Auto body repair & detailing: 94 Ford Taurus, Small Area of Front Edge of Hood Bent Downward, Would Like to Fix Myself, ford taurus, paint touch

Question
QUESTION: Hi Dan,

I inherited a white 94 Ford Taurus.  It has a small section of the front edge/lip of the hood that has been bent downwards.  The deviation starts approx. 1 to 1 1/2 inches in from the hood corner (passenger side), runs about 6 inches along the front edge from there towards the center/midline of the front of the vehicle, and varies from no depth to about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch deep.  The metal isn't creased and even the paint doesn't look creased.  

How do I best go about trying to straighten the edge/ get it back to original shape without damaging the paint?  I'm not looking for a perfect repair and paint job right now, just hoping there's a way to make it a little less obvious - without making it look worse than it already does in the process!

There are also some black scrapes on the bumper there, and on the side mirror outside edge casing.  I'm honestly not sure if its paint or rubber adhered to the vehicle, or if its scratches where paint was scraped off when whatever was clipped or hit the vehicle did the damage.  There isn't any rust (vehicle has been in pretty dry/warm parts of the country).  

I'm assuming its a plastic bumper, steel hood, ??? mirror housing (housing is painted white also, sleek to the car and the type you can power adjust the mirrors from inside the vehicle).... Are these things I can somehow easily/cheaply clean up and maybe use a paint touch up pen or something that way to just to minimize how visible/noticeable these spots are?  

While I've struggled thru a bit of my own periodic mechanical work on various cars over the years (rebuilt a couple of carbs, replaced water pumps, starters, alternators, etc.), I've never done any body work to speak of.  

Advice on any or all of these would be greatly appreciated!!

ANSWER: Hello Sue

Well, you can use a body hammer and an 'all purpose dolly' to get the hood back up into 'close' position, but you will damage the paint. At the front edge of the hood the metal is particularly strong , so you will have to be a bit aggressive. On the bumper and the side mirror, if the black marks are on the surface try to polish them off. Otherwise use your paint pen to touch up.

Hope this helps

Good luck

Dan

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I need to get a battery for my camera so I could post pics!!! Sigh.

Hum... ok, this may be the ignorance question of the decade... but what would happen if I took a crescent wrench or channel locks, padded teeth/grabbing surfaces well with soft rags, and got on the bent downward part just back to right before the bend, and tried to bend it back upwards a little bit?  Or is it too stiff for that to have any chance to work?

I guess I'll have to look up the allpurpose dolly - no idea what that is. Do you think if I tried the dolly & hammer, then touched up the worst with a paint pen, that it'd likely look better after, or better to just leave it be?

I'm not sure how to even tell if the black marks ARE on the surface or not... if I try polishing them, what do I use for that?  I have an orbital polisher that's sat in the closet unused for so long I've no idea if it'll even run - but regardless, do I need something to use with it, polishing compound or rubbing compound or ???

I really have never done this sort of stuff before....so the details would be a huge help.

Answer
Hello Sue
Give the hand tools a try , it might work. But yes, you are right , the metal at the front edge is both double metal and strong. but hey why not give it a try.
You can try some generic cutting compound on the black marks , If they don't come off , clean the surface of all the polishing debris and 'touch it up'.
Good luck with it.

Dan