Final tuning prior to welding. I've been debating how to weld this seam and decided that unless it was a butt weld I'd see it every time I opened the hood and would regret it. I've left the screw holes in for fastening the patch and will have a helper push the parts flush so I can get some tacks in between the tabs and the cut the tabs off and stitch it up.

Butt welds can be tricky with a MIG unless you have a lot of experience which I don't. My TIG will make short work of this seam and only require a little grinding to finish the seam... and you'll never see it once it's painted.