just received my rear bumper cover a true flex for my 75 i bought this car as a project car so it did not have a cover on the car i just tried to hold it up to the car and can't get it snug to the body seems that bumper bracket are in the way so I'm looking for tips on install any help would be appreciated

 

I bought the Ecklers rear flex cover for my 77 and I had to remove the top old tail light mounts I guess that is what they are called and I also had to trim the lower rubber pads a little bit and it fit my car great.

 

The rubber on the corners and the center aluminum piece had to be removed on my 78. I had to cut the tail light mount flanges off so it could fit.

 

Since fiberglass is thicker than urethane, most of the rear supports that help the urethane cover keep its shape and prevent sagging, will not fit under the fiberglass cover and they need to be removed. The tail light brackets can be modified and reused on fiberglass bumper covers but they will not work without modifications to the brackets. The instructions advise against using them, but as long as the fit from the tail light bracket is flush with the tail light pods in the cover and square with the reinforcement there will be no stress on the bumper cover. Any gaps that are tightened during mounting will cause cracking. A lot of people discard the tail light brackets, but they add needed support to secure the bumper cover to the reinforcement instead of hanging the entire weight of the bumper cover, tail lights, wiring, license, etc. on the body mounting flange. The rear body flange is an uneven surface and the bottom of the quarters are unsupported and weak, you can't properly tighten the cover to the body without stressing one or both surfaces. Depending on how many miles you drive the car and the type of roads, if you hang the cover strictly off the body, you could develop paint cracking at the body seam as the bumper cover shifts around while driving.

Parts shaded in green need to be removed for fiberglass covers and they are not needed since fiberglass is rigid and can retain it's shape better than urethane.

 

thanks that helps alot