'71 rear clip advice

[Doug F.]

In 1982 a previous owner of my '71 LT-1 lost it and seriously damaged the rear clip. Although the car looks good, from underneith it's awful. The repair was done with Ecklers fiberglass parts and not well done at all. I knew this when I purchased the car and thought I could live with it, but I can't. Paragon is now offering a hand laid up complete new clip. Any thoughts on replacing my part original, part repaired rear clip with the Paragon piece?

[Patrick H.]

Re: '71 rear clip advice

"Hand laid" is not what you're after as it appears rough on the back. What you want is "press molded" which appears like the original.

Honestly, original rear clips are not hard to find and are not expensive. Because of that there is no way I'd ever use anything else. Many of the larger Corvette junkyards will have a 70-72 rear clip that will fit yoru car.

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

Re: '71 rear clip advice

We can probably give you more advice if you have a picture or two showing location of the damage, or you can verbally describe the specific area of the damage. It's possible some of us have done exactly the repair you are facing. Unless the car has taken a REALLY hard hit from the rear, it's quite possible you won't require an entire rear clip.

In general, hand-laid fiberglass panels are for the birds and the C1s that used them. Paragon would be my first choice for many reproduction parts, but fiberglass is not of them. For an authenic looking repair on a 68-72, you should use either used original parts, or the next best alternative, press match-molded reproduction panels in the original dark charcoal colored polyester resin fiberglass. If you can find NOS fiberglass, it's probably going to be the later SMC material which is not the original type fiberglass.

There are a couple of vendors that sell good reproduction panels...The Corvette Image is the one I've used, but others have had problems with their panels.

[Doug F.]

Re: '71 rear clip advice

The right quarter, rear facia and deck are "blended" into the original clip. There are several cracks around the bottoms of the tail lights, etc. There is so much fiberglass, or bondo at the alarm switch that the retaining spring clip won't insert into the switch body. How difficult is a rear clip change assuming that I can find a stock clip?

[Patrick H.]

Re: '71 rear clip advice

The right quarter, rear facia and deck are "blended" into the original clip. There are several cracks around the bottoms of the tail lights, etc. There is so much fiberglass, or bondo at the alarm switch that the retaining spring clip won't insert into the switch body. How difficult is a rear clip change assuming that I can find a stock clip?

Not that tough at all. It essentially "slips" on, as you replace everything from the doors back in one piece.

[Doug F.]

Re: '71 rear clip advice

Is there a good "how to" manual for major body component replacement? I've done all the mechanical stuff, drivetrain, suspension, electrical and interior, even some painting, but I've never done any body work.

[Chuck S.]

Re: '71 rear clip advice

Is there a good "how to" manual for major body component replacement? I've done all the mechanical stuff, drivetrain, suspension, electrical and interior, even some painting, but I've never done any body work.

There are a couple of good books on fiberglass repair...take a look in the NCRS Store. The one I'm familiar with is Eckler's Complete Guide to Corvette Fiberglass Repair. Unfortunately, I think it's been out of print for years...you may be able to find one for sale on epay. It wouldn't tell you how to change a rear clip, but I think it did cover the front clip.

Anyway, Doug, I suspect Patrick overstates the ease of changing a rear clip, as in it just "slips" on. All kinds of questions come to my mind...Hey, Patrick, the body/body frame is too integrated and strong for it to just "slip on".