deal that comes with it. I've made custom speaker well covers, hatch covers, intakes (though we know how that turned out ) speaker mounts, and a few other things.

So, my question is, outside of a body shop and excessive cutting, how can I fix all the dings in my 1992; 233,000 mile, civic hatch? I came out of the bar I DJ at one night and aparently one of the drunks thought it would be fun to perform riverdance on my hood. Plus all the old lady parking lot dings, and a few other unexplained bumps.

I don't want a CF hood, nor do I want to spend forty million dollars at a shop. Theres a paint shop near by that does a hell of a job matching paint, including fade, and Im not afraid of Bondo, don't like it, but I dont fear it.

Suggestions? Tips? Hints? Tricks of the trade that you have picked up over the years? Any help is always appreciated.

-wheel
ps: really dont want to spend alot due to the engine swap and all the upgrades soon to come.

[kicker1_solo]

Take a hammer and something like a long screwdriver but something without a sharp tip on it. Get behind the panel that has a ding in it, stick the rod (screwdriver look alike) back in there and put it on the ding or dent. Take the hammer and hit the rod, and tap the dent out. Tap out all around it, so it sticks out maybe an 1/8" farther than it's supposed to. After a while, it'll look like a mess with a bunch of little nipples sticking up from the body, but that's exactly what you want. After you have it so you think it's good and everything it popped out then it's time to get the grinder. Take the grinder and grind it all down smooth. After you get that all smooth to where you think it's about good, then get out the bondo. Apply the bondo, let is dry, smooth out the bondo.

[wheel1856]

word.

Hey Kicker, any tips on painting? Like how to paint those little patches without the lines showing up 'n' such?

-wheel

[kicker1_solo]

Have a shop do it. If you're going to try it yourself make sure you use a paint gun, rent one if you have to. But I can almost promise you that it won't look good unless you have a shop do it.

[91AcrdMan]

fuck all that.. just buy a new hood... you can get them for cheap as hell.. or steal one.. haha

[kicker1_solo]

Originally posted by 91AcrdMan
fuck all that.. just buy a new hood... you can get them for cheap as hell.. or steal one.. haha

lol, bad chris, go lay down!

he has more dents than just in his hood anyways

[civicHBsi91]

i seen something on tv called the ding king i think, on an infomercial done by that guy from orange clean, i dont trust shyt on tv tho they all seem to fuk up some how, it used like suckers and a puller or sumthing to pull them out looks like it would work.....anyway good luck

[kicker1_solo]

Originally posted by civicHBsi91
i seen something on tv called the ding king i think, on an infomercial done by that guy from orange clean

My shop got one of those to try it out, sent it back 2 weeks later, complete crap

[wheel1856]

See, the screw about buying a new hood is 1. Finding one that's in better shape than yours that isn't from the dealer and 2. BUYING it - spend money bad

Also, about the paint gun, I've actually had some success without using one, I had to fill in some rust holes in the rear wells and painted with the auto paint spray can, worked out pretty good - I dunno if they make them with lower pressure or what but...
I was just wonderin if you new some tricks to painting it, because its a lot of very careful wet sanding if you do it yourself to get the lines out.

anywho, thanks for the advice n such

-wheel

[kicker1_solo]

prep work is what it's all about. Get everything smooth before you paint it and you won't have to deal with the lines. Don't forget primer, that's a must. And since you have painted some I don't need to lecture you on taking your time and having patience.

[civicHBsi91]

My shop got one of those to try it out, sent it back 2 weeks later, complete crap

everything off tv is crap

[auke1]

I've often heard that a little bit of dry ice when pressed against smaller dings can do wonders...

I haven't tried it myself, but i've heard it from a few people, and dry ice is damn cheap, so it wouldnt hurt to try it either.