Dented! Help me!
 

I've been trying to keep my new RX8 in immaculate condition since I bought it 2 months ago. It's such an amazing car. I even take the time to properly space myself between two cars when I park. To my horror, when I walked out to my car today, I noticed a small dent on the right suicide door! I couldn't believe it. What idiot opened their door with all their might to dent my car! What a moron! Anyhow, you guys have some awesome advice with all the threads and I'm hoping that someone has a quick tip on how to fix the dent. Take a look at the pics attached. Thanks in advance.

I feel your pain...

I have already experienced several door dings. The sheet metal is so thin that it seems almost anything will cause a dent.

A local paintless dent removal company should be able to take care of this.

Good luck!

Ouch thats ugly, i would contack a paintless dent shop and see what it would cost. You could always try one of the home fixes first like a hair drier on high some times the heating of the metal can force out a small shallow dent, bu I think yours might be to big. I have had luck in the past with a toilit plunger and sucked the dent out. But both of these methods are hit/miss half the time.

Fools
 

I hate door dings and my wife gets mad because I won't let her take the 8 to where she works for this very reason. She insists she will not park away from people.

By the reflections in the pic it looks like this is a roof top parking stucture and possibly a hospital or some thing like it in the back ground, big city? If this is correct, alot of times these types of lots have cameras up, if possible find out what was next to you and trace it. From the dent location it looks like possibly a truck door or a car with pretty straight up and down body sides.

Paintless dent removal is your best bet, but as always research their work before picking any one place. Reputation in body work goes a long ways.

Remember the quarter doors are aluminum, don't try any self help kits on this you will end up worse off than you are now. Espescially one on a body line, they are harder to remove than one on a flat plane.

Don't call a retail paintless dent removal shop - too expensive. Call the dealership, ask for the used car manager or the sales manager. Ask him/her who does their dent removal. Get the name and cell phone number (they live by their cell phones). Make sure you get the number of the dent tech - not the sales person. The goal is to get the tech to fix your car "on the side". You'll likely have to meet him on a lot - maybe not the Mazda; just wherever he's working - they cover a route.

Expect to pay him $50 or so - cash... and don't ask for a reciept.

Sorry to see it.

Unfortunately, that was not someone swinging their door with all their might. If it was a hard strike it probably would have chipped out the paint and it doesn't look like you are chipped.

PDR is the way to go. Time is money, so you want to remove the interior panel of the door before you even go to get the estimate. If the back side of the dent is easily accessible, it's going to be a ten minute job. Just make sure you tell the PDR guy that the door is aluminum beforehand.

Stay away from the do it yourself stuff. They work ok for a car that you just want to make look a little better, not a car that you want to look perfect. After a good PDR you will be good as new.

There are threads on this forum about parking strategy to minimize damage. Check them out.

Hate to sound argumenative (beachdog) but don't remove the door panel. The tech will go in from the top of the door - with a window wedge. Even if you stripped the door of glass, panel, motor... and took only the door (off the car) to the dent tech, he'd charge MORE because it would actually be more work. Note; I know beachdog just said to remove the panel ;)

Their tools are designed for access with the car door intact (head/trunk/roof liners do come off). They use long tools that look like giant dentist's tools - and push the dent out.

Just take him the car and watch the magic...

same dent cost me 112 (the dent docter new orleans)

WTF?!..... This is why I park all the way in the hell far away from everyone and take 2 spots.
Best of luck on the fixt it pay for it part.

I don't believe that the small wing window will provide access to the inside of the freestyle doors. Different story for rolldown windows.

I always park far away as well, but never take two spots. This seems to make people go out of there way to dent you.

It only takes them like 10 mins to fix this. I dont know if reputation is necessary. It's not like after they fix it its going to make a dent by itself. If they say they can fix it they will and if they say they can and dont dont pay end of story.

You dont get tickets from taking 2 spots? Hmm maybe I should start doing this.

I never found a law that said I cant? So oh well. I park far and take 2;)...

atleast yours isn't this bad..

Sorry to see that. Was your door spared? Hard to tell.

I guess that your shiny red 8 was invisible at the time.

hihi do u personally own a pop-a-dent?? does it really work??

OMG@! how the hell did it happen"?

Can anyone tell me how to remove the suicide door panel? I have looked and looked but can't figure out how to do it.

Thanks

I would not recommend the self dent thing. i have one and i used it on my old civic with mixed results. it fixed a few and didnt pop out anything on others. One one it popped it out too far. let a pro do it. the 8 deserves a good job.

I had a similiar dent RX8rider, took it to a paintless dent removal specialist - Ming Shine, (I think they have outlets across N.America - so look them up to see if there is one in your area), cost about $100 canadian (so cheaper for you), and you'd never know that you had a dent once they are done. Good Luck.