Front Bumper Replacement

[nj7000]

The front bumper on my '78 is pretty wavy, and it's probably going to be more economical to just replace it than repair it. It's pretty bad. I've been looking at urethane (GM), repro urethane, repro fiberglass, and fiber glass. Any experience with these? How about warping? Thanks

 

[waterboy1976]

Fiberglass.....nice fit......no warping.......very nill fading........although when you put it on its best to rework the fenders and the nose to line up nice which means youd have to repaint the whole front clip to blend it nicely...but IMHO fiberglass is better unless you have a Bloomington or NCRS car....

 

[BarryK]

the fiberglass bumpers will fit better and not warp.
The only disadvantage is if you are hit - the fiberglass will rip and shred and you will need to spend more to get it repaired or replaced as opposed to the rubber bumpers that will nomally pop back into shape - unless it's impaled in which case you still need to spend to get it replaced.......

 

[BruceBed]

I did the fiberglass, it is much easier to fit. The body shop told me it was still a bear to put on. I'm curious what others paid to have someone paint and install one on their Vette. My body shop with the bumper , installation and paint charged me $900. I thought it was high but they did an excellent match and fit and threw in a couple of minor things.

 

[ahoover]

The urethane bumper will be the easiest fit without modifications, but will be wavy like the originals. The fiberglass bumper requires fitting but will be very straight and the lines will be crisp and sharp, much better appearing.

Fiberglass bumpers usually won't fit around the curved fender ends, and require filler (Vette Fill) on the bumper to match the body. The 2 mounting surfaces must be parallell where the mounting studs are located and will require filling as well to avoid deforming the bumper when snugging it down. Always add filler to the bumper, not the body, and you can blend the paint partially into the body for a perfect match. Fiberglass bumpers also may not fit over the rubber covered reinforcement and guards, requiring some removal of the rubber.

 

[waterboy1976]

Sorry nj not to hijack your thread but .....

Heya Ahoover,,,,,,,,I like that green!!!!

 

[The73vetteman]

Replaced my front bumper with the 'Flexfit' fiberglass a couple of years back. I did the fitting myself - not too hard a job although some of the fittings are tough to reach - then had it painted professionally. I think I paid around $250 for a paint job good enough to make the rest of the car look bad!

 

[tx73vette]

I replaced mine with an original GM cover not the one that Ecklres sells the Body shop that did mine said that GM still makes it, and that the fit is muchbetter than the one sold in Ecklers for the same price. The whole job cost me about $1000 dollars about 4 years ago and it still looks great. The body shop painted the car from the front to the door seams so the paint match was really good... So if you want to keep it original I would go with the Gm Urathane cover... Just my .02 cents worth...

 

[Chas]

This is a good thread.....

When I replace mine , Im going fiberglass for the look if nothing else.To eliminate the seam on the nose and finally have a nose that blends and wont get wavey....unless you plan on having the car judged.
My only judge is my wife and myself....I want a ride that reflects my taste, not some guy with a clipboard and a rule book.Im doing my part to preserve the history of this car , regardless of what others think.
Please post before and after shots if you have the means...the best thing about the CAC is the wealth of information debated in the forums.
Just my take,
Chas