Inner And Outer Rear Sheetmetal - Backgammon

[19] It was now time to turn to the light apertures. Using the sections saved from earlier, as well as the width measurement, I marked where the metal required trimming away.

[20] Note when I welded the overlapping section I stopped short of the actual edge of the panels. This enabled me to trim the overlapping sections away 3/8 inch from the aperture and butt-weld the joints, so the light unit would be able to fit flush against the bodywork.

[21] Some careful grinding and filing later, and the light unit fit. They’re modified late-model Fiat units, by the way, mounted sideways.

[22] All that remained was to replace the latch bracket, which also served to brace the rear panel to the floor in the center. I’ve never had a latch that fits here, so I decided to scrap this bracket and make a new one, along with a new latch, as I wanted it to be cable operated.

[23] A quick trip to the local junkyard provided what I was looking for: a hood latch from an early VW Jetta. BMWs have similar latches.

[24] What’s wrong with this picture? Sure the latch hits the lip, but that’s no biggie. The problem is it’s at the wrong angle to enable it to open and close without binding.

[25] I had to close the hole where the old latch was mounted anyway, so I made the new section at an angle.

[26] With the position of the upper latch determined, a new bracket was formed to accept the striker plate in the correct position. Once satisfied that the clutch works correctly and is aligned, I’ll trim away the area marked with a Sharpie and round off the upper edge, while allowing enough room for the cable to operate.

[27] And there you have it … or rather, I do! New sheetmetal, uniform panel gaps, and a trunk lid that latches closed for the first time in years. No more bungee cords here, thank you!