Enough PHR readers on the Doc’s 1973-1977 Chevelles forum (www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/65/) have asked to see a sneak peak of the rear bumper mods to Project Talladega, that I’m posting a small cameo photo here to satisfy that need. Most detractors of the ’73-77 Chevelle/Malibu dislike these cars solely on the basis of the big, ugly rear bumper. Even ex-PHR tech editor, Steven Rupp, has publicly called the Laguna “Project Big-Ass Bumper,” which it is.
We hope our revised bumper allows people to see how good the car can really look. Think Ugly Betty without the braces and glasses. You’ll still have to check out the March 2009 issue of PHR to get the full picture. Some may remember how Alan Johnson at Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop in Gadsen, AL, tweaked the bumpers on our ’76 Camaro (Project g/28). The job that Ricky Jackson did on the Laguna (Ricky’s Customs & Restorations) was very similar, except that it’s a lot easier to accomplish on the Laguna due to the fact the bumper’s made of steel, not aluminum.
The tweaks consisted of removing the rub strip, welding up the rub strip holes, cutting a four-inch section out of the middle, welding it back up, and shortening the mounting struts by three inches. The bumper was also painted silver, and given a satin/matt clearcoat. It now looks like a fabricated aluminum or fiberglass bumper, similar to what a racecar would have.