Front Bumper Replacement/ Flex Fit and Paint

[Bill75]

Hello all,

I just bought myself a replacement flex fiberglass front bumper, I read several threads on here and although some folks liked fiberglass and others liked the flex, I couldn't find any negative comments about the flex fit ones. I thought the slight amount of flex would aid in lining things up a little and might not be as fragile.
Anyway.....I spoke to my local Vette shop about getting it painted after I took the old one off and put this one on. He said I was stupid for buying the flex fit that they were no damn good and even cost more. I asked him for a rough estimate on finishing and painting to match and was told he'd use about $200 in materials and it would take his guy about 2 days to do, so I'm looking at about $800. WTF!!!!!!!!!!! After I install the thing?????????

Am I nuts here??? This seems way out of line. I know this guy does a super job on anything he does but I'm having a hard time justifying all this.

I'd appreciate hearing what some of you think. Thanks

 

[wishuwerehere82]

Not really out of line. He will have to blend the bumper paint into the front end to match it without seeing a line. Also he will have to use urethane two part paint to bond to the flex bumper. I bought a quart of red and a gallon of clear coat to touch mine up last year and the paint was over $300.00.

Sanding, priming, blending, drying, and rubbing out all take time and at local shop rates it adds up fast.

 

[gec]

I agree with wishuwerehere, materials add up when painting a car, Feb."Hotrodder" magazine has a "body and paint" issue out where they restored a few clasic cars & listed the complete material lists for each..paint don't come cheap!

 

[Bill75]

Bumper stuff

OK guys thanks for the $$ info, guess I just under-estimated the amount of labor.

What about his comments on the flex fiberglass not being any good. From reading old posts I thought it might make the job a little easier, not pertaining to cost really, just making the thing fit to the car without allot of grinding. I should have asked him why he hated them I guess. ??

 

[lnirenberg]

Hello all,

Anyway.....I spoke to my local Vette shop about getting it painted after I took the old one off and put this one on. He said I was stupid for buying the flex fit that they were no damn good and even cost more. I asked him for a rough estimate on finishing and painting to match and was told he'd use about $200 in materials and it would take his guy about 2 days to do, so I'm looking at about $800. WTF!!!!!!!!!!! After I install the thing?????????

What Corvette Shop, as all my work this winter has been done in CT as I have an oddice near you in East Windsor? Maybe you ought to get a 2nd opinion.

 

[Bill75]

Inrenberg,

Check you PM.

Bill

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Bill,

PM Paintdaddy. He does these things all the time and has a pair of the dura flex front and back bumpers for my car that he is going to put on when he paints it.

Bob

 

[Bill75]

Hi Bob,

Perfect timing, I'll send him a message right away.

Thanks a bunch.

Bill

 

[Bill75]

This past weekend I was ready to install the new bumper and noticed a crack in it, also the license plate bracket won't fit so I decided to send it back. It just didn't make sense to put on a new bumper that was cracked, that's why I took the old one off in the first place! So I exchanged it for a fiberglass that hasen't arrived yet.

I did break off a couple of studs on the retainers when unbolting them, they're pretty expensive to replace so I decided to fix them. If you support the back side of the retainer near the head of the stud say with a socket, you can pop the stud out by hitting it with a hammer. Then replace it with a 10 x 24 x 1 inch screw and Tig weld the head in place. Give it a coat of paint when your finished.

I'll update this post with the results when the piece comes in.

 

[Evolution1980]

This past weekend I was ready to install the new bumper and noticed a crack in it, also the license plate bracket won't fit so I decided to send it back.

You seemed to notice the same thing I did about my rear flexfit when I bought it. The casting/molding wasn't that good and it didn't line up. Mine wasn't cracked, but the mating tolerances were waaaay out of line. Other people have been fine.
But as I said in another thread, I'd never do a front fiberglass bumper. I'd just go back to OEM urethane.

As for your first post about your shop saying you were stupid blah blah blah...I'd be hesitant to leave my car at any shop that outright says something like that too me; that is, IF they actually did say it that way...
Best of luck with your new front...

 

[Bill75]

Evolution, I just saw your post, thanks for the comments. Regarding the comments about the shop......it's not as bad as it comes across in print. He did say that but it wasen't as serious as it sounds. He's done a bunch of work for me and is real good, he's just one of those guys who says stuff like that but then will offer to do something under the table for you to save some $$ as he hands you a coffee. It just kind of p***ed me off a little because I just spent a bunch of $$ for something and heard that. After talking to another shop near here his price is a little high but not by much so I guess I'm just a little "cheap"!

I did get the new fiberglass one today and sent back the other one. I couldn't justify the price of the urethane although I agree with you that it would have been a better choice, if I hit a junebug with this thing on a hot summer night it'll be all over! And by the way....beautiful looking ride, I've seen some pics you've posted before, nice job.

Bill

 

[Bill75]

Bumper update

Well I've been fooling with this bumper for the last week off and on after work trying to get things to fit, and they don't! When I get the top edge to line up it starts to hit the bottom of the front bumper bracing. Today after grinding part of the bumper brace to get the bumper up high enough I finally came to my senses and started to measure things. Sure enough, the old flex fit measures about 12" from top to bottom, this one measures 11 1/2". I feel pretty stupid for not measuring it before, now I've drilled some holes in it for the bottom brace and have sanded some of the mating surfaces so I probably own it now!

I origionally bought the flex fiberglass and sent it back because the front license plate bracket didn't fit and it was cracked, now this one is not high enough to fit. I bet the other one was the same.

They want you to remove the bumper re-inforcement and throw it away, eliminate any shims, grind off the coushion; it's stupid. Evolution had the right idea I think...get a urethane one!

This thing is made by ACI in Ohio, I'm going to call them on Monday and see what they say. I have a hunch this thing will turn out to be a $300 planter!!!

 

[Evolution1980]

This thing is made by ACI in Ohio, I'm going to call them on Monday and see what they say. I have a hunch this thing will turn out to be a $300 planter!!!

Yep, that's where I got mine from. And yep, I sent it back. And yep, I ended up with an OEM urethane which fit just nicely...

 

[Bill75]

Evolution,

Thanks for the reply, I was going to ask you if you had a similar experience. It's too bad, with a little more effort they could have made the thing right. I saw one that came from Ecklers and I think the ACI one is made better in general, they just used the wrong dimensions.

Did the urethane one tend to "mold" itself better to the slight curves of the car?

 

[Evolution1980]

Did the urethane one tend to "mold" itself better to the slight curves of the car?

Ya know, to be completely honest, my rear bumper was the urethane replacement, and to say if it molded itself better? I can't say for sure. There is a little gap down the sides, but I don't know if that's because of a manufacturer error, or allowable tolerances, or curing process after the paint, or maybe from not using new retaining hardware, etc. Maybe it can be readjusted now. I don't know.
Right at the top corners, there is a bit of a gap where you can see light through it. I'm not qualified enough in these areas to say "why" or "what for sure caused it". Maybe the previous owners had it banged up and the rear was sanded just bit. The possibilities are numerous. I'm not thrilled with it, but I live with it.

 

[Bill75]

Ya know, to be completely honest, my rear bumper was the urethane replacement, and to say if it molded itself better? I can't say for sure. There is a little gap down the sides, but I don't know if that's because of a manufacturer error, or allowable tolerances, or curing process after the paint, or maybe from not using new retaining hardware, etc. Maybe it can be readjusted now. I don't know.
Right at the top corners, there is a bit of a gap where you can see light through it. I'm not qualified enough in these areas to say "why" or "what for sure caused it". Maybe the previous owners had it banged up and the rear was sanded just bit. The possibilities are numerous. I'm not thrilled with it, but I live with it.

OK on everything. Someone replaced my rear bumper with a fiberglass one at some point and they did an excellent job, it fits like a glove. I tried to find a name on it under the car but couldn't. I guess the urethane ones either fit or you live with it, I don't think you can sand them at the mating flanges to make them fit like the fiberglass. Oh well, the saga continues!!!!! More next week.

 

[Thumper]

I bought a flex-fit rear bumper, but after it arrived and I had a chance to really look it over, I decided to stay with the urethane bumper. The flex-fit has more waves than the urethane and doesn't fit as well. I did get it off of eBay for a decent price, so I should be able to recoup my money with little worry. I'm amazed at what some will pay for things on eBay just because they don't want to wait and watch for a good deal.

 

[tscott9330]

Just out of curiosity, Has anyone used fiberglass front and rear bumperd and completely hidden the seems between the body and the bumpers. I figure you could do it with some body filler as long as the bumpers used were fiberglass ones.

Tom