when i bought my 98 z28 it came with this hot mess of a trap door, what do you guys think is the best way to fix this considering how hacked up it is?

 

Why do you need to make it 'presentable', it's hidden by the carpet. Remove as much of the 'bent upward' section while leaving 1-2" of it along the forward edge. The most important aspect is sealing the inside of the car from the outside, fumes and noise. I used a small street sign with regular foam sponge along the edges.
I put the access door in about 17 years ago. I carry a spare fuel pump since I now have good access. Had to replace the pump while travelling in Florida, I'm from Ohiio. 15 minutes 'replaced'.

 

Presentable probably wasn't the best way to describe it but you got my point anyway. Considering how hacked up it is I'll probably have to cut out a good amount of metal all around before i can do anything with it.

 

I agree with trying to remove all of the bent up material. Once you have the hole cleaned up, you will know what size you need to make to cover it. You can get a 12"x12" aluminum sheet on Amazon for about $15, then just come up with a creative way to mount it once cut to shape.

 

I wished I didn’t click on this. Probably the worst thing i have seen in awhile.