Big ding in hood on last road trip - how to fix?

First off that sucks.! Its always in the back of my mind this could happen.
That being said those dent wizards can perform magic without a bodyshop I would try one of them first.
Good Luck..!

 

No big deal. If it was my car, I would bring it to a reputable local body shop and have it fixed. Since they will need to paint the spot, I would have any rock chips in the paint fixed as well. You are correct, you are MUCH better off with a dent than a broken windshield!!!

 

Yes, that is a dent. But good for you for taking the car on a road trip. Not a serious problem and easily fixed. Not as bad as when I was backing up my 360 and was very careful not to hit the garage door opening, but forgot about the Mercedes 350. Yes, a 2 for 1 sale - bad morning as I damaged two of my cars at one time.

Remember, these cars are meant to drive and enjoy. They are certainly not a money making investment - take it from somebody that has owned a 348, 360, 430 and now picking up a 458. Take care of the car the best you can, but drive it and enjoy it. The dent is minor and if you have rock chips on the hood and bumper, you can take care of both at one time. Just make sure the color match is correct. When I damaged the 360 the paint supplier came out with a Spectrometer and when aimed at the existing paint, it gave he correct paint formulation and it matched it perfectly. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

Hard to tell how much of a dent there is there. If it's deep, you will need a bit of filler, otherwise to be just presentable you can touch it up. If you need filler, it's best to prime first then use a catalyzied filler rather than spot filler, but if you can get away without filler and simply fill with paint, your job will be much easier.

You need to sand and feather out the scratch. You can use a small piece of 400 grit which can be cut and glued to a pencil eraser, or a sanding pen made for the task like: https://www.amazon.com/Prep-Pen-FBA_Prep-pen-Adjustable/dp/B000J18RT6/ref=asc_df_B000J18RT6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241973154385&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10407882058224545944&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031201&hvtargid=pla-599339837244&psc=1
After 400, use an aluminum primer for the bare metal, zinc chromate is the only primer I have found that works well on aluminum. You can get it at marine supply or online.

Then start filling the ding. Use a small brush (not one in a touch up cap) a small Q tip applicator, or a Loew Cornell painting pen to fill a little better. You can get most of your supplies at a hobby store, and I find Dr. Color Chip has the best color matches. Take your time, sand with 1500 in between coats, and fill with several coats. Sand with 1500-2000, follow with clear, sand again with 2000-3000 then polish.

 

Hard to tell the depth from the photo. My suggestion would be to clear bra it after it is repaired though !

 

Get pdr guy to fix the dent and then guys can blend the paint.