i've looked into this a million ways and the goal is to convert my 81 to the 75-79 style of bumper.

My hood surround panel and fenders will come apart at the bonding strip so i'm thinking the easiest/best way to do this is to seperate the panels there and bond on complete 75-79 style fenders needed to accomodate the new bumper?

As far as I can find, nobody sells a filler panel that would fill the gap between the older style bumper and the wheel where the current 80+ bumper goes back.

Anyone ever seen or attempted... or heck, even have any feedback or ideas as to how this could be better done?

 

75-82 top surround panels are all the same. It would seem to me that you can use 75-79 bonding strip down side fenders and either use it with the 75-79 side louver too, or if you want to keep the 80-82 style side louver, cut the fender at the wheel openning and just use the forward section of the fender. One of the fiberglass companies, such as ACI, might even be willing to make just a half (forward section) side fender for you. It couldn't hurt to call.

 

The earlier nose is not a bolt up. You will need the earlier fenders and inner fender skirts. 80-82 skirts are trimmed for the 80-82 bumper arrangement.

81 radiator support might be okay.

If you want a functioning bumper, you'll need everything from an older car. None of the 80-82 stuff will work.

 

good info - didn't know that about the inner fenders... anything else i'll need outside of actual fenders/inner fenders and bumper hardware?

 

Purchase the 81 assembly instruction manual and the AIM for the year of your donor car. Compare the two front bumper installations and note the differences. Put your parts list together.

Lower valance and chin spoiler will change; side marker lights; grilles and parking lights; headlight vacuum reservoir

 

Thanks buddy. good tip... I think i'll probably do a custom grill like the one "Panic" did or similar... shave marker lights and do l88 headlights so hopefully it won't be too much little stuff.

 

does anyone know if the bonding strips are different on a pre & post 80's style front end?

I also see that I can purchase a "center wheel well forward" nose but the center of the wheel well seems like it would be hard to bond the two together? theres not much support there. Anyone ever used one of those to repair/replace a damaged nose?

 

No support at all. Center-wheel-well forward is not the way to go. My advice is to use full fenders.

There's a blurb in my GM Corvette Parts Catalogue to the effect the 80-82 fender bonding strips are an inch shorter than the older ones. An inch isn't much. You can probably get away with what you have.