whats the best way to tackle this?

[junk]

One caution I've heard about, but not experienced using things like structure tube to stiffen sheet metal. Sometimes as things expand and contract you can get ghost lines or oil canning in a panel. The strutural tube expands at a different rate than the sheet metal. So depending on how it's attached It could pull the sheet metal around.

Me if I didn't want to use the stud welder would be cut the interior panel for access and then tack it back in. Or drill a series of holes to gain access and use punches and stuff to work the panel back out. Similar idea to PDR without the PDR tool expense.

or what about welding on a tab an pulling on that?

 

[IDIoit]

as i was advised against this, i went ahead and did it anyways.

i hope the temperature difference does not warp the steel.
cut out 3 sides of the inner panel, and bent it down to gain access.
i used some thin wall box tubing cut it just long enough to fit into the rear, tached it on the top left and right,
then used a porta power to push it out in the middle.
im impressed with the way it worked.
i tach welded it every 6" on the bottom also,
pushed the 2nd layer back and tached that also.
i may weld it all the way across, or ill just use sound deadening to cover it.

comments welcome lol

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[IDIoit]

makes me want to remove the roof supports and do the same thing!

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Nice work. Always a great mod when it's better than factory when it's done

 

[laserjock]

Looks good to me. Bet it won't bend as easy. Did you shoot some weld through primer or paint the inside while you had it open?

 

[IDIoit]

no, but that would have been a great idea. there was good paint from the factory on the inside.
i only ground enough off to tach.
too late now, its closed back up.