Car vandalism - bonnet dent
- Thread starter wingman
- Start date
The obvious difference being that there's footage of those people committing the offence. The media chose to take that story and run with it (and rightfully so).
More like they're too busy dealing with an increased workload with fewer officers, and plugging the gaps of other services.
But it wouldn't be like you to suddenly start talking sense now.
That has been jumped on repeatedly, unfortunately.
Dents like that stretch the metal inwards, meaning you can't really just pop it out. It can be tricky for dent removal guys to access the necessary areas under some bonnets too.
Worth speaking to them about it, but it likely won't be cheap.
Dents like that stretch the metal inwards, meaning you can't really just pop it out. It can be tricky for dent removal guys to access the necessary areas under some bonnets too.
Worth speaking to them about it, but it likely won't be cheap.
That has been jumped on repeatedly, unfortunately.
Dents like that stretch the metal inwards, meaning you can't really just pop it out. It can be tricky for dent removal guys to access the necessary areas under some bonnets too.
Worth speaking to them about it, but it likely won't be cheap.
Likely we'll go down the insurance route really, the car is worth a sufficient amount where we want to do the job properly. My main worry is a repeat of this situation happening, the car will be parked in the same place as we don't have anywhere else to park it at the moment. I would hope this is a one off (been living here 5 years with no issues), but then again the people that did it might see that we've fixed the car and give it another going over.
Will be speaking to a local garage this week to see their thoughts on it, just to consider our options.
Still can't get over that it's happened. Just scum :/
I'd certai yl try a dent puller place, or even a heat gun and some brute force from other side. How common is the colour? If common enough then I'd try breakers
Soldato
I think a paintless dent removal guy could fix that, Matt from carwow has a good video on this.
Soldato
Cut it out and install a huge blower intake.
Bought a couple of big suction cups, added some boiling water, a touch of elbow grease and ten minutes of pulling and I've managed to get the main dent to pull out. Will get some better photos tomorrow.
It looks a lot better in the flesh, but of course if you know it's there it still looks pretty awful:
Thanks both.
Colour is Thunder Grey which I don't think it particularly common, certainly not when combined with the JCW carbon fibre bonnet scoop.
Just watched Mat Watson's video. Wow, reckon I'll be taking the Mini there for a quote, Peterborough isn't far for me either. Cheers.
It looks a lot better in the flesh, but of course if you know it's there it still looks pretty awful:
Thanks both.
Colour is Thunder Grey which I don't think it particularly common, certainly not when combined with the JCW carbon fibre bonnet scoop.
Just watched Mat Watson's video. Wow, reckon I'll be taking the Mini there for a quote, Peterborough isn't far for me either. Cheers.
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Caporegime
@wingman keep in mind the scoop just pops out
Yep, anything can be fixed by these places, but I expect it'll be a good £1200-1500 at the absolute minimum.
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If it's pulled out relatively straight (with only curvy lumps) it's probably repairable. The problem comes if there are any creases and trying to pull it out without proper tools can create them.
If it's an aluminium bonnet then you'll never get it back in to shape.
If it's an aluminium bonnet then you'll never get it back in to shape.
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There's a hump in the F56 Cooper S bonnet as standard so it's a little tricky to see how it should be. Quick couple of photos this morning to see last nights efforts! 
Thanks for the heads up.
However the gap isn't there on a non-Cooper S bonnet, but looking at the prices of the carbon scoop it's not something you want to lose.
With these things I have absolutely no idea. I'll run some quotes and weigh up whether it's worth going through insurance or not (£450 total excess, 30 y/o female driver, premiums afterwards shouldn't be too bad - that's if I want to get it repaired at all at the moment).
Yeah? Why's that?
It makes the metal more malleable, apparently. Not sure whether it does or not but I didn't lose anything from trying.
Have no idea on the difference but the big part in the middle seemed to "pop" back quite easily, as such I'd assume it's steel.
Yes, I'm leaning that way too, I have no qualms with fixing it (although I could obviously find a better use for said money...) but it's the worry of it happening again, and again, and again etc.
Thanks for the heads up.
However the gap isn't there on a non-Cooper S bonnet, but looking at the prices of the carbon scoop it's not something you want to lose.
With these things I have absolutely no idea. I'll run some quotes and weigh up whether it's worth going through insurance or not (£450 total excess, 30 y/o female driver, premiums afterwards shouldn't be too bad - that's if I want to get it repaired at all at the moment).
No-one can do paintless dent removal now you had a go first
Yeah? Why's that?
It makes the metal more malleable, apparently. Not sure whether it does or not but I didn't lose anything from trying.
Have no idea on the difference but the big part in the middle seemed to "pop" back quite easily, as such I'd assume it's steel.
Yes, I'm leaning that way too, I have no qualms with fixing it (although I could obviously find a better use for said money...) but it's the worry of it happening again, and again, and again etc.
Soldato
Oh just a tip I was given by a dent removal guy. Often cooling the directly affected and surrounding area a lot (dry ice obviously particularly good) then heating it with decent heat, such as a hot air gun can cause the dents to pop out.
IIRC the theory was you cool it all down, so the metal is trying to contract, then you heat the dent area, that tries to expand, as the metal has memory to some extent it means it can just pop back to the original shape.
he also said it works in reverse as well.
I guess this is the understanding of how particular dents are likely to react that these guys get taught and learn from experience
OP I wonder if you could push that a little more from the inside. Can you push it firmly but gentle in the area of the remaining dent, or is there bracing at that point. You may need to remove the under bonnet sound deadening
IIRC the theory was you cool it all down, so the metal is trying to contract, then you heat the dent area, that tries to expand, as the metal has memory to some extent it means it can just pop back to the original shape.
he also said it works in reverse as well.
I guess this is the understanding of how particular dents are likely to react that these guys get taught and learn from experience
OP I wonder if you could push that a little more from the inside. Can you push it firmly but gentle in the area of the remaining dent, or is there bracing at that point. You may need to remove the under bonnet sound deadening