6.9 #621 Panel Fitment Question

[wbrian63]

I've received the replacement panels that create the sides of the wells in the trunk. Test fitting them to the car reveals a problem that I need some input as to how to handle.

I noticed this problem when I first discovered the botched accident repairs on the car. I assumed at that point that the inconsistency was due to some poor manipulation on the part of the repair shop.

Now that the new panels are here and I've test fitted them on the driver and passenger side, this is what I see from inside the fender well:


Note that the panel is properly seated in its to-be-welded location, as seen from inside the trunk - meaning there's no way to lift the panel up to have the hole properly covered.


Working from memory, the installation instructions say to spot weld the side panel to the rim of the sway bar support, then plug weld the inner fender to the side panel.

I think that the design of the chassis was changed at some point and the structure that the lower "arm" that's hanging in free air was either higher, or there was more structure below the sway bar mount to which this arm would attach.

My plan is to add metal to the new panel approximating the yellow hashed section. This will give full attachment to the perimeter of the sway bar mount. Then the repair panels for the inner fender will seal the whole affair.



What's the consensus?