Damage
At the end of the day a car is a ‘machine’ designed to get you from A to B.
My car : Peugeot 206
Unfortunately, I am a victim of a car break in.
A thief broke into my car, stole a few items and damaged my car door to enter. It looks like a sharp instrument like a screwdriver was forced into the side of the lock to unlock the vehicle and gain access.
The damage to driver side door
Above is the result of the damage. The dirt was there before! Now, I have been quoted around £230 - £600 for the repair ranging from just a none guaranteed fill in and paint, to a full door skin replacement!
My car insurances costs me roughly £400 per year for fully comprehensive and I’m a 30 year old male with 7 years no claims bonus. My excess is £200.
Should I make a claim I’d have to pay the £200 excess plus lose my no claims (or part) bonus thus losing my 70% discount.
So, for the maximum saving it made sense to pay for the repair myself or for me to carry out the repair. I decided to do the repair myself. I have written about it here because I found very little resource on the internet and also if you are like me and lack the confidence and know-how then this may lead you in the right direction (hopefully).
Preparation
Takes a while but worth doing. This is how I did my preparation work.
Tools and Materials
You need TORX screw drivers to remove the screws from the door trim. I bought a set from B&Q for £13. If you want to save money here just get the size T20. I didn’t know the required size hence why I bought a set.
Milliput Putty
I bought some Milliput putty from the local car auto care shop. You basically mix 2 different types of putty together and over a few hours it’ll harden like rock. Cost £4.99.
Touch up paint
I bought Peugeot black touch up paint from Halfords. Cost £7.99.
Repairing
Firstly, remove the door trim. You’ll want to get access to the hole from inside the door to bend the metal back and shape the putty. We don’t want any putty getting in the way of the locking mechanism.
Here are some pictures on how I did it.
Removing Tweeter housing
Remove the tweeter housing. I managed to get my fingers in all sides and pulled it away. It’s quite strong but don’t bend it off.
Tweet Tweet
Once off, the tweeter hangs out to say hello! The glue on mine had dried and was brittle.
Door Lever Removed
Next, remove the door lever. It just pulls out.
Remove Door Handle
Don’t forget to take off this handle. Remove the screw first in the centre.
The screws
Remove two screws here. The small on between the two large ones near the top of this picture. The one near the bottom of this photograph.
Door trim screw
Remove the screw below the door window.
Door, bottom of trim
Pull the door trim off from the door. The clips are quite strong. You’ll be able to feel the resistance to determine where the clip is. Use a screw driver to gently pry the trim from the door.
Tear away paper to fit hand
The door is covered by a paper mesh that is glued to the door. You’ll have to gently peel some away to gain access to the damaged hole from the inside.
Hole visible via tear
You cannot see in this picture but through the hole you’ll see the damage. I found it awkward but managed to bend as much of the metal back into place. It also allows you see the putty and position it from this side.
Filling
Describes filling the hole with putty.
Putty Mixed
This is the putty I mixed. It comes in two parts of blu-tac like substance. Mixing the two parts activates the putty; its pliable and will harden in a few hours.
Putty in hole
I pushed the putty in the hole ensuring that nothing was obstructed on the other side. I used a dam cloth to ‘sand’ the putty so that it was smooth and equal to the existing surface. The guy at the auto care shop said ‘Don’t let it dry and then sand it’. Mould it as best as you possibly can why it’s pliable!
Putty in hole
Just another view. Smooth as a baby’s bottom!
Painting
Describes the painting process.
Mask around the fill and primed
I put masking tape around the filled hole so that I would only paint the area that required painting. Also, it would catch the excess paint. This shows it with the primer paint applied.
Painted
I took this picture about 2 weeks after getting the paint done. Hence the dirt.
Painted Close up
Not a perfect job. I’ve left a drop at the bottom. All in all I’m pleased with the work I’ve done.
Total Cost
So, this is the total cost.
| Item | Price |
| Millput Putty | £4.99 |
| Paint | £7.99 |
| Screw Drivers | £13.00 |
| Labour (me 1 hour) | £0 |
| Total | £25.98 |
