Patching the bottoms of the doors requires removal of the skin. It's best to cut it at the bottoms of the window openings because they can be welded back together there with minimal distortion. Drill the spot welds with a spot weld drill and then carefully bend the flange to a 90 degree relation to the skin.
Patching the bottom of the skin without removing it, would end up a real mess. It's impossible to get to the back side of the weld to work it. I suppose you could cut an access hole in the inner part of the shell but that would compromise the finish product.
I went ahead and acid washed the surface rust on the back side of the panel before I welded the patch into place.
Then I thinned some POR15 with lacquer thinner. It doesn't take a lot when you thin it, to cover a pretty large area. It soaks into the rust and seals it very well.
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Before I put the skin back on the door shell, I'll need to finish welding the bottom in the shell, as it is only tack welded at this point. I'll also spray some weld through primer on the flange areas where the skin will be spot welded to the shell. The rest of the area will be coated with a good oil base enamel.
This will make it better than it was originally.
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