Clarification and Measurement re: 1969 Barracuda Backup Lights

A56 said
Just bite the bullet and make it happen. It's not a clone or numbers matching car. Purists have nothing to do with resto mods so think out of the box and find a less complicated reverse light setup that will work on that splash pan. You're going to be drilling through a painted part so the less complicated the better. If it were me I wouldn't even worry about reverse lights. My 2 cents

I just took the dog for walk with my wife and wondered the same thing about whether reverse lights are even a legal requirement. Is so, I'll look into alternatives as well. Also occurred to me that the crossmember you referred to is not likely drilled open either, as it is a '68 car. So many unplanned moving parts in this project ... many thanks for your input !