Sheet metal removal continued today with the tail panel.
There is a lot of brazing back here! Not sure what is original and what is accident repairs. I found out that the weld beads on the pieces to which the extensions attach is also brazing.
I went ahead and cut through where the panel meets the trunk channel since all that will need to get replaced anyway.
There was an extra strip of metal between the rear trunk support and the tail panel. Is this normal, or evidence of a tail panel replacement in the past? There was also an extra piece of metal between the tail panel and the bumper brackets.
Some damage to the driver's trunk floor around the bumper bracket.
No evidence of similar damage on the passenger side.
Does anyone have some pictures of how these pieces go together with the quarter panel and rear trunk support? I'm wanting to cut these out along with all the brazing and hopefully avoid doing any cutting that would require replacement of the quarter panels.
I say I want to save the quarter panels because they look pretty solid in spite of all the scaly rust on the surface. I took the angle grinder with a sanding disc to an area on the inside and outside of the driver's quarter. Metal looks solid underneath the old primer and rust.
Also, what are my options on repairing the rusted out areas of the trunk channel? I know there are new extension pieces that can be bought, but I don't think they're long enough to take care of this rusted area. Again, I want to avoid doing a quarter replacement if I can.
All considered, there is a lot of minor damage to sheet metal in the trunk area. Wondering if I shouldn't just replace the trunk floors. Especially the driver's side with the damage by the bumper bracket.