<VV> engine bay cuts

[Steve Brennan]

Somewhere in its past, the prior owner of my '62 Spyder make a couple of approx. 3" cuts on both sides of the engine bay body panels, directly adjacent to where the intake manifold flange bolts the engine.  It appears they wanted to make a bendable "tab" in the body panels for some reason.  The metal "tabs" are still there, but I have a pair of ugly 3" cuts on each side of the engine.  Any ideas on why this would have been done?

Thanks
Steve Brennan
1962 Spyder Coupe