The C3 lifetime of the Chevrolet Corvette spanned the caducity of 1968 through 1982. In 1973, the front Corvette bumper was changed from a chrome arrangement to a urethane bumper cover in order to meet the new federal crash standards. In 1974, the new urethane covers were standard equipment on both front and rear bumpers. A new rear rubber bumper style with an integrated spoiler appeared in 1980 and continued through the 1982 model year.
Instructions
1. Park the car on a level surface, open the battery compartment located behind the drivers seat and disconnect the negative lead from the battery.
2. Remove the four rear light covers and license plate, using a Phillips screwdriver. Spray penetrating fluid on the screws that hold the light housing to the bumper and let them stand for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove the light housings and tuck the wiring harness inside the bumper openings. Remove the two screws holding the license-plate-light bracket and pull the socket out of the way.
Place the wheel between the bumper seams and carefully cut the fasteners around the entire bumper. Remove the rubber bumper cover and the remaining portion of the fasteners from the mounting-flange holes.6. Remove any paint from the mounting flange with sandpaper. Use an open-end wrench to remove the nuts from the fasteners.
5. Use a cutoff wheel attached to a die grinder if the fasteners are too rusty to remove with a wrench.4. Crawl under the car and spray penetrating lubricant on the bumper fasteners. They are placed all around the sides and top of the bumper.
Rough up the surface with a small file or coarse sandpaper to ensure the bonding agent adheres to the surface when mounting the new replacement bumper.
