I need to get access to the front fender for the purpose of paintless dent removal.
How in the world can I remove the head light assembly ?
It looks like I have to remove the entire front trunk interior trim.
Has anyone attempted this ?

 

The back of envelop process is to just unscrew the large headed plastic carpet screws and get the trunk liner to where you can bend it back just far enough to remove the rubber plug in the hole through which you gain access to the head light lock/latch.

The car's tool kit should have a stamped deep socket with a small diameter bar handle that you use to turn the head light lock/latch bolt head I think for the passenger side (USA cars) you turn the wrench to the left and for the driver side to the right.

This should kick up the assembly enough you can then slide it out.

Handle with care. You drop one of those they are super expensive. I think some years ago they were nearly $1000/each for my Boxster. (The ones in my Turbo cost around $2800/each.)

With the headlight assembly removed then that opens up the front part. It has been a long time but I seem to recall something behind the headlight assembly, at least the electrical connector, that prevents one from reaching must beyond the depth the headlight assembly is long.

Do not remove the tray/platform the headlight fits into. If you get this out of adjustment the techs tell me it can be a "fiddly job" (read $$$ in labor) to get the headlight adjusted so it fits snugly in the fender opening and so the aim is correct or can be made correct.

If the dents in the fender are closer to the body you may have to remove the wheel/tire and then unbolt the fender from the car.

The passenger fender has the fuel tank filler, fuel vapor recovery and charcoal canister hardware inside it so that complicates removing that fender.

When it comes time to install the headlight ease the assembly into the fender opening being sure the lugs on the headlight housing slide into the grooves of the tray. Once your are sure the headlight is in the tray correctly push the headlight all the way back and hold it against the fender as you turn the lock the opposite direction to secure the headlight assembly to the tray (and the electrical connector and possibly even the washer hose if the car has headlights with washers).

Install the rubber plugs and bring the trunk liner back into place and install the plastic carpet screws that hold it in place.

 

Wow, thanks for all of that incredible detail Macster....
greatly appreciated.
Suddenly....I may need to just fill them and repaint the fender.....
sucks...really sucks for such tiny dents.
I have the spray equipment.....
former body shop owner here.

 

My 2002 Boxster picked up a small dent on the passenger side fender edge early on probably from some butthead opening his vehicle's door and letting it hit my car.

Then I put a small dent in the front trunk lid when I closed the lid and had a hard plastic object that was up a bit too high and as I closed the lid created a small bulge in the sheet metal.

I left these alone, unrepaired, along with various minor rock dings. Cars that are used get these things. I am careful but stuff happens.

As long as the paint is not damaged to the point corrosion could set in my SOP is to let things be.