After days of cutting, grinding, prying, and drilling, I was very happy to snap these pictures of the void that will soon house the first rear battery box:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vMj4Zd7c4hUm3ZZ9VpsGc0SPWyvda-EVisgAcJdpRDdkinRKpF4LvieFZUHhW4FS-_9Qd89PCcjCUyCw5DoI3qV9hHBzvvRa3vsN7VkyuLAgYT=s0-d)
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Going back a bit, here's how things went down. I had to remove some more interior plastic panels from the trunk area to get better clearance on the sides and rear bumper end for more cutting.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tDlSjL9ckFbQRmZcmLNxRlz24FA-w6SQymk4y41_ZZZFpe_zYn1pbhFmRp-NTrpNNv7v65OyHp3Ddnc0ngYvGZtuXcsixAnyAwkO3ybfojkcco=s0-d)
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I removed this small stamped metal cap that used to sit over the gas tank. It was held in place with some type of sealant that never dries out so I had to use a solvent to clean it up.
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As I started to work along the edge that is closest to the front of the car, it became very clear that I could not simply cut through the metal without damaging the structural frame that crosses the rear of the car. So, I decided to start drilling out the spot welds so that I could pry the metal apart. I used a metal punch and hammer to create a center point for drilling, then used a 1/8" bit followed by my Unibit to enlarge the holes until the welds were gone. I had to use a chisel and hammer to separate some of the difficult welds that weren't completely removed by the drilling pass. Here's a shot of the carnage in progress:
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There was a single weld hidden under the spare tire mount that prevented me from freeing the front end of the well. In the end, I had to remove this part just to gain access to that last spot weld. Below is a photo of the mount once it came off.
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Several hours were spent working along this edge and the result is this crazy looking mess of metal. The panel was free on three sides at this point and all I needed to do was cut along the rear bumper side to finish the job.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uscinpwr138DfLgQPveQRL7VCYdFQUw7ojOksWY1bOAa_8BQeYjpabQ7l2OWSHQ46IDlD4j9TOURJI9zFArJGyBOzkONrUXmWRWUoPEl6Fan8D=s0-d)
Removing spot welds was such a tedious process that I looked around for a better tool to do the job. I ended up ordering a spot weld removal bit from amazon.com that is designed for this kind of work. It's 8mm and has a flat profile with a small point in the center. It cuts much more like an end mill cutter than a drill bit. I plan to remove more of the body work where the rear passenger seats were so this bit should make things easier:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ufcD5QcP-E1_y1wGe5jjXlYZByTmxD1KRM6KPFl-unBlYj5Jsi5XOfK6-b0i53VIUIY2ImA0ZrZbkUPscLBJPPPVPKcWxzd4N6LvOuiQLn6uDt=s0-d)
Finally, here is a photo of the sheet metal body panel once I got it out of the car. I mangled it pretty good in the process. Knowing you're not going to put it back certainly gives you some freedom.