There is nothing more disturbing than getting a dent or unexpected bump on your precious Volkswagen Camper or bus. Whether the dent was caused by a mistake in your name or a flushed driver while shopping weekly, they can ruin your VW Bus’s sleek lines. And as many users know, get these types of repairs done in a Auto body shop can be very expensive.
Most UK body shops will charge at least £ 45 per hour and even for a small dent you are looking for, 3-5 hours of work. That’s £ 135- £ 225 for a small dent in your VW truck, just think about how much beer you can buy with that batch. Fortunately for drivers with dented VW Campers, there are a few methods you can use to remove those unwanted dents and scratches for a very small amount of cash and some hard work. However, it must be said, not all teeth will respond to the DIY approach, but it is certainly worth a try. As long as it doesn’t make things worse, what have you got to lose! If you can’t fix the problem and things are not worse than they were when you left, in the worst case scenario, you will have to have the dent repaired at a professional auto body shop. Nothing lost, nothing gained. And you could end up saving yourself a lot of money.
There are a number of things that you will need to attempt a DIY dent repair. First of all, you will need a dent repair kit. These are sold in almost all auto stores and can also be obtained from specialized Internet providers. These will usually contain everything you need to remove small dents or scratches and some things even contain special suction cups so you don’t have to drill a hole in the bodywork. Drilling creates another problem of having to fill the hole after the dent has been removed.
Before you begin, you will need the following tools and kits:
1 Dent removal kit or removal tool.
two. A dolly (metal flattening tool)
3. Metalworking hammer
If you know someone who has a dolly and / or a metal working hammer, you can avoid having to buy these items. Just make sure you return them.
The steps required to complete a dent repair are as follows:
1. (only if you don’t have a dent removal kit), drill a 4mm hole in the center of the dent with a power drill. You may want to use a metal punch to make a small indentation so your drill won’t slip.
gold; attach the dent removal suction cup or stick the plastic adapter in the center of the dent (this will depend on the kit you bring).
two. Pass the dent removal tool through the hole you have drilled or put the dent removal tool on the plastic ring that you glued in the middle of the dent. Then, pull on either tool to flatten or remove the dent.
3. Gently hammer the front of the dent with the metalworking hammer while holding the deck against the back of the dent. It may be necessary to enlist the help of another person to hold the dolly in place.
4. Use a wet and dry medium grit paper to remove all paint from the dented area. try to remove the paint at least 50mm more than the dented area. Then fill the entire area with a good quality body filler (P38).
5. Let the caulk dry completely, then carefully sand the area with wet and dry paper wrapped around a block of wood. When sanding, start with 36 grit wet and dry and work your way up to 120 grit wet and dry.
6. Get a good quality primer and apply at least 5 coats with 15 minutes between coats.
7. Sand the primer with 600-grit wet and dry sandpaper. This will help remove scratches. The area should then be touched up with a matching automotive spray paint. If the paint is not smooth, re-sand and repaint the area until you have a smooth surface.
8. After a few weeks, use t-cut to get a final polish.
