New Cars

Getting your used car ready for sale: pt 4 – Dents

Sometimes, dents just seem to appear from nowhere. Leave your car at a supermarket for half an hour and – as if by magic – there's suddenly a big dimple in your bodywork.

Of course, if you're selling a used car without any dents you're much more likely to get a good price. Yet fixing dents at the garage is an expensive business - sometimes requiring whole new panels.

However, you'd be surprised how many dents and dings can be sorted yourself.

Really, you've got two options: drilling, or suction/glue. We recommend the latter where possible. Either way, you're best off finding a dent fixing kit. You can pick these up pretty cheaply at Halfords or similar car parts shops.

The basic steps are then as follows:

- Find the dent centre. If you're going the drill route, use a small (1/8 inch) bit to drill a hole right in the middle. If you're using the suction or glue method, then you need to either fix an adaptor to the centre of the dent using the hot glue, or start using the special suction device.

- Next, you need to attach the pulling tool to either the adaptor or to a connector that slots into the drilled hole. Once attached, gently pull on the end to draw the dent back into a flat position.

- For large dents you may need to gently hammer the front while applying pressure to the back of the dent (this is easier on the bonnet or boot).

- Again, if the dent is large, then you may need to get serious. Use a drill sanding disk to remove the paint. Once finished, use a high quality filler over the area. Once dry, sand down for smoothness.

- Apply six coats of spray primer, let dry and sand down once again. Finally, apply the correct colour paint. Jobs of this magnitude are best left to the experts if you're unsure of your DIY skills!

One final option is using the dry ice technique. Now, as dry ice is something that most people don't have lying around at home, this can be trickier to achieve. However, it can be very effective. Applied to the dented area, the dry ice draws out the metal by making it contract due to the very low temperatures.

As always, if you're thinking “sell used car” check out our website for an easy, quick and excellent value deal (including free pick-up within 24hrs!)