Your experiences with PDR?

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
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LarryM
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Your experiences with PDR?

Post by LarryM »

I've got some dings and small dents in my E28 and am wondering, given the thicker German steel in mid-80s BMWs (compared to more modern cars), what kind of results to expect with a good PDR guy.

My car's Zinno with original paint and I'm also kind of concerned about the paint cracking during repair. Is there anything to worry about?
jhh925
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by jhh925 »

Couldn't be happier with my guy: viewtopic.php?p=1486114#p1486114

But this is a learned skill. I've seen some truly crap jobs that only made things way worse
BMWCCA2
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by BMWCCA2 »

A good technician is an artist. A bad one is a butcher. The good ones don't need to drill any holes. The bad ones will make swiss cheese out of access points. Ask to see some of their repairs or ask a local hi-line dealership for recommendations.
John in VA
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by John in VA »

We often refer to a good PDR tech's work as magic, but it's down to their skill & experience. Had the '86 E28, ZHP coupe & wife's F22 worked on by a pro in our area with excellent results. Be happy you don't have aluminum panels - the work/time necessary to repair them is 5x more.
vinceg101
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by vinceg101 »

If anyone here in Los Angeles County area (Greater LA and even into lower Ventura Co and upper Orange Co.) knows one of these "qualified magicians" I'm all ears. I'm in need of having a few dents removed from the M535i; I'd love to get this done this summer.
John in VA
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by John in VA »

Vince, I'll reach out to Richie to see if he knows anyone there - they have a good network & often get together in storm-ravaged areas to repair hail damage.
vinceg101
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by vinceg101 »

John in VA wrote: Jun 03, 2022 7:21 PM Vince, I'll reach out to Richie to see if he knows anyone there - they have a good network & often get together in storm-ravaged areas to repair hail damage.
:up:
Thanks!
garageboy
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by garageboy »

A good PDR person will make time go backwards. There IS a difference. ONLY select a PDR tech based on carnut-to-carnut referrals.
stuartinmn
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by stuartinmn »

I got caught in a hailstorm the other day, so I'm going to be dealing with this myself soon. :( Fortunately there's only a few dents, they aren't very big, and they're mostly in the hood so access to the back side will be straightforward. I had to take it to the insurance company's claim center today to get an estimate, but hopefully the work will come in under my deductible and I won't have to mess around with actually making a claim.

I intend on bringing it to a guy here in Minneapolis who specializes in BMWs, he was actually trained in PDR at the factory in Germany and did PDR there for some time before he moved to the USA in 1987. I think he was the first PDR person in Minneapolis.
Mike W.
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by Mike W. »

I have no current need, but I've long thought of it as intriguing. I recall an article from I believe it was C+D way back when and the jist of it was they needed access to the back. And they worked it out with spoons. Basic bodywork technique, not that I could do it. I hear about roofwork, hail etc, you'd need to pull the headliner for that, right? I've also heard of people who think it means any small dent, regardless of access, and I've told them no, you need rear access. So how's it work?
LarryM
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by LarryM »

John in VA wrote: Jun 03, 2022 7:21 PM Vince, I'll reach out to Richie to see if he knows anyone there - they have a good network & often get together in storm-ravaged areas to repair hail damage.
John,

I live in Ventura County and would also be interested in any local recommendations you come up with. I'm even willing to drive a bit for the "right" guy.
Thanks!

Larry
stuartinmn
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by stuartinmn »

Mike W. wrote: Jun 05, 2022 12:46 AM I hear about roofwork, hail etc, you'd need to pull the headliner for that, right?
They have tools of all sizes and shapes and lengths, so they may only need enough space to insert their tool. Maybe unglue a 1/4" gap at the edge of the headliner, or remove the dome light, or go in around the edges of the sunroof opening. Of course it depends on the location and size of the dent.
John in VA
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by John in VA »

For the roof or panels with limited access due to a supporting brace they can do a "glue pull." Sometimes it's easier/quicker/cheaper to remove the headliner.
stuartinmn
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by stuartinmn »

Got my car fixed this morning. For anyone in the Minneapolis area, I can highly recommend Juergen's Dent Kraft. It only took him three hours, and it looks like new again. He even found a little ding I wasn't aware of that wasn't related to the hail damage, plus a slight wave in the driver's door that looked kind of like someone had leaned against it too hard, and fixed both of them as well at no additional charge.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post he was trained in this work by BMW and worked at the factory in Germany for ten years, before emigrating to the US and starting his business here in 1987, so he's been doing this for over 40 years. It pays to find someone who knows old BMWs. :) https://www.juergensdentkraft.com
Kenny Blankenship
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by Kenny Blankenship »

I had a guy work on my 2014 TDI and the results were decent. But one comment he made was that the metal on the older cars (generally before late 90s, thicker metal, not recycled) takes better to PDR than newer cars. I had some minor dings done on the E23 by another guy and you can't tell they were ever there.
524tdAviator
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by 524tdAviator »

If you are in San Diego I highly recommend Rick with Ding Pros. He's very reasonably priced and is a magician in accessing your panels without having to drill any holes. He's worked on my cars for years.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/ding-pros-lake ... =ding+pros
garageboy
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by garageboy »

524tdAviator wrote: Jun 19, 2022 1:47 PM If you are in San Diego I highly recommend Rick with Ding Pros. He's very reasonably priced and is a magician in accessing your panels without having to drill any holes. He's worked on my cars for years.
"Drill any holes"???

Paintless Dent Removal does not involve drilling any holes.
stuartinmn
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by stuartinmn »

garageboy wrote: Jun 19, 2022 2:16 PMPaintless Dent Removal does not involve drilling any holes.
Depending on the location it could potentially require drilling a hole in an inner panel, in order to reach a dent in the exterior that is otherwise inaccessible.
BMWCCA2
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by BMWCCA2 »

stuartinmn wrote: Jun 19, 2022 4:25 PM
garageboy wrote: Jun 19, 2022 2:16 PMPaintless Dent Removal does not involve drilling any holes.
Depending on the location it could potentially require drilling a hole in an inner panel, in order to reach a dent in the exterior that is otherwise inaccessible.
I said it before (above) and I'll say it again: A good PDR technician will not drill holes. A lazy one will drill them quite often. I'm constantly amazed at what the guy I've used for ten years is capable of. It is artistry verging on being magic.
garageboy
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Re: Your experiences with PDR?

Post by garageboy »

BMWCCA2 wrote: Jun 19, 2022 5:11 PMI said it before (above) and I'll say it again: A good PDR technician will not drill holes. A lazy one will drill them quite often. I'm constantly amazed at what the guy I've used for ten years is capable of. It is artistry verging on being magic.
I am convinced it is magic. I had the good fortune to watch one guy do it once.
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