Time to Remove That Ugly Dent

Let’s face it, dents are a part of life with a car, and sometimes—especially in a city—you may walk back to your car to find a dent or worse. Many may worry a big dent is a death sentence for that panel, door, or fender—an unfixable eyesore that will cost more to fix than it’s worth. That’s not the case! Most blemishes, even large dents, can be fixed without replacing the panels, but you’ll need a good technician on the job.

What’s the Difference Between Dent Removal and PDR?

Here at Mackin’s, we can remove most dents! The exceptions are some dents that may be removed using a process called PDR (paintless dent removal). That is not our specialty, although we can refer you to a reputable, quality PDR technician if needed. For all other dents, we don’t cut corners and use just filler to remove them. Our technicians are extensively trained in proper dent removal using a variety of techniques, tools, and materials. As always, our repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle.

What Happens if the Dent Cannot Be Removed?

Unfortunately, not all dents are removable. Some metals cannot be straightened or repaired because of their hardness. “High strength steel” is a general term, and each metal has a different level of repairability, some being unrepairable. Our technicians are trained and given the tools needed to determine which metals are present and whether they can be repaired and how. For example, an aluminum car dent repair requires different techniques, tools, and a protected environment. We have technicians trained in the repair of specific metals like aluminum.

What Can Be Done?

If one of our technicians deems a dent non-removable, they may remove the area with a grinder and weld in a new piece of metal with matching composition. If the area cannot be repaired using a welder, we may replace the part completely with a new, OEM quality part.

Non-Removable Dents

• Pillar panels
• Rocker panels
• Edge of a major panel

What Makes Mackin’s Best for Dents?

At Mackin’s, we’ve been removing dents and damage since 1945, so you know that we’re a trusted name in auto body and—more importantly—Portland/Vancouver. We have 9 locations, each staffed by talented, highly trained, and educated technicians who love their job. Every location has all the right tooling and equipment to get most any job done right the first time. We do have certain locations that specialize in a particular manufacturer or material repairs. We have the ability to move your vehicle to one of those locations if needed for repairs (with your permission of course!). We follow OEM recommendations and procedures when available here at Mackin’s—when you pick up your car, you know it’s guaranteed to be like it was before the accident. Our extensive network makes Mackin’s a one-stop-shop for automotive collision repair; we coordinate visits by professionals specializing in mechanical repairs, computer resets, spray-in bed liners, and accessory fixes. Being an I-CAR gold class designated business, you know that complete, safe, and quality repairs are our priority.

Ultimately with auto body repairs, you get what you pay for, so make sure you get it done right the first time with Mackin’s.