Yes thanks, I did see this video. I finally got the tank removed. I found that the ends of the “spring” rods were hanging down low enough to seriously gouge the tank if I tried to force the tank out. I could have trimmed down the ends of the rods, but I didn’t want to do that. In the end, I was able to gingerly lift up the rear edge of the rear deck upholstery panel to access the bolts mounting the hinges. However on my ’88 there is a metal stap in the middle of the body work that is spot-welded over the middle of the rods, as a safety feature I assume, in the event that they fatigued and broke. The spot welds are hidden under the trunk weather strip, so after drilling them out (will tack back after re-assembly) the hinges were removed with ease and the tank slid out freely and without any forcing or scratches!
I don’t know if the metal strap is only on the ’88 or if earlier years had it. Design “fixes” did evolve a bit on these I gather. To my amazement, the tank is pristine and without rust or leaks! However, I don’t trust those seams to hold and I am going to have the tank seams professionally welded, and coat the tank inside and out. After replacing all the fuel lines with Gates Barrier FI hoses, I expect the tank will slip back in as easily as it ultimately came out. Then 3 little spot welds and back on the road, a lot less smelly in the boot!