The thickness of the panels is either 16 or 18 gauge. That doen't matter. The best way for you to repair little round holes is to tap the holes to the closest size for a machine screw to be installed, stainless steel of course (and the correct alloy) and then cut it flush and TIG weld. Leave a small bump above the surface to grind flush and then regrain the entire hood. Use as lot of wet rags to contain the heat (don't use heat dam putty, it lets the welded area get hot and won't carry away the heat like the wet rags). The welder should use a variable frequency welder with inert gas like C-25 or Argon. Look for a restaurant supplier or a hollow metal shop that does stainless work. Most large cities have people that do commercial kitchen work like sinks and counters and most of that is assembled and welded in the field. David Teitelbaum vin 10757 --- In dmcnews@xxxx, srubano@xxxx wrote: > Does anyone know the guage or thickness of the Stainless steel for > the Hood (luggage compartment)? I am going to attempt to find a GOOD > Stainless Steel welder to weld up some of the tiny holes that were > drilled into it by a previous owner (they installed a hood scoop). I > know that some people on the list recommended me to find someone who > was expiereinced with SS and that they used a TIG welder. I really > want to save this hood since it is excelent condition (no dents) and > it's a hood flap one! > > Thanks, > > Steve