How long does it take to repair a dented side skirt with panel beating and repainting?
3 Answers
It typically takes around 3 hours to complete panel beating and repainting for a car at the fastest. Here is some information about panel beating and repainting: Panel beating and repainting is an automotive repair technique that involves restoring deformed parts of a car's metal body. For example, if the car's exterior shell has a dent, panel beating can restore it to its original shape. Then, by applying specialized paint, the deformed metal surface of the car can be restored to match the undamaged areas, making it look as good as new. Follow-up repairs: After the car body undergoes panel beating correction, there may still be some imperfections that cannot be fully addressed by panel beating alone. Even replacing parts with new ones may not achieve perfection. To achieve a more flawless finish, sculpting techniques are used to fill in the imperfections. After a car is deformed or damaged due to various reasons, every part, including its flatness, wheel angles, and lines, requires filling and shaping with body filler.
I've handled quite a few cases like this. The time required for repairing a dented side skirt with panel beating and repainting can vary significantly, depending mainly on the size of the dent and the extent of paint damage. For minor dents where the primer isn't exposed, a technician might complete the repair using panel beating tools for pulling and reshaping in just one to two hours. However, if the dent is deep with large areas of paint missing, the process involves grinding the surface smooth, applying filler, then spraying paint to match the color, followed by natural drying or baking – this entire procedure takes at least half a day to a full day. Weather also plays a big role; paint dries faster in hot weather, while overcast or rainy days may require several extra hours of waiting. Shop workload matters too – scheduling during early hours often allows same-day completion. I recommend choosing reputable shops to avoid wasting time on rework.
Last time my car had a small dent on the side skirt, and when I sent it for repair, the technician said they needed to assess the damage type first. The metal straightening part took an hour to fix the dent, but the paint was scratched. The repainting stage included color matching, spraying, and curing, taking an additional three hours, totaling four hours to finish. If the dent was too large and affected the structure, they might have had to remove the entire panel for repair, extending the process to two days. Scheduling outside peak times like weekends can reduce waiting time—I always call ahead to check their workload to avoid delays. Choosing a skilled repair shop is crucial; if handled improperly, recurring issues after repair can waste even more time.
