I understand the OP is trying to restore his fathers Bristol. Personally, I would try to get a 100% perfect result. The dent in the front of the roof should be taken out from the inside. When the front windscreen is removed, this is a fairly easy thing to do. I would remove all fillers, and rectify the problems properly.
Yes, it is time consuming and takes some skill (the suggestion to practice on a Defender is superb!) but it will be worth it.
Before any paintwork, I would first start to investigate if there are any corrosion in the frame suporting the panels, any corrosion in the steel panels in the wheel arches and if at any area the aluminium is getting thin (due to corrosion).
When I restore a vehicle (I have a AR Junior, Saab 92, prewar MB 230S, prewar BMW 328, 2 LR Defenders, the Bristol and about 7 motorcycles behind me)
I first make a plan. The first decision is, shall I do just an aesthetic restoration, (OK on a lower value vehicle) or a thorough one?
If done properly, the restoration of OP's father car will not only increase the value, but will also last.
As the saying goes, we learn from our misstakes. I did learn a lot from my (many) misstakes!
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