Everyone has that problem where you lean over the front fenders to work on the engine and the dang thing gets a dent right above the wheel arch and nothing will make it pop out and stay out.

I took mine off to prep for painting and was thinking if I pop the dent out and weld some rod or something to the back side to stiffen the panel that would help prevent that dent from coming back...

Thoughts, comments?

dont lean on the car when you work on it and punch people that do

Try running the front of the car up on a couple of ramps. This not only saves your back when working on it, but removes, or at least reduces, the need to lean on it in the same way. My lowered 1000 was a real pain in the back to service without a couple of ramps.

My datsun was resprayed almost a year ago now.
It also had a dent on the front fender where you lean against to put in the air filter.
(GX air filter)
Well, when it went for the respray and restoration they fixed it again.
All I do now is try my best to do everything from the front of the car.
And if I do need to work at the carb's side for example to put on the air filter, I do not lean against the fender.
As Dodgeman said, I can become a pain in the back. But I can live with a little pain in the back for a couple of minutes than to live with a new dent for the rest of the car's live.

My datsun was resprayed almost a year ago now.
It also had a dent on the front fender where you lean against to put in the air filter.
(GX air filter)
Well, when it went for the respray and restoration they fixed it again.
All I do now is try my best to do everything from the front of the car.
And if I do need to work at the carb's side for example to put on the air filter, I do not lean against the fender.
As Dodgeman said, it can become a pain in the back. But I can live with a little pain in the back for a couple of minutes than to live with a new dent for the rest of the car's live.

Mine came with those dents, I'm sure i'd have made them myself form leaning over.

I'll have to try to not lean over and make those dents. I think I'm gonna try reinforcing the fender a bit too and see if that helps.

Spraying sound deadener over the weak area is a good/simple way to fix it.

Chris

Dman, I never thought of that, great idea! The last few times I worked on my car I got a sore back. I'm gonna try this (but gotta get some ramps).

Quote:Fix it or prevent it?

The only way to fix it so it wont pop back in if you lightly bump it, is to get a bolster ( wide blunt chisel )and hit along the body line from the inside to tighten the panel back up. its because this line has been twisted that the panel pops in and out. If you pop it out by hand and look along the panel you will see that it still isnt straight. Thats why the body line has to be fixed to give the strength back.
But like others have said, if you still bang your knees into the guard, just means it will take a harder hit to get it back to the same old flexable panel. Spray sound deadener would help give strength and the hard sound deadener sheet like inside on the floor would be even better.