Parking Lot Pinstriping

PBrug · **Posted:** Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:59 pm

So me, the wife and our 17 month old son go to Home Depot this evening to pick up some items for our bathroom remodeling project. I'm searching for a place to park near a cart return because we have a few things to return and I wanted to get a cart before entering. I find a spot next to some little 4-door white car. The spot was a very little bit tight, but we had plenty of room on both sides. I thought about going to another spot, but figured it would be fine. I'm large and had no trouble getting out. This white car was facing the opposite direction, had the windows open, was unlocked and was not well kept.

So after spending way too much cash, and fighting with the darn self-checkout machine (I hate those things), we return to the KJ to find that my drivers side door has a nice little dent on it, a little white paint and a minor scrape. It looked like the person in the white car opened there door, hit my door, then started driving away before closing their door. Needless to say I was not happy. I have had my KJ for a little over a year now and have barely had it off road. I have zero body damage until this loser slams his door into mine and drives off with his door open.

I think I can buff the scrape out, but does anyone know a way to get out a small dent? If this was trail damage I wouldn't care as much, but as you can see I don't have a real good off roading story behind my damage. I guess now that I have some damage I may as well stop worrying and wheel the heck out of it.

MikeD0106 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:18 am

I wonder if this would work...

http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/pops-a-dent.html?gid=

2006KJSPORT4x4 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:26 am

If you have the time...perhaps taking the inside door panel off and do whatever else needed to try and hammer out the dent from the inside...probably too much hassle though with the window, but a thought nonetheless.

smitty1938 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:43 am

I can understand your frustration. My wife has a 06 P.T Cruiser and someone at Wally World turned in too close to her car and caught the right rear quarter panel with a wheel. Of course they did not hang around after they hit her car. I am still dreading taking it to the body shop.
Smitty

ShoreRenegade · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:49 am

More importantly, try to remember any detail you can from the white car, and track the ( * ) down. You shouldn't have to fix it yourself. Their insurance company should cover it.

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 10:03 am

ShoreRenegade wrote:

More importantly, try to remember any detail you can from the white car, and track the #&@((* down. You shouldn't have to fix it yourself. Their insurance company should cover it.

Depending on your policy. I assume you have comprehensive insurance, which will cover it, but the deductable might be pretty high and not worth it. If the paint isn't broken you can push the dent out, but if the paint cracked in that spot, it's going to rust or bubble the paint, so you probably want to get it fixed for real.

I had a similar attack, but probably a more serious dent in my case. I don't know when it happened, but I at some point the next day saw that a whole door was dented in and covered in shoeprints, like somebody had just stood there kicking my door. I have no idea who did it or what the reason was, but the repair shop had to replace the door to fix it - total cost was over $1000 (I paid $300 deductable).

I hope that in ~ 5 years or so somebody keys the entire jeep up and down both sides. It would be nice to get a free paint job out of the insurance company but I'm not going to commit insurance fraud just for that :-P

As a side note, I have no idea how many times I've been parking-lot-dinged. I love the plastic fenders / bumpers, and trim. I bet people back into me parallel parking all the time, and I'd never know it!

KJScott · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 10:14 am

I hate that people have no respect for anothers vehicle because they drive a junker and would do that. Those dent poppers on TV, look closely at the commercial, it often causes two more dents when pulling the one but they change scenes quick. I have seen the paintless dent service do amazing work, they are in most cities and reasonable price for what they do.

As for finding the guy that did it, A guy was seen putting a major dent in the ex-wife's truck while he was leaving with his bumper. I was a PI at the time and was able to track him down. The police didn't care, his employer didn't care when I showed up at his work, no suprise- no insurance. Great way to get in a fist fight too. It isn't worth the headache. Most scumbags out don't care about anything nor have insurance.

Gordo · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 11:46 am

If you did want to track the guy down to have him make it right, the store where you parked probably has surveillance video of the parking lot. It might be worth the trouble to go in the store and ask to see the video so you can find the jerk.

I am pretty sure that Home Depot has cameras out there in the parking lot.

PBrug · **Posted:** Fri Apr 21, 2006 11:05 pm

Thanks for the replys all. I really do not remember much about the car, and to get it fixed I'd have to pay the first $250. I never thought of the cameras they have in the lots, but after your suggestion I decided what do I have to lose? I was just going to call a dent fixing place and pay for it on my own but instead I decided to take action.

I called the Home Depot and spoke to a manager. He told me that managers do not review the tapes, and any such claim would be handled by their Loss Prevention Department. He also stated I would first have to file a report with the local police. It just so happens I have a very good friend who works for that P.D. and I gave him a call. I'm meeting with him tomorrow to file the report. He said he'll do all the follow-ups and see what he can do. Problem is, if they don't have a license plate shot I will probably be out of luck. At least I know I'll have someone working on it who will give it an honest effort.

I know the odds are slim, but I hope I find this guy. I'm sure if I do he'll probably not have insurance, be broke and I'll have to pay anyways. I'll keep you all posted.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

Cheap dent removal:

1. Rubber Mallet

2. Dry Ice.

3. Suction Cups.

4. Thick gloves and towels.

Put the dry ice on the metal-- rapidly cooling the metal before bending it helps the metal to bend back to its original shape when the ice is removed-- otherwise, when you pop out the dent-- you can get more going the other way and it is also more likey to bend back in some. Aluminum is difficult to work with anyway you slice it. Steel is much, much better. Gentle pushing and taps from the opposite side with a rubber mallet work when you can access the area, a suction cup for when you cannot. It won't be perfect though, but I have fixed some things that way. It will not fix "crimples"-- those require a new body part.

JeeperCreeper · **Posted:** Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:37 am

Thats why I always park in the back of parking lots and away from cart return areas.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:16 pm

You know this dude shops at Depot. Maybe someday you'll see the car again. You know how windy it can get in the lots sometimes, it'll push the shopping carts full of stuff right into doors! :wink:

skogsemt · **Posted:** Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:00 am

CaKJFreedom wrote:

You know this dude shops at Depot. Maybe someday you'll see the car again. You know how windy it can get in the lots sometimes, it'll push the shopping carts full of stuff right into doors! :wink:

I like the way you think!! :lol:

USPLibby · **Joined:** Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:29 am **Posts:** 377

This is exactly why I got the tubular side steps. You should see the marks and lines on my steps, most rub off easily since they are powder coated. They really help keep cars and bumpers off my door panels.

Parking Lot Pinstriping

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