Paintless is Painless

By Ethan Jackman, PrimeAuto Dent Removal

We all see countless vehicles every day, and the variety is endless: brand-spankin'-new cars and nearly classic ones, hardy work trucks and eye-catching exotics. With just a glance, we imagine who's behind the wheel. Many owners take pride in what they drive. For them, it isn't merely a way to get around. From stickers and aftermarket wheels to custom decals, car enthusiasts enjoy shaping their vehicles to fit their personalities.

With all the hard work and maintenance these folks put into their cars and trucks, it's easy to imagine how distressing a dent can be. It's the blemish they can't help but look at every time they get in. It irks them every time they're reminded of it, until one day they've had enough. It's time to fix the dent.

So what are the options?

Many owners' first instinct is to take it to a body shop. After all, that's where cosmetically damaged cars go in and, weeks later, come out looking like nothing ever happened. Or so they hope. Many people who drop their vehicles off at a body shop are signing its care over to the shop. They may not give a thought to how the damage is being repaired. They just know the shop will call when it's done and it'll be "magically" repaired.

Body shops are an important repair facility for major collision damage, frame repair and damaged paint. If that's your situation, it's in your best interest to find the most reputable shop near you. Check the reviews online, and even ask them to walk you through their repair process on your vehicle.

But what if you have dents, dings or minor collision damage? Do you have to take it to the body shop and do whatever they tell you? Do you have to go where your insurance company suggests?

You choose the repair

Nope! As the owner, you have the power to choose the care YOUR vehicle gets. Not everyone cares about the health of their vehicle, but as a car enthusiast you want yours as close to perfect as it can get. As long as the damage fits the criteria for PDR (dents large or small, without large areas of damaged paint), going the paintless route will save you valuable time, along with your vehicle's valuable factory paint.

Before: a dent in the rear door of a gray SUV, bending the reflection — A door dent, before and after paintless repair. Same factory paint, no filler.

After: the same door, smooth, with the factory paint untouched — A door dent, before and after paintless repair. Same factory paint, no filler.

Hours, not weeks

Paintless dent repair can often be performed in mere hours. For larger damage, the process can span several business days. That's leaps and bounds faster than the body shop process. Once a car is painted, the cure time alone can be more than 24 hours of the car doing nothing but sitting and drying. That's on top of waiting for parts, plus the grinding, welding, filling and sanding that go into getting it to the painting stage. I've personally seen vehicles sit at body shops for weeks, and in some cases months. No one wants to be without their vehicle that long.

Protect your resale value

If saving time isn't enough to make you consider PDR over paint, how about your vehicle's trade-in or resale value? Minor cosmetic damage can lower a car's value by 10 to 15%. At that rate, a $25,000 car drops to $21,250.

When a body shop repairs or replaces parts and repaints them, the repair is often reported to vehicle-history services like Carfax. That record follows the car, and anyone can see it, including the person you're trying to sell it to. A reported repair can take a real bite out of what buyers are willing to pay.

Find the right tech

If your vehicle is a good candidate for paintless dent repair, it's truly in your best interest to find a qualified PDR technician in your area. Do your due diligence when vetting a company. Once you find your match, you'll be pleased to find how painless paintless dent repair is.