Removing a dent...in the shape of a hitch

[chrishennig]

So...I let my roommate borrow my car.

And he rear-ended someone.

Didn't do any damage to the persons hitch.

But it put a dent in my front bumper, right where a front license plate would be attached.

Any tips on removing this dent since it didn't go all the way through? Thanks y'all!


IMG_20180313_173627 by Chris Hennig, on Flickr

[tpollauf]

Nice friend you got there. They clearly didn't creep slowly until impact ... BUT full force! Anyways the bumper skin will need to be removed and then possibly using a heat gun (or any other source of hi temperature heat 300-400'f) with the bumper laying flat on a steel bench or other non combustible solid surface, reshape the point of impact. No guarantees this will work BUT it should at least get you close to where you were at before this impact took place.

[chrishennig]

Nice friend you got there. They clearly didn't creep slowly until impact ... BUT full force! Anyways the bumper skin will need to be removed and then possibly using a heat gun (or any other source of hi temperature heat 300-400'f) with the bumper laying flat on a steel bench or other non combustible solid surface, reshape the point of impact. No guarantees this will work BUT it should at least get you close to where you were at before this impact took place.

Thanks...

what would happen if I heated it up with the bumper still on the car? maybe grab that screw with some needle nose pliers?

Is the black box or flux capacitor in danger back there?

[tpollauf]

what would happen if I heated it up with the bumper still on the car?

Behind the bumper skin is some styrofoam and plastic honeycomb reinforcement material (I'm pretty sure) so there's a chance you'd melt that stuff. Doing it right requires removing the bumper skin. Worse case you could mount a license plate over the impacted area I have plenty of front plates that we're supposed to use on front bumpers (state law here in Ohio) BUT you won't find them on any of my cars !!!