Fix Dents Fast and Easy With GoPro Camera – Really?
Tim Esterdahl | Nov 30, 2012 | Comments 3
If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few years, you have probably heard of the GoPro camera and its suction mount. This camera is being used to film first-person footage of all sorts of things like BMX tricks, Rally Car racing and Skiers. Could the suction mount be strong enough to fix a dent? Yep… well if you believe this video.
Incredible right? Typically this type of fix would have cost hundreds of dollars at a body shop. That same shop might even have gone as far as to suggest replacing the entire quarter panel. But, you could seemingly fix this problem with just some suction.
Yes, this could work. The way cars and trucks are built, it is possible to just suction the sheet metal back to its original form. While older steel-laden cars require hammers to bang out the dents, plastic-like (or even plastic) panels can pop with just some suction. In fact, depending on the size and location, a little water and a large toilet plunger can do the same thing, thanks to our friends at AutoBlog for pointing this out.
Why do we keep saying it is possible? Well, it is a video and there is currently some debate on the YouTube site as to whether it is real or not. Specifically it looks like in at the :29 second mark of the video that the right quarter panel is still dented (or maybe also dented).
You be the judge? Is this video real and could a GoPro camera fix a dent?
Filed Under: Maintenance Tips
The process of creating a dent also stretches the metal within the dent. Just using a suction isn’t going to put it back to the original condition no matter what they do.
Depending on the size of the dent and location, you may be able to get away with an old trick…wet the area. get a bathroom plunger and apply the plunger over the dent while it is wet to maintain a good strong suction, then pull on the plunger quickly and it may pop the dent back out for you.
Removing a dent from your car can sometimes be a costly task, especially if you take your car to an auto body repair shop that charges you for parts or materials, and labor. However, with common household items, you can usually repair and remove dents from your car with the help of a hair dryer and dry ice too.