I completed installing my rear trunk latch today and I believe the way I did it will allow the plate to fit between the license plate light and the handle. I am going to go into some detail on the resolution in case someone else with a B and B has this same issue. It appears it can be an issue with other brands to. I now have about 6 1/4" clearance.
After a lot of measuring and looking at pictures, I realized that the picture in the manual shows the rear latch bracket is just about flush with the the top (upside down) or rather bottom of the fiberglass mounting pad that the bracket bolts to. But if you go by the 1 3/4" to center of the handle measurement given, that would put the bracket 1/2" below that glass mounting hump. In fact just about 1 1/4" to the center of the handle from the lower edge of the truck makes the bracket line up with the fiberglass hump like the picture in the manual. This actually turns out to be about 1 3/4" to the top of the trunk handle hole not the center.
I also realized that by moving the bracket further in and cutting out the fiberglas slot so the bracket mounts directly against the inside fiberglass hump moves the latch further in and should make it so I will not have to notch the lower trunk edge for the latch finger. The latch finger should just clear and be on the inside of the trunk to grab the trunk latch stud. I did cut off the lower 1/4" welded in nut on the bracket and I welded up the hole. I then redrilled the hole a 1/4" higher and welded on a new nut.
Hope this helps.
Wayne
I added this picture to show the latch on the inside and the stop I added.
