The package shelf was pretty clean save for the mounting flange to the driver’s side C pillar which was permeated with rust damage.
The first trick was to get the flange separated and cut off the package shelf. This was an exceptionally awkward area to be working in due to the proximity with the wheel housing, C pillar, and the rest of the package shelf. Cutting the flange off required some very careful cutting with the pneumatic jigsaw.
With the flange removed in a single piece, minus what the rust had eaten, I was able to use the piece as a reference while recreating it in CAD for laser cutting. I ended up needing to take some measurements from the flange on the opposite side to compensate for the components that the rust had destroyed.
After drilling out the spot weld locations and lightly bending up the securing tabs for the headliner I was able to dry-fit the patch.
Before welding anything I sprayed both the back of the patch and the C pillar mounting surface with rust encapsulator.
With magnets holding the patch in place I used an inverted clamp to set the height of the package shelf by using the rear seat support bracket as a reference, matching the spot weld holes to their original location on the package shelf.
All that was left to do was to weld it all together and grind down the welds.
