New Repli-Tub, how have others mounted the air cleaner?

It just occurred to me that the firewall on my new Repli-Tub is shaped differently than the original. The oil bath air cleaner canister is designed to fit in the straight contour of the original firewall, but the new firewall has an offset indentation. I know others have encountered this problem but how have you overcome it? I don't want to do anything that would take away from the original appearance (such as relocating the air cleaner or using an aftermarket one) and I definitely don't want to cut up the firewall.

The original firewall:


The new firewall:

 

I used the BFH method. The problem I ran into was the steel folded over in a bad place and I ended up having to cut and weld some. And of course the support rod bracket they weld in was in the way. I caught mine before paint. Here's the after.

 

Thanks, Greg. I really wish I had caught it before paint but I may have no other choice but to cut it and repaint. Did you weld in support brackets on the back side or just bolt it to the firewall directly? The original body had support brackets but I'm wondering if it is really necessary.

 

Well, after fretting over it for a while, I decided to start cutting. I got a little better at tack welding as I went but I still need to improve my welding skills. I cut out the offending contour and welded in a new piece of sheet metal that I bent more closely to the original, although it will still be curved at the top whereas the original was straight all the way up. Thanks to 4xFool for the pictures, my contour will match his.

 

I just used nuts and bolts in the hopes that I wouldn't be taking it on and off very often. Having a plate or something on the inside would have been nice though.

 

I finally finished the firewall modification for the air cleaner, it isn’t perfect but once the air cleaner is installed it will look great. I also made the cutouts for the heater.