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Running boards save SSR from door dent!

3958 Views 35 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  pherrley
Well, it appears that running boards have purposes beyond being things to step on, and keeping mud and stones off the rear fenders.

Because my "normal" spot in the "first come first served" parking ramp was taken the other day, I parked my SSR in ANOTHER "end" spot. As usual, I parked it so that its drivers side wheels were over the white line into the travel lane of the parking ramp, leaving a VERY wide parking slot for whoever parked beside me on the passenger side.

That did not deter someone from an act of gross, and almost appearing deliberate, stupidity.

When I got back to my SSR after work, there was a dirty, cluttered and generally unimpressive piece of crap cheap compact car parked OVER the white line separating our 2 spaces, with his/her driver door literally 11 inches from my SSR! It was SO close, I couldn't figure out how he/she got out of their car!

I immediately looked for the dreaded door dent in my SSR, but there was none!

This cretin had not even bothered to lock his/her/its car, so I gently opened it towards my SSR. That showed me what happened: The car's door ran into my RUNNING BOARD before its upper art could hit my door! In fact, there WAS a dent in HIS door, where it eno****ered my running board (Justice!!)

Miraculously, there was also NO apparent rubbing of the twit's clothing along the rear fender of my SSR, probably only because he/she IS careful about not getting their work clothing dirty, because that costs THEM money to remedy.

I figure I dodged a costly door dent repair (ever tried to PROVE that someone's stupidity caused your door dent?)

The running boards earned their cost in one incident alone.

Jim G
1 - 8 of 36 Posts
this is my livelyhood

but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I do paintless dent repair (out of the back of black beauty), my customers some times have comments like: bet you love idiots who don't care what they damage. the dings are a necisary evil of my everyday life. the money I make off of others misfortune is only sweet when the dents are gone and their smile returns. a ding I cannot remove can literally ruin my day. so hopefully everyone out there can dodge the bullet- if not hopefully it will work right out. the ssRs 'deep draw' steel should be thicker than normal whitch makes it better for dent removal- or regular bodywork. I'll let you all know when (notice I didnt say if) mine gets dinged!
I guess there punishment is driving dinged up junk? :flag
4
my retail: 55$ a panel(door-fender)

there are always gougers so be careful. the most important thing is the quality of workmanship. the thing to do is ask around the dealerships (especially high end- porsche,bmw,whatever) and see if one guys name comes up repeatedly, big franchises like dentmaster or dingking will have lots of guys so make sure you get the one with the touch. I will usually work out a good deal on small easy stuff and it normally takes 15-30 minutes a panel.
paintless dent repair consists primarily of using hand tools on the back side of the ding to carefully massage it out. sometimes as a last resort I use a tecnique involving hot glue and pulling from the out side, this is not as sucessful and there is a small risk of pulling the paint off- especially on bad dents and repainted panels.
anyway a little footwork should pay off in a quality repair.
if you come to salt lake city I'll take them out! :flag

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driveonover!

:thumbs an ssR NOT at the dealership? WOW :eek
that would be cool :flag
any drive is a nice drive

:cool in a ssR! lemmeno. anyones welcome!
boy I hope I dont get deluged :flag
the wrong guys a horror!

Im glad you've had a good experience :flag
you were lucky-sorta

I've seen shoppingcart damage so bad the door had to be replaced. unloaded cart, downhill in a windstorm.
I'm overposting myself but I can't help it- it's my thing! :flag
try getting contrasting lines through the dent

I can't help it I just keep posting! blab bla bla :willy:
:flag
thanks jeff

it was a project getting it to pop up and slide out over the tailgate, it doesn't open flat like a normal (boring) truck. so I've been thinking it out for months-long before I actually had my ssR.
it's sooo worth the effort though :flag
1 - 8 of 36 Posts
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