So...the good news is that, after much poking with sharp objects, my 73 2.0 is nearly rust free. The PO had done a structural and paint resto about 15 years ago, so I didn't expect much...but still nice to know.

Anyway, the biggest area of rust I do have seems to be around the sway bar supports in the rear trunk. The rest of the trunk is fine. It's just around these areas on the right and left that are bad (circled). I'd rather keep the new metal to a minimum. Do you guys think I need a repair like the one at the bottom (which "rob" posted here a few years back)? OR can I patch a smaller area just around the supports?

Seems like there's good metal about an inch away from the support. Any advice from you metal guys is appreciated.

Thanks!Click to view attachment Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

Anything,can be pAtched and the less metal you remove, the easier it is to make sure the shape stays the same overall.

Clean it up, both sides to see the issue.

Sometimes it's a whole lot easier to cut and weld if you remove the whole piece as was done in the last picture...other times you can access everything easily with the tools, so a small piece works great.