1984 Eldorado- Rear Bumper Filler Instructions

[IA Beancounter]

I just finished updating my bumper fillers so I thought this may be of help:

1) Remove side skirts first. There is a metal bracket that holds the part to the fender and also provides support for the filler. Three small screws attach the assembly to the fender. The bottom chrome strip does not have to be removed. You will need to be under the car to remove this.
2) Remove the tail lights by unscrewing the single fastener at the bottom. On my car one screw was Torx and one was Phillips. Disconnect the bulbs sockets and set them aside.
3) Next remove the corner filler that is under the tail light housings. Again, there is a metal bracket that provides support from the bottom. There are three small screws that attach the assembly. One screw attaches to fender, above where the side skirt filler was. The other two are under the housing. With the tail light removed you can see where the screws come through. One is in the center of the light, the other is closer inboard. All three screws can be reached by reaching up from underneath. You don’t need to be under the car to reach these.
4) Remove the tail housing by pulling back the trunk carpet and removing the 5 (or 6) bolts. The housing will pull forward but may need to be wiggled a bit.
5) Complete the above steps for both sides before moving on to the removal of the center section(s).
6) The center section is removed next. The filler pieces on either side of the license plate assembly also have metal supports. These are riveted to the plate assembly but you will not need to detach them there. There are six bolts (three on each side) that protrude from the back of the car and hold the filler & support. Remove the bolts that hold the filler in place from under the car. While there take out the reverse bulb sockets by depressing the tab and turning. Next remove the license plate. Once removed, remove the spring loaded license plate holder. There are two bolts that attach by the hinge. The rest of the license plate/gas filler area can be removed by taking out the two bolts that are six inches above the bolts that held on the spring loaded holder. The final thing to remove is a plastic wire loom attachment above the filler.
7) The whole rear section should come out. Once out you will need to take out the reverse light lenses being held in the assembly by two Torx screws. This will provide the room to slip the new fillers over the supports. Last, to remove the old fillers there are two staples on the back of the assembly, between where it bolted to the car. Bend these out so that you don’t put too much torque on the supports.
8 ) To attached the center section under the gas filler I choose to use black plastic clips (my car is black). I purchased these from Lowes in their misc hardware drawers (Hillmans â€" Lowes scan 08236715835). I had to drill the holes a small amount (11/64) to make sure they went in smoothly.
9) Before I reassembled I took some time and painted up the metal supports. Mine were rusty but serviceable. Also, pre-fit all fillers and their metal supports. About 20% of mine the holes where close but still required drilling. There rest is just a reversal of the steps to remove.