solution for dents in roof

[danwheeler]

i have a dent that likes to pop up and down... i can pound it out, but it likes to come back. has anyone had luck tack-welding in a piece of metal from drivers side to passenger side under the headliner to give it some rigidity to keep it from bubbling in and out?

[darkdan]

When I tint someone's car and there's a fault in it I use a very special trick that solves the problem.

Put a sticker over it.

=)

The metal is obviously stretched a bit. I'd contact a PDR guy and see what he says.

[Guest]

Actually there is a buckle that needs to be fixed.. Man I hate finding those too... I've repaired many buckles in my time. And it just requires the use of a hammer and dolly at the same time. Well that, and finding the exact spot that is causing the buckle.. and patience.. patience... and more patience. All the while testing rigidity with a finger push at the center of the buckle. That was one of the jobs I dreaded the most especially when an import showed up at the shop.

[danwheeler]

i dont follow - a buckle? are you saying there is a buckle somewhere else on the roof that is creating too much "slack" in the center of the roof which lets the metal pop up and down?

[mattswabb]

If you have a dent that keeps popping back out one way to fix it is by using bondo on the backside of it. Pop the dent out, scuff the back with rough paper, clean, then apply a thin coat of bondo to it. Best to use the bondo with the fiberglass fibers in it. The bondo will stiffen the panel and keep the dent from popping.


matt

[Guest]

i dont follow - a buckle? are you saying there is a buckle somewhere else on the roof that is creating too much "slack" in the center of the roof which lets the metal pop up and down?

Well not that it has too much slack, but more like it has an arc shaped bend (however so slight) which allows a convex surface to reverse. Usually it's on the outer edge of the dent.

And Matt is correct, but I do that after I've tapped on the buckling point.. They can be small on thin metal such as our Festivas. Be glad it's the roof where you can get to the underside. !/4 panels are the worst, followed by doors...

[Epixstar]

i jump on my roof and dented the hell on it and i sit on my roof all the time :lol: o well the body is mine is shot so o well