How to Identify Hail Damage on Vehicles

[illini40]

Besides just looking very closely, any good ways to identify hail damage on vehicles? I think I remember hearing about using a flashlight closely?

We had some pretty large hail swing through this evening (northwest Illinois), and our new Pilot was not in the garage. Hoping for the best. I'll be taking a close look tomorrow, but curious on anything specific that I can do to help identify.

 

[Darral27]

Get it in the garage under some fluorescent lights and you should be able to see them just fine. Probably good to make sure it is clean first.

 

[kevhed]

Get it in the garage under some fluorescent lights and you should be able to see them just fine. Probably good to make sure it is clean first.

This.

I run a body shop and there is something about flourescent lighiting that makes hail very easy to see. I think it is the long, straight tubes and their reflection off the paint. Its very easy to see a ripple where there shouldn't be in a long straight line.

 

[Dead Duck]

Sometimes it takes a trained eye with years of experience to locate hail damage.....and sometimes - NOT.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I'm thinking......lots of little dents.............?

 

[Crbn79]

Sometimes it takes a trained eye with years of experience to locate hail damage.....and sometimes - NOT.

That will buff right out!

 

[larrylegend]

Sometimes it is obvious like the picture above. Other times you need good lighting and then get down and look across the body panels to see it.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

My Mustang looks like a midget on acid decided to climb all over it wielding a ballpeen hammer. I just want to learn how to undo it.

 

[Darral27]

My Mustang looks like a midget on acid decided to climb all over it wielding a ballpeen hammer. I just want to learn how to undo it.

Pointless dent repair is the way to go IMO. Some body shop guys will disagree but I used to own a paint & body shop back in another life and did a lot of business with the traveling guys, they kinda follow big storms and set up shop at local business's, they did great work without any body filler and normally without any fresh paint or clear.

 

[T/SF34/A]

Its all about the lighting and angle you're looking at the car. From one angle you may not see a thing, from another you may see many dents and dings.

 

[chezuki]

Pointless dent repair is the way to go IMO.

I don't know, for some reason that just seems... unnecessary.

 

[rgrimm01]

I don't know, for some reason that just seems... unnecessary.

I was thinking the same thing. Totally without merit.

 

[Expat]

I saw a guy take small dents out using dry ice.

 

[Darral27]

I don't know, for some reason that just seems... unnecessary.

Lol. Darn auto correct. Paintless dent repair, not pointless.

 

[kevhed]

Paintless dent repair is definetly the way to go. We, however will NOT use the storm chaser companies. We use a guy that is local and has been doing PDR work locally for 20+ years.

 

[iChokePeople]

I don't know, for some reason that just seems... unnecessary.

 

[speeddemon]

Lighting is definately key, even sometimes hundreds of small hail dings are hard to spot in normal lighting