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That would have been good info ... yesterday morning, pre-Sawzall. 
I'm sure it weakens the structure a little, but in a frontal impact I don't see a missing strip of thin sheetmetal 1/2" wide making the difference whether the car; or driver; survives the event.
In the case of an a-body Barracuda, installing a fiberglass header panel would weaken it much more in the same area.
If my fenders collapse, I'll post pics! 
Modern cars use nothing more than thin sheetmetal structures like our core support. They hold up in collisions MUCH better than our old cars. It's all in how the structure is built.
A flimsy piece of thin sheet with a few bends in it becomes really strong in compression. It's like a piece of angle iron. It'll take much heavier loads than a similar thickness of flat steel.
You're not going to walk out one morning and find your fenders collapsed on one another. However, if you ever tag the wall during a race or get hit from the side you stand to take much more damage. Your inner fender is your only defense. With a complete upper tie bar both inner fenders work to keep the front end pointed in the same direction.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind.
- Stu Harmon
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