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wave in urethane bumper cover, can it be worked out?

stevolwevol

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2015
Messages
250
Location
Michigan
Corvette
1977 light blue
I've been trying to upload a pic of the rear of a 77. There is a wave where the lettering is in the urethane, and I would like to find a way to get it out.
 

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I've seen a lot worse. I wonder if it would be possible to bond a strip of fiberglass sheet about 1/4 in thick to the back of that area holding it straight.

Tom
 
could this be done without removing the cover? I've never removed one, but I've heard they don't always go back on nicely.
 
I don't know if it is the photo or the bumper. But, the bumper looks like it is pulled out from the bottom center causing the wave. The bottom edge of the bumper should be straight across from left edge to right edge. Yours looks curved. If it is curved it you might be able to get it back into shape with heat. I would used a heat gun to carefully heating the bumper surface being very careful not to burn the paint. I will caution you again not to get the heat gun to close to the paint and burning it.
 
This one is mine. Compare the bumpers and the bottom edge. I see the red one is pulled out. I am considering buying the red one. They are both 77's.
 

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This one is mine. Compare the bumpers and the bottom edge. I see the red one is pulled out. I am considering buying the red one. They are both 77's.

My question is did they paint the car with the bumper in that condition? If they did the the paint might crack trying to get it back to straight. if the car was painted with the bumper in that condition taking the bumper off will or trying to loosen it from the body might crack the paint. If you can get the car for the right price and attempt to straight it with a heat gun knowing that it might have to be replaced bumper and repaint the rear portion of the car. Then go for it.
 
My question is did they paint the car with the bumper in that condition? If they did the the paint might crack trying to get it back to straight. if the car was painted with the bumper in that condition taking the bumper off will or trying to loosen it from the body might crack the paint. If you can get the car for the right price and attempt to straight it with a heat gun knowing that it might have to be replaced bumper and repaint the rear portion of the car. Then go for it.
Your observation about the pulled out bumper cover was very astute. The possible paint damage that could occur if I try to straighten it is very possible, and I don't know what the bumper was like before the paint job. He won't go lower that $10,000. I offered $8500, but turned my offer down. Now that it's confirmed that the bumper cover is damaged, that is another strike against it.
 
This might sound far fetched, but If I carefully backed the car into a towel wrapped poll until the bowed out spot is where it should be, and carefully heated the stressed area until it conformed permanently.

The issue is; urethane is heat set, meaning it doesn't harden as it cools. So would a heat gun soften it??

Your thoughts please
 
I read the article. Unless I missed something the article was about repairing polypropylene, not polyurethane. Polypropylene is thermal plastic, meaning it has a melting point, then it's molded. Urethane is heat set, meaning it hardens as it is heated. With urethane's properties, I'm afraid heat would not soften it like it would with polypropylene. I watched some youtubes on the subject, and the heat repairs were done on modern bumpers made with polypropylene, which can be softened with heat.

At least I had a "plastics 101" lesson

I was thinking maybe the bottom could be pressed into it's straight point, and a bar of plastic of some sort could be epoxied to hold it. I wouldn't know till I would try it.
 
I'll almost bet,The rear bumper reinforcement has been bent,You will probly have to remove the cover to repair or replace the reinforcement.
 
Ok, so I missed something. I didn't know about the reinforcement, but I've never removed a bumper cover either. Will it damage the cover if I attempted to remove it?
 
Ok, so I missed something. I didn't know about the reinforcement, but I've never removed a bumper cover either. Will it damage the cover if I attempted to remove it?
Without looking around under the car and checking out how dried out and brittle the cover is I can't say. But it's a 42 year old cover, removing those covers SUCKed 40 years ago when they were still [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]flexible[/FONT]! I'd say you'd have a better chance of going back in time banging 3rd gear in my 03 without a flux [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]capacitor. [/FONT]
 
Without looking around under the car and checking out how dried out and brittle the cover is I can't say. But it's a 42 year old cover, removing those covers SUCKed 40 years ago when they were still flexible! I'd say you'd have a better chance of going back in time banging 3rd gear in my 03 without a flux capacitor.
Thanks. I've about given up on buying this car. The bumper cover was the deal breaker.
 
Without looking around under the car and checking out how dried out and brittle the cover is I can't say. But it's a 42 year old cover, removing those covers SUCKed 40 years ago when they were still flexible! I'd say you'd have a better chance of going back in time banging 3rd gear in my 03 without a flux capacitor.

JUNKIE! Glad to see you're still here and posting.
Andy Anderson
 
JUNKIE! Glad to see you're still here and posting.
Andy Anderson
Thanks Dad !~!!:thumb I'm here once in a while,Not all here though.:L Had a heartie acck back in Feb 2017 and just now getting so I can remember things and halfway navigate normally! :beer
 
I know what you mean. I had a small one in 2013, and had to have a stent put in. Felt MUCH better after that. Good to have you back, son!
Dad
 

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