Bumper fillers for ‘76 Eldorado

[Uofiguy]

I welcome and appreciate suggestions on a good quality vendor or supplier of front and rear bumper fillers for a '76 Eldorado. Also, are the fiberglass ones okay to use instead of the rubber ones?  Thank you.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Personally, I cannot see why one cannot use hard ones, as if one doesn't have a bingle, then the Bumpers are not going to move.

I have always thought about making them out of panel steel, and possible making the collapsible Bumper Bar mounts solid.   BUT, that probably won't be allowed in USA, due to Federal Regulations, but down here, it wouldn't be a problem at all.

Bruce.

[MaR]

Personally, I cannot see why one cannot use hard ones, as if one doesn't have a bingle, then the Bumpers are not going to move.

I have always thought about making them out of panel steel, and possible making the collapsible Bumper Bar mounts solid.   BUT, that probably won't be allowed in USA, due to Federal Regulations, but down here, it wouldn't be a problem at all.

Bruce.

Once a car is sold by the manufacturer, you can change just about anything you want here in the US. The individual states decide on what (if any) is inspected and tested but no state would (or even could) fail you for making fillers out of steel. In my state, there are no inspections for anything at all.

As for the question about the fillers, none of the aftermarket fillers are flexible like the factory ones. From my experience, the ABS fillers fit better than the fiberglass fillers but none of them fit very well. When looking for front fillers for 75-78 Eldorados, makes sure the the fender extension filler is a two piece design like the factory filler is. The one piece versions have no provisions to mount the stainless steel rocker trim on the lower edge.

[Mike Shawgo]

CaddyDaddy.com sells fiberglass filler but they also have some rubber reproduction fillers. I bought some for my 85 Eldo, and my body shop guy said they were fantastic. Very pricy though.

Mike

[MaR]

CaddyDaddy.com sells fiberglass filler but they also have some rubber reproduction fillers. I bought some for my 85 Eldo, and my body shop guy said they were fantastic. Very pricy though.

Mike

They have fiberglass and ABS fillers, not rubber fillers.

[Mike Shawgo]

You are correct, sorry I got confused.  I guess I must have ordered the ABS pieces, but they were flexible, and seemed to be almost like the original material.  I just remember my body shop guy saying they were the best he had ever seen, and he even called me several months later to ask me where I had gotten them because he needed some for another customer.

Mike

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Once a car is sold by the manufacturer, you can change just about anything you want here in the US. The individual states decide on what (if any) is inspected and tested but no state would (or even could) fail you for making fillers out of steel. In my state, there are no inspections for anything at all.   

G'day Mitchell,

From reading what you are saying, I find it hard to believe that one can simply go ahead and remove Catalytic Converters, AIR Pumps and other antipollution or safety regulated items from vehicles with minimal to no consequences.

But these Fillers are only beauty items to fill in the void left because of the mandated collapsible Bumper Bars which can move back and forward without destroying the bodywork.   The Factory could have designed a different "sliding" cover to fill in the "holes", but decided to make them flush, just for looks.

Bruce.

[R Pope]

In the States regulations vary widely. Many states have very strict regulations, yearly emission inspections, etc. They even tax older cars more because of the lack of emission controls or if the original equipment does not meet the higher requirements of today.
Where I live, there are zero inspections or regulations on what you can do to your car...even removing emission equipment. We just passed a noise law. A policeman can ticket you if you car is too loud but it is seldom enforced. I see one or two cars a month that have no muffler or anything else.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Hello Bruce:

The laws differ from state to state on this question.
However, in general, once a vehicle is declared an
"Antique" things like emissions requirements can
change.

For example, in Pennsylvania where I live one can
obtain an antique license for a vehicle 25 years old
or older.  Once you have that license, there are no
further state emissions or inspection tests.

In this situation, the owner could remove AIR
pumps, catalytic converters or make any changes
they wish without issues.

Mike

[dennisspeaks]

My personal opinion of the fiberglass is they suck.  The body lines do not line up especially on the rear bumper and look so out of place.  I had them on a 78 Biarritz and I couldn't get past how horrible they looked.

[MaR]

G'day Mitchell,

From reading what you are saying, I find it hard to believe that one can simply go ahead and remove Catalytic Converters, AIR Pumps and other antipollution or safety regulated items from vehicles with minimal to no consequences.

But these Fillers are only beauty items to fill in the void left because of the mandated collapsible Bumper Bars which can move back and forward without destroying the bodywork.   The Factory could have designed a different "sliding" cover to fill in the "holes", but decided to make them flush, just for looks.

Bruce.

It varies wildly from state to state. There are no emissions or safety inspections at all in my state so you can modify to your heart's content. You could theoretically get pulled over if something is obviously wrong with your car but that is rare unless it blatantly obvious.

[MaR]

My personal opinion of the fiberglass is they suck.  The body lines do not line up especially on the rear bumper and look so out of place.  I had them on a 78 Biarritz and I couldn't get past how horrible they looked.

I had a fiberglass set on a '74 CDV I had and they were horrible. Like you said, the body lines did not meet up, they were missing critical mounting tabs, they were flimsy, and warped in a short period of time.

[Cadillacdave]

The trick with the fiberglass is to test fit them. They are not perfect and need some modification. However, after some minor modifications they usually fit very well. As to the front filler panels, if you want the lower chrome you simply cut the fiberglass so the chrome will fit in place. I guess they make the fiberglass longer or lower for those vehicles where the chrome is missing or damaged.

Best way to install the fiberglass fillers is NOT to remove the bumpers. Remove the old flexible filler panel and remove the steel bracket which was used to maintain the shape of the original flexible filler panels. Those brackets are not necessary with the fiberglass replacements since they are much firmer. You may have to drill holes in the new fiberglass fillers to mount them. While the old panels are off widen  a few of the holes with a larger drill bit. Then use thin toggle bolts to mount the new filler panels. Push the winged part through from under the hood inside the fender. The winged part expands and holds the new filler in place. Tighten with a small drill driver with a long Phillips head extension maybe 10" or 12". Makes the install much much easier with really good results.

[MaR]

The trick with the fiberglass is to test fit them. They are not perfect and need some modification. However, after some minor modifications they usually fit very well. As to the front filler panels, if you want the lower chrome you simply cut the fiberglass so the chrome will fit in place. I guess they make the fiberglass longer or lower for those vehicles where the chrome is missing or damaged.

Best way to install the fiberglass fillers is NOT to remove the bumpers. Remove the old flexible filler panel and remove the steel bracket which was used to maintain the shape of the original flexible filler panels. Those brackets are not necessary with the fiberglass replacements since they are much firmer. You may have to drill holes in the new fiberglass fillers to mount them. While the old panels are off widen  a few of the holes with a larger drill bit. Then use thin toggle bolts to mount the new filler panels. Push the winged part through from under the hood inside the fender. The winged part expands and holds the new filler in place. Tighten with a small drill driver with a long Phillips head extension maybe 10" or 12". Makes the install much much easier with really good results.

Or just get the ABS units that fit much better...

[David Greenburg]

US federal laws governing safety apply to the manufacture and sale of vehicles; once you buy a car you can modify these features without violating federal law; however, you could be in violation of state law. So, for example, if you remove the seatbelts that are required by federal when the car is sold, while you are not violating federal law, in many states you would likely be violating state seatbelt laws.  Similarly with emissions equipment, it may have been required by federal law when the car was sold, but federal law does not prohibit the owner from removing it.  But in many states with emissions tests, you are not going to pass unless that equipment is there.   

[benji808]

I would recommend the ABS plastic - it's what I've used in the past, and the other owner or two I've talked with locally did the same. Not going to be a perfect fit, but more forgiving than fiberglass. I haven't had the new ones installed yet on my '75, but ordered from David at https://www.antiquecadillacparts.net/cadillac-abs-bumper-fillers/. Seemed like close to the best price I could find for the ABS, assuming you want all the fillers, not just corners. May have to call him to see if he still has a '75/'76 set. I believe there are 2-3 vendors on ebay that sell similar kits. If you can get the 9-piece kit (4 corners, 2 tail lights, 1 under license plate, 2 under headlights- these two don't seem to degrade as much so may or may not be necessary) for around $900 you're right in the market. There is a vendor that manufacturers fiberglass ones in India that sell for closer to $600, but I was not brave enough to try for the cheaper version.

Here's a great article on the install process. Even if you have someone else do the work it is helpful context: http://www.sheffieldgarage.com/fillers.htm

[Cadillacdave]

The ABS fillers might be ok but I doubt they hold up as well as fiberglass. Also, with ABS fillers do you remove the bumpers for installation? By using the fiberglass fillers with toggle bolts and washers you eliminate the costly and time consuming process of removing the bumpers for installation. The fiberglass ones I used in the rear the body lines came out perfect. Just have to move them around a bit. The front, one side is perfect and the other side is excellent but not perfect. They should last a lifetime as long as there are no fender benders.

[76eldo]

I've done at least 5 Eldorados and Sevilles with ABS fillers.
I published a web page that many people have found helpful:

Www.sheffieldgarage.com/fillers.htm