A drop down tailgate is much more useful than noisy barn doors, especially with a soft top. I built one to use with my bestop and love how easy it is to access the back and for use as a table when the need arises. Your welded panel will always be an obstacle, my CJ5 buddy always complained about this. Since you already have the barn doors, why not weld them together and make a tailgate like spotcruiser did in these pictures? (Nice fabrication work Todd!) Be sure it's strong enough to sit on, makes a great place to sit and enjoy a beer after wheeling!