AAAhhhhhhhh! Car Dimples... what the flump?

[mystickid]

Hey Guys,



I got a really really bad problem that`s been irritatiing me. I`m paranoid about them. Along the side door panels of my car, there are these small circular indentations much like dimples. When I first bought the car (it was used) there were only about two or three on the side. Some how they are slowly increasing and now I see about 6 or 7.



I was always irritated by them since the first day I saw them. I don`t know what the hell is causing them. There are perfect little circular indentations that seem to be caused by something being poked there. However, the strange thing is that there is absolutely no scratch or chipped paint at the center of the little dimple. Its perfectly good paint and i`am super dooper careful when unlocking my car to not cause them and i don`t cause them to my knowledge.



They are abitdifficult to see from the front. You can only see them easily from a side view. I have seen them on many other cars as well.



Guys..... maaaan.....please. I beg of thy advice on my plight. I hope there is someone out there from all the autopians who know what i`m talkin` about and can please give me an EASY Do-It Yourself solution. Obviously, i can take it to a body shop and have them do the little problem and charge me overboard but i need my $$ for my detail products right now. So any solutions are very very very welcome.



Thanx for any help at all that you can offer me.

[Cortez]

A picture might help, but I think you might be talking about orange peel...although orange peel doesn`t spread.



Are the dimples really small?

[CottyGee]

Are these possibly dings from people opening their doors into yours in parking lots?? That can cause a "dimple" and sometimes no paint damage.



FWIW, a paintless dent repair would probably work on these...

[imported_Jinba ittai]

Originally posted by mystickid





I was always irritated by them since the first day I saw them. I don`t know what the hell is causing them. There are perfect little circular indentations that seem to be caused by something being poked there. However, the strange thing is that there is absolutely no scratch or chipped paint at the center of the little dimple. Its perfectly good paint and i`am super dooper careful when unlocking my car to not cause them and i don`t cause them to my knowledge.







Sounds like the problem is that other people aren`t super dooper careful about opening their doors next to your car. Does the appearance of these dimples seem to increase after a visit to the local shopping center or mall?

[White95Max]

I can think of something similar to what you`re describing, but pictures would definitely be very helpful.



My car has tons of dimples that look like extremely minor door dings. I`m not sure if that`s what they are though, since I always park so far away from anyone.

[mystickid]

I am fairly sure that the dimples are`nt caused by other peoples doors because that there is a door guard along both sides od the doors that protrudes aout abit to recieve any door damage.



I haven`t got a digital camera so i can`t take pix yet. But I will try my best to get some pics.



Cotygee-- thanx for the advice. But what is a

paintless door repair , how does it work?



lastly, what is orangepeel???



thanx again everyone for all the help.

[White95Max]

Originally posted by mystickid





lastly, what is orangepeel???







I created this thread just for the above question...

http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47796&perpage=12&highlight=orange%20peel&pagenumber=3



At the bottom of page 3, there is a great example of orange peel on a Subaru. Notice the very wavey reflections. The paint texture looks similar to the texture of an orange peel.

[wannafbody]

some cars- fbodies in particular get body flex dimples

[CottyGee]

Article about paintless dent repair...



http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4018966&src=News

[imported_Jinba ittai]

Originally posted by White95Max

I created this thread just for the above question...

http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47796&perpage=12&highlight=orange%20peel&pagenumber=3



At the bottom of page 3, there is a great example of orange peel on a Subaru. Notice the very wavey reflections. The paint texture looks similar to the texture of an orange peel.



There`s some nasty examples of orange peel in that thread! :shocked The Opel looks like it got a Maaco repaint. Awful. :(



My Mazda had pretty bad orange peel from the factory. A nice repaint solved that problem. It was the first thing I noticed upon getting the car back. The factory paint on my Honda is about 10 times better but it`s there if you look closely, especially on the sides of the car.



Dings just seem to "appear". :rolleyes: As far as dings go, I find that if you park your car in a parking lot long enough, you`ll get them. My Honda was hit with a golf ball on the rear hatch which left a sizeable ding but the paint itself (amazingly) wasn`t damaged. The paintless dent removal method took it out so you`d never know it was there. Now there`s another slight ding on the right rear quarter panel that no way could`ve been put there by someone else`s door or even a shopping cart as it`s too high. It`s such a small ding I often wonder if it`s just an imperfection in the paint but I swear it wasn`t there when I bought the car new. I don`t even think the paintless dent removal process is needed because you only see it in a certain light, which leads me to think "paint imperfection".

[Stratous]

There are also paint dimples. Paint dimples can only be seen in awkuard light, and are cuase when the paint `caves` into an imperfection of the metal underneith. My truck had an 2 imperfections above the gas door and now has two extruding paint dimples. I will try to take some pictures of them, but it may take a few days.

[Don]

You know, I``m starting to wonder if some of these things are from "Natural Causes."



With the increasing number of seagulls I`ve been noticing in parking lots, and having seen how they fight each other constantly for scraps, I`m beginning to believe that the birds are seeing their reflections in cars (ESPECIALLY) an Autopian`s car, and thinking it`s a rival, takes a peck or two at it.



Those things have some hard beaks, and the sheetmetal on cars has been gettng thinner and thinner... That could explain the consistantly round dents with no paint damage. Most door dings I`ve seen have an "arc" shape to them like this ( WITH some kind of paint damage



http://images.quizilla.com/S/SailorV983/1054554343_onsSeagull.jpg