[Ogre]

1972 Lemans Vert which was obviously rear-ended at some time, and I need to repair it, so asking for advice and any tips before I dig into it. I'm a novice, so any advice from more experienced body guys would be GREAT!

Pics 1, 2, and 3 below show the horrible bondo job done to try to make the trunk latch work (it does, but shaky), but the square latch inside the trunk is ripped from the lip. There is no way to reattach it, but it would not be that good anyway. The nuts for bumper attachment below the lip are also terribly distorted. The bumper is attached, but you should see the spacers and shims, etc. I used to get it on.

Several years ago, I was at a junk yard and had them cut out the copper-colored lip for me, so I have the part needed (in pics 4 and 5).

Would I be better off using a small amount of the replacement or go all the way out to the edges. My main concern is the forces applied to a small welded in piece vs. a longer welded in piece. You can see some marks where I have been considering the cuts.

Also anybody who has done this type of replacement have any advice?

Thanks in advance,
Ogre