Instructions on how to make your own

Custom C5 Tailgate

Note: These instructions are meant to be very general to give you an idea of what is involved in making your own C5 tailgate. To be successful, you will need to be able to do body work on the vehicle, have access to tools, such as a nibbler and be able to buy other supplies such as bondo and glue. We know that people have been successful at applying our C5 tailgate outer panel to a Tahoe but so far it has not been attempted on any other trucks. So you take this project on at your own risk. We do not provide any refunds or guarantees.

Buy a used tailgate from a salvage yard, the same make and model of your truck. This will allow you to do the work on the used tailgate without messing up your good tailgate and you won’t have to drive without one while you are making your new one. Plus you can sell your good tailgate when you are finished.

Cut 5 holes into the tailgate so that the light pockets will fit into the tailgate. The size, shape and location of these holes are critical because the fiberglass panel needs to fit into these holes and at the same time lie flush against the tailgate. If the contour of your tailgate doesn’t let the panel lie flush, you will need to fill these areas with bondo.

You will have to work around the latch rods. Hopefully they will not be in the direct path of the lights. You may have to cut out the back of the tailgate to make room for the lights. If you do this, then you can close the holes by taking pieces of sheet metal or fiberglass and bondo them in place. Then using body filler smooth the edges to make it look part of the design and not a patch.

Once you bond the fiberglass C5 Tailgate outer panel to the tailgate, it will be slightly thicker than the back end of your truck. So when you shave your tail lights, you will build up that area to compensate and blend into the tailgate.

Good Luck and send us pictures of your finished Truck. We will put it on our website in the gallery section. The pictures can be hard copies or digital. Hard copy pictures will not be returned.