When you find a small ding on your vehicle, you don't need to take it to your auto body shop to be repaired. You can save yourself a lot of money by fixing the small ding yourself using a self-adhesive auto body patch that you can pick up at almost any auto parts store. Here is what you will need to do to fix a small ding on your vehicle by yourself.
Supplies
Some of these may be supplies that you have laying around your home; the rest of the supplies you should be able to pick up at your local auto parts store. For the paint, you'll want to get your vehicle's paint color information and use that to purchase the appropriate touch-up paint color.
- Self-adhesive auto body patch
- Sand paper
- Auto filler
- Auto body touch-up paint
- Bucket
- Water
- Car wash soap
- Lint-free cloth
- Car wash sponge
Step #1
Take a bucket and fill it up with some warm water; add in the car wash soap when the bucket is almost full. If you add it in too soon, you'll just have a bucket of bubbles. Once the bucket is full of water, use the sponge to clean the area where the small ding is located on your vehicle. Be sure that you remove all buildup, oil and grease that may be on or around the area of the small ding. After you have cleaned the area, use some clean water to rinse it off and then follow up by drying the area with a lint-free cloth.
Step #2
Next, you need to sand down the damaged area. You can sand it by hand, but be aware that this could take a while. To save yourself time, use an electric sander, or attach a sanding tool to your drill; using one of these tools, it should only take you a few minutes to sand down the area. You will want to sand the area down to the area metal, and you will also want the area to feel smooth to the touch. Be sure to wash away all dust that was created by the sanding process before proceeding to the next step.
Step #3
Now it is time to apply the body patch. Take the body patch out of its primary packaging, and hold it over the small ding in your area. You will want to figure out exactly where you want it to go before you remove the cover on the back of the patch that protects the adhesive.
Once you know where the patch will go, take off the covering on the back and start by applying the patch at the corner and gently applying more pressure. Work across the patch slowly so you don't create any bubbles. Do not leave the adhesive exposed to the air; this will compromise its ability to bond with your vehicle. Allow the patch to sit and cure according to the directions on the package; many auto body patches change colors when they have dried and cured.
Step #4
If patch did not fill in the ding so that it is now even with the surface of your vehicle, you will need to use some body filler as well. With most body filler, you have to mix a hardening agent into the filler before applying the filler to your vehicle. Once you start mixing in the filler, you generally only have a couple of minutes to get the filler into place; it hardens very quickly. It is best to mix very small amounts of filler together and apply them over the body patch so that you fill in the hole and make it even with the rest of your vehicle. You will want to cover the entire area; if you add too much, you can sand it down later.
Step #5
Allow the filler to dry. If the filler is raised above the surface of your car or looks rough, use a little sandpaper to sand it down and smooth it out. Gently brush away any dust created by the sanding process.
Step #6
Finally, you are going to want to apply a couple of layers of primer followed by a few layers of touch-up paint over the patch. This will help the patch blend in with the rest of your vehicle.
For more information, contact G P Automotive or a similar company.
