TIL a simple credit card trick can save you hours on dent repair

I was working on a late model Toyota Camry with a door ding that was driving me nuts. Standard stuff, about the size of a quarter, right on the crease line. Usually I'd spend 30 minutes with my slide hammer and glue tabs, sometimes more. A guy I know from a body shop in Minneapolis told me to try using an old plastic credit card wrapped in a microfiber cloth as a gentle prying tool behind the panel. You have to pull the inner door panel first and work from the back side. Took me maybe 8 minutes. Has anyone else used something unusual around the shop that just works?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles79813d ago

Gentle correction here - prying from the back side on a door ding, especially on the crease line of a newer Camry, can actually push the metal too far and leave a high spot you'll never get out right. Better off using the card as a soft body tool on the outside to massge the dent down while backing it up from the inside with a padded block. Still a cool trick for minor dings in easy spots, just not a magic fix for every door dent.

grace_hunt8413d ago

Not really though. Prying works fine if you know what you're doing.