dented headlight trim questions

[ramonesfreak]

one of my headlight rings got dented at the top, right at the screw hole. dont have pics right now but its a fairly decent size due to someone dropping something on it from above..looks dented in and slightly flattened

im wondering if there are any good techniques to use to pound out the dent from the other side, once i pull it off the car

if i decent to buy new ones. i will need to paint them chiffon white... can anyone suggest the technique used to make the paint job match the original paint? im not talking about color as i do anticipate that there will be a slight discrepancy due to age that i will have to live with...what i do want to do is make sure the texture of the paint matches. Any tips? thanks

[Mitch Leland]

Scott,

It sounds like you want to do the work yourself? You certainly can straighten the dented headlight ring, however even if you do the problem will be whether you can maintain the alignment of the ring/fit against the fender. I would replace the ring with either a new or used one.

As far as painting you'll want to use a touch up gun for the painting. Mix small amounts of paint and spray on a piece of sample sheet metal until you're happy with both the texture and color, then shoot the color on the head light door. Remember that your car probably has a clear on it so if you have any orange peel it can be taken out in the clear coat. You might also post on the Paint and Body Forum for more information.

[ramonesfreak]

Thanks Mitch. I don't have a spray gun. I can get the proper color put into a spraycan from the auto shop. Will I need to do any sanding of either the paint or the clearcoat ?

[ramonesfreak]

Oh and as for trying to pound out the dent,
are there any tips, tricks or tools to suggest to get the contour just right

[Jagshund]

Patience and a light hand; if you stretch the metal, you'll just make it worse. You might be able to get it close and skin it since it is a painted item. What hammers do you have?

[Mitch Leland]

Scott,

I'm not a body and paint man... I would suggest since I'm guessing the head light door material is brass, maybe? At any rate you don't want to stretch the metal so I would pound out the dent on a board with several layer of towels. I have a sand bag that I use... Be patient, I would work from the center back to the edges of the dent little by little. If you have a piece of 1/8" strap steel you can grind a radius on the end of it to fit the radius of the inside of your head light door. Then gently tap and tap the dent down on the towel covered board.

As far as the paint is concerned whether you sand or not depends on the manufacture directions and the time between coats. You'll want to first sand the entire head light ring feathering the damaged area, then prime, sand, prime again the damage area until there are no signs where the damage was. You might have to use some "glazing putty" before the last prime. Sand with 320 wet sand paper. Paint as directed, maybe scuff with white Scotch Brite, clear coat.

I would go to a good automotive paint store and have him fix you up with a complete line of products that are compatible. Are you sure you just don't want to buy a used head light door and have a local paint shot shoot it for you? Or are you interested in a DIY project? If so go for it... Just remember if it goes bad, you haven't lost much and you've gained some good experience.

[ramonesfreak]

ok thanks guys. i got the ring off...its 16 degrees outside. no fun. anyway, i managed to press some of the dent out with my fingers. there is a small crease that is in the narrow spot near the inner edge of the ring that ill patiently work on once i find the proper tool...not many tools where im staying currently. if it looks bad, ill buy 2 new rings and paint em

at least i didnt find rust when i removed the one ring....and yea, it appears to be brass cause there's some paint missing on the underside of the ring and i can see gold brass colored metal

[joefrantz]

I would show this to a paintless dent repair guy before i went much further. If they can fix it, you would avoid paint and texture match problems and save the cost and hassle of doing it yourself.