Where to cut trunk floor?

[gb623]

1-  When you guys talk about the end cap or the corner piece, do you mean the piece where I have circled in the pic below? I have to make those also, they are small, but look tough to shape.

2- Also when you say spot weld it back into place, do you mean a spotwelder per say or to mimic a spot weld with a Reg. wire fed Mig welder? If the latter, can someone explain that or show it somehow. I assume that means drilling a certain size hole in the trunk pan where you want the spot weld and filling it in to complete the weld? I'm practicing now with the same type welder trying to get decent at it.

[RUSTY Cuda]

Lug-nut, sounds like you replaced the main crossmember, thats just below the trunk lip/tail panel, that must have been something!       Rich

[LugNut]

Didn't replace the crossmember, but was surprised how weak it is.  It's just sheet metal bent into a zee-shape.  With the OEM trunk floor's lip removed (the angle-piece were talking about), it is amazingly floppy!  The angle stiffens it dramatically.

Just previous poster: They are mostly 'plug welds' -- punch/drill a hole in the thinner piece, clamp the metals together, and fill it up with a weld.  Metal prep, and getting good penetration (without blowing through), are very important.  Mopar Muscle magazine (and their website?) have some good articles.  The end cap is the piece you have circled, and between it and the lip/angle is the rear-end of the trunk floor extension panel.

[gb623]

Didn't replace the crossmember, but was surprised how weak it is.  It's just sheet metal bent into a zee-shape.  With the OEM trunk floor's lip removed (the angle-piece were talking about), it is amazingly floppy!  The angle stiffens it dramatically.

Just previous poster: They are mostly 'plug welds' -- punch/drill a hole in the thinner piece, clamp the metals together, and fill it up with a weld.  Metal prep, and getting good penetration (without blowing through), are very important.  Mopar Muscle magazine (and their website?) have some good articles.  The end cap is the piece you have circled, and between it and the lip/angle is the rear-end of the trunk floor extension panel.

Thanks

[73EStroker]

Guys (and gals), even if you replace the panels with new ones you still have to work them quite a bit to fit properly. I replaced the trunk extensions, the right side floor and the outer rear wheel houses with new parts. My body guy played with them to get a perfect fit.We even removed the tail panel (which BTW was nowhere near as bad as the pics I see in this post) sandblasted the attachment points that attach the panel to the car, painted with weld thru primer and reattached to the car. The job will last another 30 odd years. My point is here that you should do it properly and take lots of pictures as you go. Makes the car saleable if you ever have to sell. Remember - "Rust is like an iceberg,,,,,,, you only see 10% of it" The Captain of the Titanic can verify that statement.