This might work for you. While deeper tail light buckets can be glassed in, I left the bumper cover as delivered and carefully split my original '75 taillights and basically sandwiched the bumper cover between the two taillight halves. You can seal it with the rubber gaskets or silicone.
You can see that this puts the tail lights deeper in the pocket and really mimics the look of the earlier lights. It also utilizes the parts you already have.

 

A pic of the split tail light.

 

I like the back half! I like the second hood option. I'm not sure about the bumper grill area. Black bumper is fine, but I would have gone with the blacked out chrome trim around the grill. Very nicely done!

 

Probably the best modded Vette I've ever seen! Seriously, if I didn't already have my '73 I'd probably be buying a '79 and doing the same mods. Outstanding!

Except I'd probably omit the bumpers.

 

Fixing this peak to bumper detail is a small consolation considering the overall effect on the look of my car. There is a TON less bodywork to correct this piece than trying to make the junk original style fiberglass '75 tail I previously paid good money for even useable. Yes, concessions were made to the design in this area as well as to accommodate the natural droop of the body down to the original round tail, but for me, it's well worth the effort.

 

Kid vette,
I have always lived the look of your cars rear, it was made to be without the bumpers how gm should have gm should have done the 74-79,
I dont like them when the area where the bumpers go is still there looking like somethings missing, because it is, the bumpers,

I was me,
I have a different take than critiquing it,
Forgive me i dont know your history perhaps you have more customs under your belt than can be counted but anyone who thinks mating a duck tail rear with the 74 to 79 should look at the hell of a lot of time and hard work priya is going through,
In that there is a kit for that but it has its artistisc changes from stock some people dont like and is pricey and takes just about as much hard work as priya is doing,
I have been into customs all my car life sadly close to 40 years, people have wanted an early rear on the 74 up from about day one, a few have tried to do it with limited attractive results,
this conversion is trying to fill a notch that has always been empty,
Look how many 74 to 79 owners go with an 80 tail, now people who want a bit different look can get it but most importantly in a bolt on affordable version, this was not easy to make, have you tried, some changes were made, its still a super sharp looking mod and fixes something i never liked about 74 to 79, the slant cut rear,
And like i always tell you, go for it, , it would sure look sharp on your sweet car and you could mod it to suit you.

 

We arent that far apart, when i got my 69 it had that modded 73 to 79 nose, which i started liking a heck of a lot,
But things changed, lol, i have a stock 69 and mako clip hanging in the bat cave who knows which will be first on my car,
My wife wants another vette, so if its a 74 to 79 it will get this rear,
I guess as an old school custom Bat i get excited over stuff like this, its all good,

 

Hi guys. So I had to go out and take a couple of pics of the car without bumpers. It does give it a bit of a tough street fighter look, but I still like it with the bumpers a bit more. And don't get me wrong, I still like the original style of bumper... its just like I REALLY like the conversion tail. Also, here's a before shot for reference.

 

Mk,

Pic 2, damnnit man, that is just stunning sweet, very jealous....

 

Thanks, Bats I appreciate that a lot, especially after seeing your widebody conversion from past days. Really though, the tail conversion makes the car. I think it just works with the stance and rolling stock.

 

I wish I'd seen this befo I painted my ride.

 

I like it! Very nicely done. A couple of small changes I would make would be to have the exhaust cutouts in the rear valance, as I think that's one of the main features of chrome bumper cars, and I'd paint the rocker trim black to match the other black trim. Just my opinion of course, and again, I like it a lot!

 

Thanks for having me look at the conversion with a different perspective. If I were doing my 79 over and needing to replace the bumpers, I'd have to consider this conversion, it just looks good! I like what Kid Vette did in smoothing and molding the rear panel. The bumper application looks good on the blue car, as well and the brushed nickle paint an appealing choice. Just my opinion, we all have them. Yup....if I had a rubber bumper car in need of new bumpers, I know who I'd be calling! Any photos of the conversion with side pipes?

 

If I could find a set of side-pipes that didn't break the bank (exchange and shipping are killers) I would be posting pictures of mine with them mounted!

 

Really nice finished look, and it didn't take years of grief to complete, enjoy.

 

Don your car looks great. Mine is almost out of the booth and I will add some updated photos.

 

I agree with you, Dons car looks great. And I look forward to seeing yours with the bumpers bonded and seams filled.

 

It is a long slow process, but it will look good when done. The car was taken down to gel coat, glass. All the seams filled and the car block sanded. Feather fill primer was applied and then re blocked. next step was a black urethane primer re blocked and then a sealer before the base coat was applied two different pearl coats and then the clear...lots of sanding.
sorry to thread jack.

 

I like it. Not sure if I prefer it on a 78-79 compared to a pace car front and rear, but I like it. Definitely looks killer on the earlier cars. Dtamustang, do you have a direct side-on profile shot?

 

been "off the grid" for a while , here is a profile shot. thanks for the comments and compliments