Pulled my engine and found a surprise!, AKA "Dammit!" Options

[Andy]

Pulled the engine and trans out of my project last weekend and found a little surprise waiting for me. FWIW the longitudinals (sp?) have no rust issues, the battery tray was replaced with aluminum some time ago but it doesn't show much damage under that either and it's all factory paint in the engine bay, except...

(IMG:http://www.anschlagen.net/rust/rsuspass.JPG)
Now I'm no Porsche expert, but this looks pretty wrong to me. It looks like it was cut (rust removal?) and slathered in rust inhibitor. I'm guessing it's supposed to look more like the other side.
(IMG:http://www.anschlagen.net/rust/rsusdriv.JPG)

Well, one more item on the project list! Anyone dealt with this? Ideas? Opinions? (Other than I might be smart to part out this car and find another one... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) )

[thomasotten]

It hasn't been driven yet, so we don't know yet how my welds will hold! I was considering doing the scab plate idea, but was talked out of it. The whole ordeal was alot of work, but I am glad I did it, at least now I have confidence in the car's integrity. As far as Andy's car is concerned, putting a scrap plate of metal over it really isn't going to do much for you other than keep water out of the whole, since yours was already fixed with those rods. Look at the photo of how mine cracked. Basically, the metal rusted from the inside, getting thiner and thiner unitl it cracked. The crack started on the forward part, near the longitudinal. That piece was very thin right there.

I am not planning on ever selling my car, it will hopefully stay in the family for many generations. That is why I decided to fix it right.