Rick Crunelle

Can the front end (body) from a 1980 Corvette be installed on a 1975 Corvette pretty easily? Or is that a major undertaking.
If it can be done, how badly do you think it would hurt the value of the car? I know that question is subjective, but generally speaking what do you think?
Rick

Ganey

Yes, but not worthwhile unless it's really what one likes/wants.

All the 75 needs on front is the Pace Car dam/spoiler.

Rick Crunelle

wow, thanks for the quick responses.
I'm new to Covettes and most of my experience is 60's muscle cars, so I'm not that familiar with how Corvettes are put together. So, you can transplant an 80 front onto a 75, but it isn't really a simple bolt on...? If you pull the whole front off a 1980 model, you can't just bolt it right on. Is that correct?

Ganey

Our fenders do not bolt on. You can get an aftermarket 80s style ft. bumper if that would do it. You need to say more.

Easy Mike

No.

Probably more than you want to get into. Purchase the 75 and 80 AIMs and compare the two factory installations.

Lessen the value considerably since any potential buyer will have to want your car and the changes you made to it.

If you want the 80-82 look, purchase one of the aftermarket 80-82 style bumpers made for the earlier cars.

qwank

there was a thread here a few weeks back of a mid 70's car with early 80's front and rear bumpers. it looked really good with out the bubble window.

parkerracing

You will have to change some of the front frame, also the later style hood has different latching points. I wouldn't hang a nose without hanging a '80-82 rear bumper. That said, why? Mis matched body parts scream previous body damage to a potential buyer.

Rick Crunelle

the reason I was asking is because there is a 74 (not 75) for sale locally, and from the pics it has an 80ish nose. I had a look at it today, and I'm going to pass. Not only am I afraid of past damage, but whoever did the work basically glassed everything together... the front and rear bumpers are no longer removable, and there are after market rockers glassed onto the fenders. the price was pretty good, but it wasn't what I wanted.
Thanks for all the help!

bluegtp

Prob a good idea pass. unless you know what you are looking for, there is no telling what kind of fiberglass work was done and like you/others have said no why the work was done.

Changing to the 80-82 front end can be a task. I changed my front and rear to 80-82 bumpers. I traded another member my 79 front end parts for an 80-82 and then cut up my fendera.

Ryan

Ganey

That changes things!

That's commonly done on customs & it depends on the quality of the work.
It might have an aftermarket 80s bumper bolted on & glassed in.

Easy Mike

Makes my point about modified cars. At sale time, the potential buyer has to want the car and the changes made to it.

blckslvr79

I'd say the same about a stock vette. I personally prefer a modded car.
How boring it would be if all vettes where stock and we all had the same looking cars.

To each their own.

inkslngr7

I'm in the process of doing just what you asked about. My 75 was not a numbers matching car and although a 4 speed, it was converted from an automatic. the car was in good shape mechanically but since it was not a numbers matching car and had already been modified by changing transmissions, i decided to go ahead and graft an 80-82 front and rear bumper onto the car and make it a custom. I really don't care if someone will want to buy the car as I'm building it for myself. The rear bumper was easy, straight bolt on and mold in. The front however is a different story. I looked at the Daytona style aftermarket bumpers and they did not do it for me so I bought an aftermarket fiberglass stock replacement. In order to change the bumper here is all the other things you need to change: You will need the front sections of a pair of fenders or cut your fenders and fabricate a shelf for the bumper to bolt to The bumper support bar,vacuum cannister, air dam, inner fender skirts (actually just the front half of the skirt. And you have to weld a bracket onto your core support to bolt the air dam to or change the core support and radiator to the later model. I didn't know all this going in but I still would have done it because this is the look I want.

bazza77

that's going to look great when you are done .

Even though the thread is 6 years old .

vettebuyer6369

You are responding to a post from 6 years ago.

You can start a new thread on your project if you'd like people to see what's new.