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Well, first dent, and at a place I have to look at everyday day. Was travelling on a rural highway back home (was 2 miles from home), when POW! something hit my truck.
Didn't see it, no other cars around me. It sounded like a giant magnet slapping against the metal on my truck. At first, it sounded like on the passenger lower door.
So, when I got home, I did a look over. Didn't see any damage anywhere. I was baffled. Later, went to wipe off all the crap off the hood, and GUESS WHAT? this baseball sized dent right in the middle of my hood!!!!!!
Pretty deep, and hit with such impact, it stretched the metal (so it makes it look like its got a slice in it).
There was a lot of overhead greenery, so only thing I can think is that an apple or something fell from the very top, and hit with such impact, then bounced off. It was a LOUD noise, but strangely enough, it happened so quick I didn't see it.
So I took the hood undercover to try to see if I could locate the dent from underneath. Nope, its directly under the center supporting crossmember. I could side a flat knife under and see it, so I tried to see it I could bend it back out a little. Near impossible due to the angle and location.
So, for the mean time, I put a small piece of electrical tape over the incision to keep the rain out....
NOW WHAT?
(1) A new hood lists for around $500-600 new. This would be replacing the entire hood, labor, and repainting the entire hood, plus replacing the decals. No estimate yet, but I'm sure the total bill wont be cheap.
(2) Remove the center decal, and try to put in a filler in the hole. Watched a video on dent repair on hoods with bondo. This didn't look too bad of an approach. Get the hole filled in and smoothed out, and sanded around. I'd only have to repaint the affected area after its filled in because the decal covers that area anyway. But have to get it super smooth and conformed. A new decal is only $90. A can of bondo isn't expensive either. But I fear making a bigger mess, and it not ending up smooth.
But the decal would be covering back up any flaw.
(3) Leave it like it is. Its a big eye sore looking at this, especially since its in the middle of the hood, but you have to look pretty close to see it at an angle (versus being side impact damage). I hate to spend $500 up front (deductible on insurance) to fix this, plus risk of insurance going up due to a claim......Obviously, this affects trading/selling the vehicle later if its left like this.
What would YOU do? anyone have any experience fixing small dents like this, and filling them in with a filler/bondo? the Youtube by an amateur at that made it look pretty easy, and his end result looked ok.
!&#& happens I guess. Guess I'm lucky it wasn't a millisecond later and it cracked my windshield.
I can't imagine a piece of fruit doing that kind of damage. Did you drive under any bridges or overpasses by any chance? Surprising you didn't see it. I suppose you could have insurance fix it. Don't know how that works though as I've only used insurance for accidents.
If you're planning on fixing it, it's just a matter of stripping the paint off the hood, applying bondo or filler to the dent and then have it professionally primed and painted. Best to do this with the hood off the truck.
Naw, no overpasses. Just some thick greenery of trees.
I started to go back to the scene and check it out to see if those were pple trees or something, but I said.. what's the use, its already done.
would have depended on the force. From what distance up did the object fall. I was going 55.
I can't think of anything else, it was a perfect round indentation before I started messing with it.. those ole green apples that grow on trees are pretty hard.
Don't feel bad I had a branch land on my truck earlier this month.
I can see it while I'm driving and it's right under the cross brace.
I've filed a claim but have yet to take it to a body shop. Honestly I'm scared to because I've had nothing but bad luck with body shops not to mention the hood is aluminum.
09-21-2015, 11:44 AM
First Dent &#$&@$&!)(%!%)!
