Analyzing the DIY Paintless Dent Repair Trend

Sept. 13, 2019
A recent study by Chipex revealed that California residents buy a significant amount of do-it-yourself paint-repair kits.

Sept. 13, 2019—A recent study by Chipex revealed that California residents buy a significant amount of do-it-yourself paint-repair kits. Florida came in second place, with Texas, New York and Pennsylvania completing the top-five list of states where do-it-yourself car and light-truck paint repairs are most popular.

James Bishop, owner of The Ding Guy body shop in Colorado Springs, Co., says that he has definitely seen customers come into his shop after attempting to use a do-it-yourself kit. 

Bishop runs a 7,000 square foot paintless dent repair facility. He says do-it-yourself paint repair kits follow his “10-foot rule.”
 
“From ten feet and farther, someone is going to look at a repair done by the owner of the car and think it looks better but when you get closer it’s never going to look great,” Bishop says.

In fact, he says that he has a lot of customers come into his shop for touch ups on the work they did using a DIY paint-repair kit. While the kits might save the customer money in the short-term, he says that in the long-term, the repair isn't likely to last. 

“We’re in an interesting market because there is a lot of military stationed around here, so we have a lot of people trying to do the repair themselves,” he says. “We might witness more than other markets.”

Despite the report, Bishop says that, for his shop, he has not seen a trend or an increase in people using the kits. The use depends on the weather and whether there was a lot of hail, he says.

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

How Fender Bender Operator of the Year, Morrow Collision Center, Achieves Their Spot-On Measurements

Learn how Fender Bender Operator of the Year, Morrison Collision Center, equipped their new collision facility with “sleek and modern” equipment and tools from Spanesi Americas...

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Coach Works implements the Spanesi Touch system

Coach Works Uses Spanesi Equipment to Ensure a Safe and Proper Repair for Customers