Candidate for Paintless Dent Work?

[ET16]

Someone hit the fender of my VW GTI a couple of days ago. I got a quote from a shop for around $1,100 to straighten and paint, and a quote from a paintless dent guy I have used before for around $600.

The paintless repair will probably not be 100% and I'll need a little touch-up paint. The full repair will require painting the fender and blending into the door. One guy said that the metallic paint may "flash" a little differently. This concerns me a little.
On the other hand, I want a good repair, so I don't know if the paintless repair will be good enough.

Any opinions?

 

[slo town]

I'd try the paintless dent removal first, then find a specialized paint guy to airbrush the scratches. If you're unhappy with the results, have a body shop fix it. Might cost you more this way but I'd only do the repaint as a last resort.

Scott

 

[CKN]

Here we go again.
A front end collision with an airbag going off is a paintless dent removal situation according to some on here. In your situation that being on the crease is not a good candidate-IMHO.

 

[Cujet]

Find local guys and ask for a cash opinion. Tell him you can't do it right now. To shop around. I'd suggest going with the guy that has confidence and a good price.

I closed the 60 foot hangar door on top of my Jaguar X-Type. Crushed in the roof, flattened all 4 tires, slightly bent the rims.

Could not drive the car home, the door would not close, and I could not sit in the drivers seat. So I punched and kicked the roof back up. Bloop, it worked. Drove my wreck home.

Called a few dentless guys to see what they could do. Not expecting anything other than making it less wrinkly. The guy I chose came by, had been drinking a bit, but OK, he was confident and had the 'special T-Bar with golf ball tool for working large panels'. At the end of the day, he was proud of his work and sober. To say I was happy was an understatement. $600.

He reworked the structural rails above the doors (after I manipulated them mostly into shape with a floor jack and 2x4) by drilling a hole and punching the creases out.

 

[hemitom]

$600 then pay for paint not me !
Off to the body shop she goes where body and paint work are guaranteed .

 

[JHZR2]

$600 then pay for paint not me !
Off to the body shop she goes where body and paint work are guaranteed .

That’s my position too. I’d way prefer pointless dent removal if at all possible. There’s just too much paint damage for my liking. A touch up will be obvious, and add to the cost to do it right.

 

[dishdude]

$1,100 for that repair is a deal. Touch up paint on a blue car will look terrible, why spend $600 for a half arsed repair when $1,100 will get it repaired correctly? I'd leave it alone or spend the $1,100.

 

[FT92]

the paintless dent is probably good in some cases but being on a crease, i don't think the repair will be great, better but not great

 

[ET16]

Thanks for the replies. I am worried about the crease, too.