So I bit the bullet and had the tailgate blasted. I expected it to fall into bits.
We are truly blessed you Canadian fellows used the best steel in these trucks.
Dry Australian inland also helps preserve as well.
Hard to see from the pictures, but this thing had a dreadful bow in the middle.
Warming the steel. Then into it with the copper hammer with timber underneath. Hitting the highs then turning it over, hit again, turn over, hit again and repeat.... it is actually sitting true now.
Cant believe it... Sure there is some patching to do. But this is salvageable in my opinion