Dents, Dings and PDR

RussBird82

RussBird82

Member
I appreciate my 4200 is never going to be a show winner without having a full respray, but the litany of dents niggle me and am looking to get them done this year. Car was detailed last summer and 90% of people would look past them, but I can easily count about two dozen separate indentations on the car. Even today I noticed a fresh one on the bonnet and I can't think for the life of me where that has come from as I've a keen eye for detail. Are the 4200's really this dent prone or am I just having bad luck? Photo for reference, I was quoted ballpark £650 to cover the whole car but there's are the two almost identical (both sides) he said are too risky to touch. Any idea how they may have been caused, wheel spacers? Was hoping to coincide it with headliner removal as he said interior out gives him better access to some of the dents.
 

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In my experience one has to decide what to have, a car to see in the garage, as if it was a scale model kit, or a car to enjoy as much as possible.

I learnt long ago that those dents are part of the price for enjoying our cars.

Me, I would not touch it, because that investment you mention would prevent me of using the car.

Just an opinion.
 
happydaze said:
Not one of my cars would be a "show winner".

That's because I would not want to put them in a car show that had a "winner"...
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To each his own I suppose,I enjoy 'showing' my car, i enjoy getting a car preped for a show, and in turn people appreaciate an older car looking its best.
As cars go the Maserati 3200/4200 are fairly rare cars,many have never seen this model so 'showing' to me is a harmless pleasure
 
joered said:
To each his own I suppose,I enjoy 'showing' my car, i enjoy getting a car preped for a show, and in turn people appreaciate an older car looking its best.
As cars go the Maserati 3200/4200 are fairly rare cars,many have never seen this model so 'showing' to me is a harmless pleasure
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I did not say my cars do not go on display. They often do, and are appreciated, as you say. It's just the 'concours' type of shows that I don't go in for. Everyone who brings that 'special' car out is a winner in my book. A bit of patina is fine...
 
RussBird82 said:
I appreciate my 4200 is never going to be a show winner without having a full respray, but the litany of dents niggle me and am looking to get them done this year. Car was detailed last summer and 90% of people would look past them, but I can easily count about two dozen separate indentations on the car. Even today I noticed a fresh one on the bonnet and I can't think for the life of me where that has come from as I've a keen eye for detail. Are the 4200's really this dent prone or am I just having bad luck? Photo for reference, I was quoted ballpark £650 to cover the whole car but there's are the two almost identical (both sides) he said are too risky to touch. Any idea how they may have been caused, wheel spacers? Was hoping to coincide it with headliner removal as he said interior out gives him better access to some of the dents.
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They soon dent.
I’ve had to call out Mike at Dents Plus in Bury St Edmunds a couple of times due 2 dents that seemed to just appear and I’m a fuss pot where I park etc.
The bonnet doesn’t want to be dropped from a too high point to close it either otherwise you run the risk of chipping the paint along the front edge and also risk denting it.
Joreed who’s got a Spyder needs to be careful on any banging on the horseshoe that covers the hood stowage, these very easily dent. The reason I mention this is is on some Spyders(mine included) the roof can get stuck occasionally in its stowed away position and the pins won’t release and a tap with the side of a fist sometimes does the job, but must be done with caution to avoid denting the horseshoe.
 
RussBird82 said:
Worst offender. Another he can't do, looks like the car was used in a police getaway
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That’s a car body shop job which being black should be straightforward.
Unfortunately where black doesn’t help, it’s the worse colour for showing dents as you’ve found out.
 
Where abouts are you? I use a chap called Justin (the magician) in the Portsmouth area. I recon he would be half what you have been quoted. PM if you want his number @conaero
 
Nibby said:
They soon dent.
I’ve had to call out Mike at Dents Plus in Bury St Edmunds a couple of times due 2 dents that seemed to just appear and I’m a fuss pot where I park etc.
The bonnet doesn’t want to be dropped from a too high point to close it either otherwise you run the risk of chipping the paint along the front edge and also risk denting it.
Joreed who’s got a Spyder needs to be careful on any banging on the horseshoe that covers the hood stowage, these very easily dent. The reason I mention this is is on some Spyders(mine included) the roof can get stuck occasionally in its stowed away position and the pins won’t release and a tap with the side of a fist sometimes does the job, but must be done with caution to avoid denting the horseshoe.
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Yeah I always gently press close the bonnet with two hands. Which makes me think the dent has come from a mechanic 'just checking' it's locked. In addition to the other damage they caused when in for service.
 
Nibby said:
That’s a car body shop job which being black should be straightforward.
Unfortunately where black doesn’t help, it’s the worse colour for showing dents as you’ve found out.
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When I had the front end and rear bumper done the body shop implied any of these areas can't be done in isolation. Before I had the rear bumper done I also checked with a SMART repair guy and he also said any small patches will stand out hence the respray route. I spent £3250 on paint last year and unfortunately a further £4k to do the centre section/doors/boot lid isn't really justifiable at present. Money would be better spent on the control arms at some point so I just aim to keep the car as a sympathetic running restoration for now with dent removal being the next job.
 
conaero said:
Where abouts are you? I use a chap called Justin (the magician) in the Portsmouth area. I recon he would be half what you have been quoted. PM if you want his number @conaero
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North Wales. There's a guy in Ellesmere Port, to his credit at the last time of checking he had nearly 100/100% 5* reviews, but I agreed it is on the high side. About 10yrs ago I had my old car done for about £150 and that was most panels bar roof/boot/bonnet
 
RussBird82 said:
When I had the front end and rear bumper done the body shop implied any of these areas can't be done in isolation. Before I had the rear bumper done I also checked with a SMART repair guy and he also said any small patches will stand out hence the respray route. I spent £3250 on paint last year and unfortunately a further £4k to do the centre section/doors/boot lid isn't really justifiable at present. Money would be better spent on the control arms at some point so I just aim to keep the car as a sympathetic running restoration for now with dent removal being the next job.
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I’m having all sorts of aggro with the corner of my bumper in dark green.
I had a recommendation for a bloke who does the ‘come to you repair’. He came round on the wettest day in February, put his canopy up and got a brilliant match but couldn’t see the whole job properly and after he finished put it straight in the garage. When the monsoon stopped about a week later, I pulled it out the garage, the match was brilliant but the clear coat had marks in it because the weather it was applied in. Can’t get hold of him after. Took to another bloke, went to pick it up and it’s total wrong colour match. Going back in Tuesday week, fingers crossed the saga will end.
Been a nightmare
 
Nibby said:
I’m having all sorts of aggro with the corner of my bumper in dark green.
I had a recommendation for a bloke who does the ‘come to you repair’. He came round on the wettest day in February, put his canopy up and got a brilliant match but couldn’t see the whole job properly and after he finished put it straight in the garage. When the monsoon stopped about a week later, I pulled it out the garage, the match was brilliant but the clear coat had marks in it because the weather it was applied in. Can’t get hold of him after. Took to another bloke, went to pick it up and it’s total wrong colour match. Going back in Tuesday week, fingers crossed the saga will end.
Been a nightmare
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What part of the country are you in? Seems the quality and prices of these jobs varies massively. I actually think I overpaid for the work I had done as have spoken to people who have paid not much more on a full respray. But then the suspicion is my car had a cheap respray in it's earlier life and that's why the lacquer is showing signs of cracking now/paint doesn't match the original code so it's a bit of a buy cheap/buy twice minefield
 
RussBird82 said:
now/paint doesn't match the original code so it's a bit of a buy cheap/buy twice minefield
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Yep, my own fault Russ.
I just thought it would be straightforward. This all started with to small (5p size) imperfections on the plastic bumper probably something reacting underneath the paint.
Hopefully this will be resolved next week.
I’m near Ely, Cambs
 
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