[T2] Engine access redo 1970 Westy "Watson"

[Al Brase]

In the next few months I hope to make progress on my 1970 poptop Westy
known as "Watson" in memory of the guy, Bob Watson,  that gifted it to me.
(In truth, I might have been the only local person that would take it.) But
he claimed he owed me because he had traveled the country and lived in it
for 10 years and valued very much the advice I gave him on type2.com list.
Bob actually had lived nearby and gone to school with my younger brother.
Watson has had a hard life, not too rusty, but when Bob finished his
journeys a rather large tree limb fell on the driver's sid fron A pillar
part of the roof.
It bent everything. The windshield opening is 2" out of square. that means
the top is 1" to the right.The door is a little crushed, and the A pillar
is bowed to the front near the bottom of the windshield.
The rest of the body is rusty along the bottom, and I will patch the left
side first. The sliding door channel still functions, but barely.
Ther is rust in the whole bottom edge, a few holes in front floor.
If this thing was dark green, I would like it enough to try to restore it
and keep it. Most of the mechanicals were pretty good, but there was some
mickey mouse rear engine mount that was letting the motor fall out the
bottom.
It has a 1600 dual port 1971 spec bus motor. I took it out, but just cleand
up some bad stuff and gonna put it back in.
I think I'll do the left side rust repair, put the motor back in and get it
driving.
The Westy interior is 100% there. Dirty, I think he used candles for 10
years. The vinyl on the bed is shot. But Westy stuff is all there.
THEN decide if I'm feeling it. With the fiberglas top damage, I could glue
it back together, or maybe find a Rivi or Dormobile top for it.
But right now, I want to talk about the cut in rear engine hole. THEY JUST
CUT IT IN. Then put a few pieces to hold it from falling thru, and some
suitcase snaps to hold it.
I love the access, but this is not sealed enough for my liking.
Can anyone think of  way to gasket this removable panel?
Al