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View Full Version : Two dents. Is that how all were made?!

CanadaCraig
08-26-2006, 08:16 AM
Hi Guys!! :)

Maybe this has been talked about before - but a search didn't come up with anything.

Does YOUR 300 [300C, 300C SRT8] have two indentations [dents?] on both rear fenders, near the trunk, just beyond the base of the 'C' pillars? I hope that makes sense.

Thanks,
Craig!! :)
sidetrack
08-26-2006, 10:10 AM
If you mean the 2 quarter size indentations, then those are the back-up sensors.

http://photos2.ebizautos.com/1070/1021150_9.jpg
SmoovC
08-26-2006, 10:27 AM
I don't have a 300, but every Mag has a dent below the driver's door handle.
COLORADOMAGNUM
08-26-2006, 10:29 AM
I don't have a 300, but every Mag has a dent below the driver's door handle.

Mine doesn't.
PowerWagon896
08-26-2006, 10:31 AM
Hi Guys!! :)

Maybe this has been talked about before - but a search didn't come up with anything.

Does YOUR 300 [300C, 300C SRT8] have two indentations [dents?] on both rear fenders, near the trunk, just beyond the base of the 'C' pillars? I hope that makes sense.

Thanks,
Craig!! :)

sidetrack: I think what he is talking about are some shallow indented areas just below the botom corners of the rear window openings.

I worked in a General Motors stamping plant for 8 years.

What is sounds like to me is a flaw from the "Stretch forming" process.

The very 1st die in a press line is usually a "stretch forming" die that does the major forming/shaping of the panel.

Sometimes, on difficult shapes a deformity will occur especially near a drastic change in contour or an opening such as a window or door handle opening..

Craig: If the flaw you discribe is like the ones I discribed above, my advice would be to go look @ several 300s and see if they have the same flaw, and if so is yours worse than usual.

It may well be a normal flaw, and if it is, and it is not real noticable, you may just have to live with it. If it IS worse than the norm, it is a defect from the stamping process and it should be repaired. Be warned though that "repair" may be filling it and painting it as I do not see any manufacturer replacing the rear quarterpanels on a car. It would probably be cheaper for them to replace the car.

Hope this helps.

Can you post some piX?
PowerWagon896
08-26-2006, 10:33 AM
Mine doesn't.

Sometimes a "good" part manages to slip through.
sidetrack
08-26-2006, 10:37 AM
It is early in the morning and I am visualization challenged. A picture of the indentations would help.
PowerWagon896
08-26-2006, 11:04 AM
It is early in the morning and I am visualization challenged. A picture of the indentations would help.

did you get "sidetracked"?
boggart
08-26-2006, 11:53 AM
Mine doesn't.

Neither does mine.
PowerWagon896
08-26-2006, 12:03 PM
Neither does mine.

Oops, looks another good part slipped through.:Na_Na_Na_Na:

I'm allowed to make fun of Autoworkers, I are one.
boggart
08-26-2006, 12:05 PM
LOL, i'd hear of the mysterious dent, but haven't seen one yet because my Magnum is the only one I ever see.
PowerWagon896
08-26-2006, 12:22 PM
LOL, i'd hear of the mysterious dent, but haven't seen one yet because my Magnum is the only one I ever see.

There was a time not so many years ago when ANY flaws would not be tolerated. The assembly plants would reject the stamping and the stamping plant had to pay the return freight.

W/GM that has definately changed if the "04" Trailblazer I traded for my Mango was any indication. The assembly plants now weld the door assemblies from the stampings and they are not as picky as when we (@ Indianapolis) used to ship the complete door assemblies to them.

It had horendous stamping flaws just under the rear door handles. They were so bad you could see them in the rear view mirror. I wasn't going to accept it untill I looked @ several trucks just like it, many with worse flaws.

The GMC Envoys did not have the flaws because they had a crease/body line in the panel near the door handle eliminating the chance for the flaw. I just did not care for the interiors in the Envoys.
SmoovC
08-26-2006, 01:01 PM
Neither does mine.

Look closely; every one that comes through our shop is, & every local car member's is.
sidetrack
08-26-2006, 01:12 PM
Pictures!
Jaak
08-26-2006, 01:12 PM
The outside panels are made at Brampton so they can control this kind of thing... I don't recall seeing it on mine, but now I have to look!
Fondy
08-26-2006, 01:20 PM
Look closely; every one that comes through our shop is, & every local car member's is.

yeah i need to see this so called dent that every magnum is sposed to have..
:TTIWWP:
SmoovC
08-26-2006, 02:35 PM
yeah i need to see this so called dent that every magnum is sposed to have..
:TTIWWP:

My car is not here right now, but after I pick it up I can take a pic.:thumbs_u:
JeffreyDJ
08-26-2006, 03:15 PM
Well, I gotta go look now ...
Displaced Hokie
08-26-2006, 03:43 PM
My Mag has "waves" or intendtions near every door handle/edge of the door. Sort of like what a door edge looks like after you slam it into something. I'm sure it's from the stamping process. You have to look really hard and get the light just right, and still it's not that bad. These cars are not perfectly straight, I can tell you that. Not complaining, but stating that I'm sure some folks won't be satisfied.

Hokie
PowerWagon896
08-26-2006, 05:48 PM
My Mag has "waves" or intendtions near every door handle/edge of the door. Sort of like what a door edge looks like after you slam it into something. I'm sure it's from the stamping process. You have to look really hard and get the light just right, and still it's not that bad. These cars are not perfectly straight, I can tell you that. Not complaining, but stating that I'm sure some folks won't be satisfied.

Hokie

As I said fellas I worked in a stamping plant for 8 years. I trouble shot a door line.

@ 1 time the GMT 400 (pickup) door was considered world class, they were nearly flawless, but not perfect. Alas, things have digressed in recent years. As long as it is not something that "jumps out" @ ya, or your car is the only one that has the flaw, it can be pretty much considered normal.

When the first die strikes the panel it has an outer die with grooves to hold the blank then the inner die punches and stretches the metal into shape. The stretch forming press has a 2 stage set up. It has big cranks in the head. Think of a piston, a 200,000# piston. Now think of a piston inside of another piston.

These "flaws" will usualy be near on opening, especially a corner such as a rear window opening. Sharp contours and body line creases help to eliminate these by stiffening the panel. It it sometimes refered to as "oil canning".
SmoovC
08-26-2006, 06:00 PM
My Mag has "waves" or intendtions near every door handle/edge of the door. Sort of like what a door edge looks like after you slam it into something. I'm sure it's from the stamping process. You have to look really hard and get the light just right, and still it's not that bad. These cars are not perfectly straight, I can tell you that. Not complaining, but stating that I'm sure some folks won't be satisfied.

Hokie

You nailed, that's exactly what it is! At least the paint quality isn't all that bad from the Factory.....
nonliteral
08-27-2006, 11:53 AM
Hi Guys!! :)

Maybe this has been talked about before - but a search didn't come up with anything.

Does YOUR 300 [300C, 300C SRT8] have two indentations [dents?] on both rear fenders, near the trunk, just beyond the base of the 'C' pillars? I hope that makes sense.

Thanks,
Craig!! :)

If this is the one I'm thinking about, mine doesn't -- now...

I dropped in on a paintless dent repair guy a couple of months ago to remove a little ding I managed to put in the door, and after he got that, we were looking down the body with his work light, and spotted one like you describe on the quarter. He offered to pop that one for another $15 bucks, and now it's gone... This was on the driver's side -- we didn't find anything on the passenger side, but I suppose we could have missed it.

- Chuck
Jaak
08-27-2006, 05:11 PM
My Mag has "waves" or intendtions near every door handle/edge of the door. Sort of like what a door edge looks like after you slam it into something. I'm sure it's from the stamping process. You have to look really hard and get the light just right, and still it's not that bad. These cars are not perfectly straight, I can tell you that. Not complaining, but stating that I'm sure some folks won't be satisfied.

Hokie

Token dropped by to pick up some stuff and we looked at both mags and found the slight variation below the door handle. If it hadn't been brought up here, I never would have noticed it. Holy AR Batman!
Displaced Hokie
08-27-2006, 08:45 PM
Sorry I brought it up. Now you'll see it everyday.... :mrgreen:

Hokie
bookeem
08-27-2006, 09:28 PM
ive noticed them also...its not much of an eyesore though...
sidetrack
08-27-2006, 09:53 PM
Here are pics of my 300c.
Can someone explain exactly where the dents are supposed to be?
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821505457.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274096)
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821503178.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274092)
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821500391.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274089)
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821493160.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274084)
PowerWagon896
08-27-2006, 09:58 PM
Here are pics of my 300c.
Can someone explain exactly where the dents are supposed to be?
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821505457.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274096)
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821503178.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274092)
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821500391.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274089)
http://f10.putfile.com/thumb/8/23821493160.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3274084)

LOL You want I should come over W/a rubber mallet and give ya some?
CanadaCraig
08-28-2006, 04:33 AM
Hi Guys!! :)

I'm sorry my message caused so many of you MAGNUM owners to put nose marks all over your cars [lol] but I would think that what I'm talking about COULD ONLY apply to the 300's. [Since the Magnum doesn't have a trunk] Then again - maybe the Charger could have it too. Photos? Yikes! Have you ever tried to photograph something you can barely see with your eyes?! Well... not 'barely' - but you have to dance around a bit to get just the right reflection. That said... I appreciate all of the responses. Maybe I'm being a bit anal - but there you go!! I sometimes become slightly obsessed with 'flaws' on my car. [Keeps me from having to think of my own personal 'flaws'!! lol]

The next two messages [if this works] will be photos of the 'dent'. [or 'indentation' - as I like to call it. 'DENT' sounds scarier than it is.]

Let me know if YOUR 300 is the same. [please?]

Thanks again,
Craig!! :)
CanadaCraig
08-28-2006, 04:34 AM
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a81/CanadaCraig/MySRT8dentREDsquare.jpg
CanadaCraig
08-28-2006, 04:37 AM
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a81/CanadaCraig/MySRT8dent.jpg

:)
Jaak
08-28-2006, 05:34 AM
Yup, I can see what you're talking about... Yes, no one else would notice.

That's similar to the faint ripple in the metal below the door handle. Now here's some food for thought. All these Magnum owners have EXACTLY the same doors as the 300. So now you can go look at your doors and add those to the faint ripple list. Sorry!
COLORADOMAGNUM
08-28-2006, 12:31 PM
Mine does not have those "imperfections". Mine is a later build date '05. Maybe they got the problem resolved.
Jaak
08-28-2006, 12:58 PM
Mine does not have those "imperfections". Mine is a later build date '05. Maybe they got the problem resolved.

I hope so! That's what I thought too, but I had to stand at the back of the car and sight down the side to detect it. It's very faint, but there.

If it took someone else to point it out and a couple of minutes to detect, I'm not worried about it.