54 April 2004 CHEVY HIGH PERFORMANCE of the paint, and the ability to gain access from behind the damaged area will affect the complexity of the work. For most repairs, inner door panels, fenderwells, trunks, or window openings can be used to route the special dent-removing tools. For the more difficult areas, small access holes can be drilled in inconspicuous areas behind inner panels or in doorjambs. We spent an afternoon watching how this amazing process works with Carl Cleavenger, who's had years of experience repairing dents and dings. The subject of this demonstration had a 3-inch crease in the upper portion of the driver- side rear door. After a short visual appraisal, Cleavenger showed us how he methodically removes a dent and returns the sheetmetal to its original smooth shape. To gain access to this ding, Cleavenger had to drill a small hole behind the door's weatherstrip. (Later this hole would be plugged and hidden.) With access gained, Cleavenger positioned a special metal rod and worked out the dent by starting around the outside and spiraling into the middle in a bal- anced manner. Since the metal has a memory of its original shape, it will move back into position by relieving stress from the dent. Key to this process is constantly monitoring how the ding is working out. The work environment is important too. Controlled lighting helps Cleavenger read the sing and understand how to remove it. Performing this work outdoors is not recommended because of vari- ations in light and shadow. For the best results, dings should be removed indoors under controlled conditions. For sharper dents or dings near an edge, he sometimes reverses the process and pushes the ding out from the middle. For some repairs, the ding needs to be initial- ly pushed out above the original shape so the metal can regain its memory before Cleavenger taps it back down with a special plastic tool. But as with all craftsmanship, the quality of the repair depends on the tools, methods, and experience of the person performing the work. Cleavenger spent less than an hour removing this door ding, and now the panel looks pristine and untouched. That's just what we wanted to see. 8 Now the original ding is completely removed from the outer doorskin, and we didn't need to perform bodywork or apply paint. 9 Cleavenger uses a lime-green reflective board to make sure no remaining ding or deflection exists. 10 Here's the quarter-panel of a '56 Chevy that Cleavenger had removed a small crease from earlier. Yes, his process works well on older cars too, as long as the paint is relatively new or in vibrant condition. CHP Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, mobile repair or in our facility.
*** Bumpers Repaired ***
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