loup68

Yes, Paragon has the C-3 GM dies that their founder Richard Fortier managed to buy from GM. What you guys do not realize is that dies wear and have to be repaired, and things "creep". They may not fit exactly like the original bumpers. I worked in maintenance at an automotive parts plant, for 34 years until they closed our plant. Die making and die repair is an art. Lou.

7T1vette

Uhhh....that's why GM (and every other car manufacturer back in that day) used SHIMS to mount the bumpers. NONE of them fit the bodies exactly right.

gator79

don't waste your money on far east repros. I had a set on the shelf in my garage for 5 years and they pitted and had rust coming from under the chrome, that was on the shelf and never even on the car. I ended up buying rechromed originals

loup68

What I mean is that the actual shape of the bumper can change and also the shape and size of the interior welded mounting brackets. I have Paragon bumpers, front and back, and the rear ones stick out farther on the sides than I would like. And this is without any shims. I am trying to explain how this can happen with a good product. Lou.

1974ta

I have gotten in to the habit of looking at original cores. There is quite a variation in the brackets welded for attachment.

If the originals fit have them re-chromed.

Bill

loup68

I bought a pair of NOS front 68-69 bumperette's from GM and about eight years later found out that someone had welded the upper bracket on one of them, using the opposite side bracket on it, and you could not bolt it up to the front bumper. Lou.

68/70Vette

I think from what I've read, repro bumpers made in the US for original GM tooling, are going to be pretty close to correct. Repro bumpers from China are not going to fit. I have an original 70 bumper and a C3 repro bumper from China. The repro bumper doesn't fit.
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On my recent 68 body rework and painting, the body shop exactly mated the front bumper to the body.