Wife ran into garage door - help

In the bigger scheme of things....It's only a small dent. Don't upset your wife too much. I've been there and still rue the day I went off on something that really doesn't matter.

 

I backed out my wife's Tesla into the garage door going down. Don't ask me how I did that. Only a slight scuff on the top of the trunk. Never told her about it!

 

Smartest guy in the room right here

 

Be sure to check your garage door sensors and replace them if they are not working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crTTxmUm6Vo

 

Bondo or putty is used all the time for surface imperfections and yes even the best use it and need it. Some better pics would be great, but a good PDR person should be able to fix it. Dropping the headliner should be of no concern, done all the time. I'm happy nobody's posted some stupid worthless comment "saying part it out".

 

Me too. So tired of those comments

 

I would find the best PDR guy in town. If he says he can get it 95%+ I'd go for it.

I'd remove the headliner and antenna myself.

Then run a bead of silicone or sealant on the antenna gasket, to fill any imperfections after PDR.

You don't want water entering the antenna hole. Will lead to mold, rust, etc and may go unnoticed until the damage is done. Silicone doesn't last forever either.

 

Another vote for permits guys...
They'll get it!

 

I'm always nervous about this happening. With my garage door pushed all the way up my shark fin barely clears, like less than an inch. The spring starts sagging at all and I'll hit it.

 

I wish you guys would stop recommending silicon. It will not stand up to temperature fluctuation or UV.

 

Do you have an alternative? For an imperfect surface that needs to keep water out.

 

I would go with something like this.

$16 Double Sided Tape Heavy Duty, Adhesive Mounting Tape Waterproof, 16.4 FT x 0.94 IN, Strong Foam Tape for Walls, Automotive, Home Office Decor, Made of 3M VHB Tape (Pack of 1)

Amazon.com: Double Sided, Heavy Duty, Waterproof Mounting Foam Tape, 16.4ft Length, 0.94in Width, Strong Adhesive Tape for Car, Wall, LED Strip Light, Home/Office Decor, Made of 3M VHB Tape : Office Products

 

I’d much rather remove the head liner than the 3rd brake light.
The 3rd brake is a known leaker. If it doesn’t leak now, leave it alone.
If you do remove it, get a new gasket.

I would focus on the antenna and getting it sealed.
Take it easy on the wife, she didn’t do it intentionally
Most people would never notice it. You could fix the gap under the antennas and 90% of people (including me) would never see it. I let the PDR guys do their best. Seal up the antenna and roll with it. I wouldn’t paint it unless the paint is cracked of chipped.

 

Its all about the truck...no one asked if the garage is ok.

 

Yes, they did a good job on the fix and I wasn’t confident in my ability to get the antenna area sealed watertight. So, I’m happy I went that route.

 

Guys I’ve been chill with my wife lol. Im not an asshole.

About sealing … I mean, if we install the brand new antenna like it’s supposed to be installed (I assume it’s got a gasket) what’s the concern? Is the concern if there’s still a gap? I don’t think the gap is relevant bc the base of the antenna when it’s attached is totally flush with and attached to the sheet metal

I was thinking to add a piece of PPF to narrow the hole and add something between the antenna and the truck …. But that won’t do shit unless the gap is tiny

 

The bolt that holds the antenna on may have bent or partially pulled through the tab that it bolts to. Then you’ve got a new antenna and a gap that water can get into.

 

Yup that’s all I can think of - that said the base of the antenna and gasket should be a lot larger than the tiny hole .. but I’ll check whenever we get it apart