There are numerous products for bonding the fiberglass bumper caps, including many newer high-tech panel adhesives, but we went with the proven technique of simply using Mar-Glass fiberglass-reinforced, polyester-resin filler. After all, the major body panels of the car are polyester resin, and with the large flanged mounting surfaces, there is a tremendous "purchase" area for a high-strength bond. Unlike many of the new breed of panel adhesives, the Mar-Glass is rigid and will produce a rock-solid bond that will not flex or crack over time if done properly. Since the panels were being bonded, none of the OEM mounting hardware was retained, and, in fact, no mechanical fasteners whatsoever were used to mount the panels. The bond of the Mar-Glass is all that is needed, making the finicky stock fasteners redundant. By far the hardest part of this installation was modifying the stock-style '76 front cover to our own custom nose piece. For this, we would caution that a very high degree of fiberglass working skill is required. Installing the pieces was no more than a weekend's work, and we really like the end result.
Make sure the body lines are...
Make sure the body lines are aligned and bond the cover in place. the working time is very limited before the filler begins to cure, so everything needs to be preplanned, and the work has to be quick and orderly. clamp the panel in place, and knife the excess filler from the seam. note the nice fit and great bond.
On the flanges, make sure...
On the flanges, make sure to use plenty of clamps to bring the panels together. We used a variety of vice-grip-style clamps that were all preset for the flanges and location during the trial-fit stage. Note the bonding filler squeezing out, indicating a complete fill and bond.
The front cover was cut loose...
The front cover was cut loose just like the rear. up front, the grill and turnsignal are mounted to the inner bumper sub-structure. Since we are eliminating this, we will need to fabricate mounting provisions to the new fiberglass cap.
Our goal is weight reduction...
Our goal is weight reduction where possible, so the inner bumper structure was removed from this car and will not be replaced. if retaining the bumper, some trimming of the plastic honeycomb is often needed to allow a fiberglass bumper cover to align into place.
Further weight reduction can...
Further weight reduction can be achieved by removing the tube brace and brackets, though it also serves as the vacuum reservoir for the headlamp system. We elected to leave this assembly in place for now, though we may decide to remove it later.
As on the rear, cutting the...
As on the rear, cutting the front bumper cover off leaves the mounting reinforcement strap and fasteners, which can be ground through to remove it and the remaining flange of the cover.
With the structural bumper...
With the structural bumper removed, the front bodywork needs support. A simple bracket added here does the job. Additional strut braces may be added as required, such as at the lower end of the rear fascia.
We like the looks of the stock...
We like the looks of the stock frontend styling, except for the front bumper guards, and thought the license plate location would look better recessed. We ordered a stock style replacement fiberglass cover, but intend to modify it.
To change the appearance of...
To change the appearance of the front cover, we laid-up fiberglass in temporary molds made of cardboard, duct-tape, and plastic wrap, and cut away the parts we didn't like. this project took far longer than the entire bumper cap replacement, and it took several tries until we were completely satisfied with the result.