How to get dents out of the roof?

brtnstrns · May 2, 2004

I have a whole bunch of small dents in the roof of my 66 coupe. A friend of mine told me to get them out by just heating the metal with a blowtorch and they should pop right out. First off is this a good method and if not how should I get them out?

Hack · May 2, 2004

brtnstrns said:
I have a whole bunch of small dents in the roof of my 66 coupe. A friend of mine told me to get them out by just heating the metal with a blowtorch and they should pop right out. First off is this a good method and if not how should I get them out?

Is your headliner installed? That would concern me.

Actually, I hope a body guy can answer this, because my hood has bad hail damage.

6Stang7 · May 2, 2004

A nail gun (no, not the thing used to shoot nails into wood) and a slide hammer work really well. The nail gun will weld on copper nails which you can attach a slide hammer to, and use to pull the dents out.

-Shaun

allcarfan · May 2, 2004

this kind of body work really requires a professional.

Do you have any pics of the dents?

wickedmach1 · May 2, 2004

I take it that you are repainting the car??? If not painless dent removal is the only way to go. If so, a torch can be used but be very careful. You need to use a torch head that is very small and will put out a lazy flame. You heat the dent and it will actually rise almost like a bubble. You then quench the spot with a wet rag. It will cool the metal and will return to it's normal flat position. I warn you that this is not so easy to do. Watching the temperature of the metal is critical. If it gets too hot, it can crack. If they are small, put some 3M Parana Putty (body filler) on the dent and sand smooth. You are talking about a very shallow dent and I have no problem with filling the spot. I would not recommend a slide hammer for the roof. The dents are also too small for a slide hammer. Good luck.

brtnstrns · May 2, 2004

the headliner isnt in and we're painting in later...so i'm not worried about messing anything up...well except the actual metal. And yes they're small dents

2nd Mustang · May 2, 2004

I bought the "Ding King" dent puller kit for about $20. It took out a medium size dent on my right rear quarter panel. It still needs some follow up work, but took most of the dent out with no damage to the paint. A few more tries and it should have all the damage repaired.

dolfan87 · May 3, 2004

If you don't have experience using the torch, then DO NOT use one. If the dents are more like dings, then just use a good plastic filler, and block them out.

You can create more problems by using a torch such as warping the roof. There is NOTHING wrong with using a good filler (Rage Gold by Evercoat is the best im my opinion) as long as you properly prep the area, and don't go to thick.

87

1320stang · May 3, 2004

You might try dry ice on them before you do anything else. A local produce delivery truck or the butcher at the local supermarket might have it for free. You can buy it in some supermarkets for about a buck, but I'm not sure how much that gets you. Heat the dent with a hair dryer or do it in the hot summer heat (you're blue car helps as it's a dark color. A little experimentation might need to take place, but I believe you chip off a piece of ice and stick it down into the dent, if you just take a big chunk and sit it on top, I'm not sure it will pull it out. I've heard of body shops doing this to remove hail dents, but I've never seen it done. I have, however, seen the results of it being done. Its also fairly cheap to do, just don't handle it with your bare hands.

66 BLAKE 96 · May 3, 2004

If the headliner is out, why not hammer and dolly it?

Ozsum67 · May 3, 2004

1320stang said:
You might try dry ice on them before you do anything else. A local produce delivery truck or the butcher at the local supermarket might have it for free. You can buy it in some supermarkets for about a buck, but I'm not sure how much that gets you. Heat the dent with a hair dryer or do it in the hot summer heat (you're blue car helps as it's a dark color. A little experimentation might need to take place, but I believe you chip off a piece of ice and stick it down into the dent, if you just take a big chunk and sit it on top, I'm not sure it will pull it out. I've heard of body shops doing this to remove hail dents, but I've never seen it done. I have, however, seen the results of it being done. Its also fairly cheap to do, just don't handle it with your bare hands.

Yes, that's how it is done. If you have had Bo Duke stomping around on the hood though, a more traditional approach is warrented.

How to get dents out of the roof?

brtnstrns

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Hack

6Stang7

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allcarfan

The Answer Man

wickedmach1

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brtnstrns

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2nd Mustang

dolfan87

1320stang

66 BLAKE 96

Native Texican

Ozsum67

Too much thin air

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How to get dents out of the roof?

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