GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Anyone have ideas how to get dents out of a fender? Can I remove the wheel well liner and push these out? Or isn't there a suction method that some shops use? I'm looking for an inexpensive solution since this is an '03 and don't feel like investing in what the body shop would charge (about $800), plus it's mostly cosmetic.

Thanks

Due to the deep folds, I think you still are going to have creases if you attempt to hammer that out yourself. It looks all cosmetic. Do you really want to spend non-maintenance money on a 15 year old car? The good news is that you enter the car from the driver's side and won't have to look at it. With my luck, I'd pay to have it hammered and painted only to have a deer attempt a carjack a month later.

Hth did you get those dents without damaging the fender flares?

Caretaker wrote:Due to the deep folds, I think you still are going to have creases if you attempt to hammer that out yourself. It looks all cosmetic. Do you really want to spend non-maintenance money on a 15 year old car?

Absolutely don't want to spend the money, which is why I'm wondering if I can push or hammer it out from the inside. I think the standard technique is to drill holes and slide hammer, then put some stuff on it and paint over... but I haven't done any body work ever.

Leaving a crease might look better than dents, but if that chips or cracks the paint, it will probably start peeling and rusting... Even now, there might be a tiny tear at the very top of the deepest crease, so my problem is likely slightly worse than just cosmetic. I could put a dab of touch-up paint there, but I've left it like that for a year through rain and snow, so who knows what going on inside. At the minimum, I should probably look... I'm assuming the fender is open ended from under the wheel well cover. Am I wrong?

SlammedNiss wrote:Hth did you get those dents without damaging the fender flares?

No idea, to be honest. Maybe the thing that hit it was higher than the flare, or the flare is more compliant and bounced back?

If you have worked with sheet metal before, you would know that the metal is stretched and can not be pulled or pushed back to it's original shape. Your either going to have to use filler to get it smooth after hammering the dent out with the use of a dolly or most body shops would just replace the fender. Looking at the rusty rim, you can't be to concerned about a car of this age. I would just keep driving it as is. Every car has dents coming and once the first dent is done the rest of the dents go a lot easier on your peace of mind.

I say ditto the above. The '07 VIbe we bought last year has a dent in the same place, a little smaller. I've toyed with the idea of fixing it, but my wife says one of the good things about owning an older car is not worrying about that first dent.

Mine is not creased so badly and could conceivably be hammered or pushed out from the fender skirt side. Yours could not. It would require filler and paint as well. A suction cup wouldn't even make a dent, so to speak.

I've dented the front fenders by just leaning on them a bit too hard. Never enough to crease them like yours, and it was easy to pop out. I'd say try to push the dents out by hand from the inside, might not get the dent out completely but should some. and you'll have to watch for rust if the paint chips off, but that seems as likely whether you pop the dents out or not

Thanks for the responses. So far I haven't done anything. As you can tell, I'm not rushing this

One idea I had was to get an undamaged one from a junkyard, though that would still cost more than trying to push out the dent. I'll do that next time I have the wheel off and feel like taking the liner etc, out. I'm assuming it's hollow from below... I guess I'll find out. (Is it painted on the inside?)

However, the reason for this post is the more I look the more issues I find. Today I noticed that the flare piece is not stuck properly to the fender near the bottom by the door. Now I'm worried about water getting in and starting corrosion. (Here's a picture as viewed from above. It's not easy to see but I think the aperture is big enough and oriented so that rain would get in.) Any ideas if something will rust, or how to properly seal this? I could apply some glue but not sure what kind and if first the thing should be taken off and inspected.

i don't see that causing it a rust issue. you can run around without the flares and be just fine.

I just removed my dent with a large Harbor Freight suction cup. I was helping a friend move a large mirror and he had just bought the cups for that. I borrowed the cup for a minute, literally, because that's all it took. Just pulling the suction on the tool removed the dent, didn't even have to pull on the handle. I think the dent was just from someone leaning against the fender.

There's no way that tool would work on the OP's dent.

Do you mean that $ 4 red plastic suction cup??? I'm going to go get one today if you say it works the way you stated..........

It's this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/aluminum- ... 92825.html

4 5/8" with aluminum handle for $8. My friend bought a couple for moving the 4' x 7' mirror, and didn't want to trust plastic for that. But looks like the cheaper plastic one will serve okay for the dent.

Good to know about the cup. I might get one if I'm ever near a Harborfreight.

In the meantime I was about 90% successful in pushing it out with my hand after removing a plastic trim piece held in by three clips inside the engine bay. I can still see smaller remainder dents. I might work at it with some more with a wooden tool handle or something. You literally have to deform the fender in the opposite direction (outward) for it to settle back into a neutral position but it's hard to get that much pressure on it with fingers.

BTW andrewclaus -- that's your former wheel cover on the photo. Looks nice