Paintless dent removal videos typically aren’t as fun as detailing videos. They lack that instant gratification of watching grime get methodically blasted off by a power washer. However, Johnathan Hatfield from Elevation Dent Co. makes it worth watching by explaining what the tools do and how effectively they fix even the gnarliest (and the subtlest) of dents.
Bigger dents seem to be easier. He glues plastic cams to the dent, with some sort of autobody adhesive that doesn’t damage the paint and comes off fairly easily using rubbing alcohol, and then uses a pulley system to pull the dents out. It’s super satisfying to watch these simply pop out. But after the big dents are pulled out, there are always a number of smaller dents that need working.
An arsenal of tools is used to fix the smaller dents and they’re the ones that require so much patience. My ADHD-riddled brain could never handle it. Some of the tools are pointy, some are blunt, and some are rounded, but all of them seem to massage the dent from the backside (It’s OK, I snickered, too).
There are some dent-specific hammers and gentle tapping involved (Yep, keep snickering) but smaller dents are mostly fixed from behind. Modern car design is so complex, though, that removing dents often requires different approaches for the same dent, as the dent will span several different body lines and shapes. However, it’s possible to completely fix even the most complex dents, making cars look like new again, without having to repaint or replace body panels.
Interestingly, many of these videos also come with completion times and costs so you can get an idea of how much it might cost, and how long it would take, to fix your own dent, giving you some reference if you decide to get a quote from your own local shop. Nothing will beat the satisfaction of watching an old, dirty car get its first detail in years but I might be coming around on these dent removal videos, too.
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