So apparently I didn't learn from you and have already smacked my head on the hood as I am trying to take out the motor. I and no I still haven't padded it up.
After I got the lift for the shop, the incidence of head trauma (which was already at the level discussed here) ramped up quickly. (And painfully).
The addition of a plastic liner to one of the many soft hats I owned was a great help, if I remembered to put it on before banging into something.
It now lives in the shop, with the only downside being that it is hot in the warmer months.