Rooftop Carrier Repair?
 

I really wasn't sure where to put this post. Yesterday, I picked up a Honda Rooftop Box (otherwise known as a cargo carrier) from craigslist.com. The box, which is made out of ABS plastic, is dented in the front in two places.

I tried using a heat gun to pop out the dents, but they must have occurred too long ago so the box has lost the memory of its original shape. I was able to massage out one of the deeper dents, but I can't figure out a good way to get the top back into its original shape, or at least close to it.

The problem is I need to put some pressure on the dents while heating a large area up. The only thing I can think of is to fill the carrier with something like a bean bag chair or heavy towels or blankets to put some pressure, from within, on the dented area. My hope is that the plastic, when heated, when push outward—eliminating or reducing the size of the dent.

Does that sound like a plausible idea or is there another, simpler solution?

By the way, the design of this carrier is that both clamshells are permanently connected with rivets, hinges, and shuts, so its impossible to separate the clamshells without cutting out the hardware securing them. This makes it rather awkward to work on.

Ayuh,... So drill out the rivets, fix it, 'n rivet it back together...

That would be the easy way, and I think he is going to need more heat than a heat gun can do. Injection molding (used to make those things) uses a considerable heat temperature.