Here’s our solution… We have sliced the damaged portion of the flat section out, and it will be replaced with new steel. Note that the original spot-welded flange was not properly welded – a large section of this flange had spot-welds that did not penetrate – that is why you only see the drill-marks in the forward and rear sections of this flang – that rusty section in the center was never attached! Also not the surface rust inside the tube where these pieces have never received paint or primer of any kind – eother originally, or in the precss of several restorations!