10 Steps For Spot Repair

1. Make sure the car is clean.

2. Remove all wax and grease from the surface.

3. Analyze the direct and indirect damage to the vehicle.

4. Rough out stage - Use hammers, dollies and spoons. Check all body lines and use a straight edge to check contours.

5. Smooth up stage - Fine tune with a hammer and dolly. Check for highs and lows with a glove.

6. Finishing stage for small dents - Remove paint 5"-6" around the dent using a 24 grit grinder. Blow dust off. Mix a golf ball size of plastic filler with 1" hardener and apply in a smooth manner. Use longboard with 40, 80 or 120 grit paper to smooth and straighten plastic. Add coats of filler as needed, but no more than 1/8" total.

7. Back-sanding the area - Use a DA Sander with 120 grit paper 6"-8" from edge of plastic. Do not use the DA Sander on the plastic. Blow off all dust and wipe the painted area with a damp cloth. Check all work to make sure it's straight.

8. Priming - Mask off the area for primer. First apply the etching primer on the bare metal (1 coat) then use the primer surfacer (3-4 coats). Block sand wet with 400 grit paper. Re-prime if needed and block sand using guide coat over the primer to help with blocking. Then apply a primer sealer over the whole area.

9. Painting and touch-ups - Remove the masking paper and fix any problem areas that you may see. Mask for paint and follow the instructions on the product till the paint is dry.

10. Final detailing - Remove the masking paper and look over the paint for any imperfections. Clean up the over spray on the rest of the car.