c3 rear clip

[jack pritchard]

my 68' coupe was recently rear ended sustaining severe tail panel and slight quarter panel damage. my body man is concerned that cracking will occur after the new tail panel is attached because the old fiberglass is brittle. i am considering replacement of the entire rear clip with an aftermarket "one piece" unit. how good is the quality of aftermarket fiberglass? can i expect fit problems or any other problems? would seperate panels be a better way to go? are the body shop's concerns about cracking justified? any advice would be appreciated.

[Tom D.]

Re: c3 rear clip -Videos Available

I suggest you find out if Eckler's Videos on such repairs are still avail.

This will at least tell you what to expect from an experienced shop. Also give a call to one of the well known shops that have ads in the NCRS Driveline; Simply ask them if they agree with your guy.

I myself have not heard of fiberglass cracking due to age.

Tom Dingman
4889

[William C.]

Re: c3 rear clip -Videos Available

I agree with Tom, I've got some very old fiberglass pieces around here and they have not become brittle with age..

[Patrick H.]

Re: c3 rear clip -Videos Available

Not only that, but the aftermarket one piece clips aren't worth a dime. This is especially true when original rear clips aren't all that expensive.

I'd also recommend, as noted above, finding a better Corvette body guy.

Patrick

[Terry F.]

Re: c3 rear clip

Jack,

The rear quarter and the rear light panel are very easy to replace in my opinion. Once they are out of the way, any minor damage can be care for on the other panels. Send me a picture and I will tell you if I think it needs a new rear end. I would try real hard to have it fixed by either yourself or someone that knows fiberglass cars. Terry tfringo@aol.com