Ok I guess I'll post some stuff as I start taking the package tray out ...
I need help on the spots welds... I mean I can do the work but the firewall is in good shape...and wonder if I need to work on the firewall spotwelds.
I need some opinions (go easy on me ). The firewall appears to be solid and the replacement tray has it as one peice. Should I leave the orig firewall and just cut out the replacement to fit? Or go ahead do the whole thing ? Also If I need to do the firewall should I take the engine out ? Heres a pic..

Thats not an easy question to answere......My opinion, if its gonna be easier to replace the whole area, do it; if its not, cut and patch.

it will look better if you change the whole thing IMO

I agree it will look better .... I guess I will go ahead pull the engine... Do you know if the spot welds are on the backside (engine compartment side) for the top ridge?

pulling the engine may not be required but it doesnt take long to do anyway
I would suggest that you not start drilling out spotwelds until you get the new piece in hand that way you know where the spot welds are by looking at the new piece

Any progress Wayne? When's the workday .

Ok, speaking from experience, this is not a fun project. *****All of your spot welds are on the inside except for the few that are in the engine bay. There are a few on each side where the engine shelves attach*****. Be careful not to drill through the "parent metal" I would recommend buying a 5/16 spot weld cutter from ebay, not the broach cutters. If you want me to take a pic of the one I have I can. It you look at the bottom of the pic, you can see the luggage tray out and all the spot welds that are there.

There are no spotwelds across the top so you will have to cut a line up there. I would cut about an 1 to 1.5" from the top curve and then overlap the top with your replacement panel.


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If you have any questions, just shoot me a pm, I will be happy to explain more in depth of what I did. Hey while you are at it, just do a 2" tranny raise

Thanks for the info. I'm going to order the package tray next week . I also have rust in just the back seat floors . I was thinking if just buying the patch peices and not take the body off. But the more I think about it I might as well. That way I can give good attention to the frame etc. This is new stuff to me but hey it is a project not a daily driver.

Back to the top of the package tray just below the back window. there are no spot welds? I see the spots across the bottom and up towards the corners of the window. I started drilling the spots using a spot drill bit ... It does take a touch. But if you have a picture of another tool I would like to see it ... Does anyone in Houston have one?

I guess if you are not going to be reuseing your original tray, then it wont matter much about ripping the metal a bit. I cleaned off the seam sealer, then with mine, I center punched the spotwelds. Next I dimpled them with a small drill bit and then used my spotweld cutter. Here is what I used
http://cgi.ebay.com/5-16-Carbide-Spot-W ... 240%3A1318

If there are any spot welds across the top, I couldnt find them, unless they are hidden up by the vents inside the engine bay.

That is what I've been using but it was a used one that my son had awhile back and may be dull. I would drill the center first then drill with the spot drill bit ... You just need to carefull not to go all the way ...