Re: 76 Laguna parked in 2002

by jpowen49 Wed Mar 29, 2023 10:46 pm

76Chevelle2Tone wrote:
jpowen49 wrote:

Now I`m thinking about tucking the rear bumper. I have searched and watched a few videos but seems no one shows good pictures of the finished job. No one mentions trimming the bumper fillers. Anyone ever do a bumper tuck and then wish they had left it alone ?
I found a picture of a 75 Laguna that had deleted the rear bumper. I wish someone made a fiberglass kit to do this.

I often say there are two kinds of cars: those with chrome and those without. If you are asking for opinions I would say it looks nice in a 80s or 90s kind of way but loses the G3 look for better or worse. Depends on whether you want to leave the 70s behind haha.

Kind of like putting an LS in a G3.

by g3chevy / Mr Pontiac Thu Mar 30, 2023 12:24 am

Nice work! I removed a damaged bumper from my 76 parts Laguna and wanted to see what a 75 bumper would look like. So I compressed the bumper shocks about 2 inches so there wouldn't be much of a gap without the fillers installed and then bolted the 75 bumper to it.

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 20200110

by Keith Seymore Thu Mar 30, 2023 11:12 am

jpowen49 wrote:Ended up using an angle grinder with cut off wheel to carve up the inner support. It weighed 37.8 lbs before and 18.3 after cutting, lost 19.3 lbs just a little over half.

That's kinda what I did, only you left a little more material in place.

I kept the attachments just closest to the shock mount and everything else is gone. Said differently, I have some bumper bolts that are merely filling the square holes, and not doing anything else.

K

by Keith Seymore Thu Mar 30, 2023 11:16 am

jpowen49 wrote:

Now I`m thinking about tucking the rear bumper. I have searched and watched a few videos but seems no one shows good pictures of the finished job. No one mentions trimming the bumper fillers. Anyone ever do a bumper tuck and then wish they had left it alone ?

Never! At least - I can't imagine that ever being the case.

I have non functioning shocks; just open round tube with no guts. So to tuck the bumper you just remove the desired amount from the round tube. I seem to recall mine are 1", which is enough to align the end of the bumper with the end of the quarter panel from the side view.

I don't think that impacted the rubber filler at all, or minimally. I'm running fiberglass replacements now, from Replica plastics, which did require a little trimming on the edge, but it's covered by the bumper so it's pretty forgiving.

K

by jpowen49 Thu Mar 30, 2023 7:25 pm

Thank you Keith for the input. My main focus is still on paint but I may put the rear back together to make sure I have everything and help me make a decision . I can tuck the bumper even if it`s after the car is finished.

by g3chevy / Mr Pontiac Wed Apr 05, 2023 12:07 am

Just stumbled across this on one of the FB groups.

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 76_mal10

by jpowen49 Wed Apr 05, 2023 1:53 pm

Thank you g3chevy for the picture. Looks like he has deleted the bumper fillers because of no room for them. I just spent a lot of time and effort into restoring my bumper fillers , so I may just keep them. I remember using my rear bumper as a seat in the 70`s hanging out in a parking lot.

by Limey SE Wed Apr 05, 2023 2:55 pm

This is from a Member here Cut / tucked on his 74 Malibu on his I will ask him to come in to show the mods he did

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 294675218_2963586800600581_6898151653139978911_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=W_Y8zjAufOMAX8tmG8O&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 294675218_2963586800600581_6898151653139978911_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=W_Y8zjAufOMAX8tmG8O&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:09 pm

Here is a few more pictures . The bumper was cut right through the bumper jack slots and 1.5" removed from each side. The shocks were just collapsed and welded in the proper position, and the filler cut way down, because no matter how much I tried, it looked like something was missing without it.

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:10 pm

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:12 pm

Test fitting

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 Fb_img11

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:13 pm

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:13 pm

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:14 pm

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 9:16 pm

I got a bit fancier on the front, it's also been narrowed, bumper jack slots welded up, license plate holes weled closed as well as the carrige bolts shaved.

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 20230411

by g3chevy / Mr Pontiac Wed Apr 05, 2023 10:13 pm

dynchel wrote:Here is a few more pictures . The bumper was cut right through the bumper jack slots and 1.5" removed from each side. The shocks were just collapsed and welded in the proper position, and the filler cut way down, because no matter how much I tried, it looked like something was missing without it.

Nice work! How did you handle the impact strip for the rear bumper?

by dynchel Wed Apr 05, 2023 11:08 pm

g3chevy / Mr Pontiac wrote:
dynchel wrote:Here is a few more pictures . The bumper was cut right through the bumper jack slots and 1.5" removed from each side. The shocks were just collapsed and welded in the proper position, and the filler cut way down, because no matter how much I tried, it looked like something was missing without it.

Nice work! How did you handle the impact strip for the rear bumper?

Basically the same as the bumper, cut it in 3 pieces, I bridged it from the backside, (it's steelbacked) for strengths, and basically glued the outside pieces of rubber together. There is a seam line where it was spliced.

by g3chevy / Mr Pontiac Thu Apr 06, 2023 12:59 am

dynchel wrote:
g3chevy / Mr Pontiac wrote:
dynchel wrote:Here is a few more pictures . The bumper was cut right through the bumper jack slots and 1.5" removed from each side. The shocks were just collapsed and welded in the proper position, and the filler cut way down, because no matter how much I tried, it looked like something was missing without it.

Nice work! How did you handle the impact strip for the rear bumper?
Basically the same as the bumper, cut it in 3 pieces, I bridged it from the backside, (it's steelbacked) for strengths, and basically glued the outside pieces of rubber together. There is a seam line where it was spliced.

So did you weld the steel reinforcements together on the back side after you cut them?

by dynchel Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:22 am

I bridged it with sheer metal and attached it withsheetmetal screws. Weldingi would surely have melted/ damaged the outside as its bomded together.

by 77camino Thu Apr 06, 2023 7:42 am

Hey dynchel, what did you use to cut the impact strip? I have a one piece nos front impact strip that I need to cut into three pieces to go around the bumper guards.

by g3chevy / Mr Pontiac Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:13 am

77camino wrote:Hey dynchel, what did you use to cut the impact strip? I have a one piece nos front impact strip that I need to cut into three pieces to go around the bumper guards.

If you've got an NOS impact strip I would leave it as is and just notch the bumper guards. This is how GM did it on my 77 Can Am.

76 Laguna parked in 2002 - Page 5 Img_2034

by 77camino Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:35 pm

The nos impact strip is actually damaged in the center section. It looks like someone got carried away with a box knife at some point.

by dynchel Fri Apr 07, 2023 7:17 pm

77camino wrote:Hey dynchel, what did you use to cut the impact strip? I have a one piece nos front impact strip that I need to cut into three pieces to go around the bumper guards.

Hi, I slowly and carefully used a hacksaw.

by jpowen49 Sat Apr 08, 2023 9:45 am

dynchel, good gob on your bumper tuck . Your 74 chevelle looks great.

by dynchel Sat Apr 08, 2023 8:07 pm

jpowen49 wrote: dynchel, good gob on your bumper tuck . Your 74 chevelle looks great.

.
Thank you, I've had it 29 years

by Sponsored content