Front bumpers ( ugly and smooth)
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: san jose California
Front bumpers ( ugly and smooth)
alright so i dont like my bumper on my 78 vette due to the ugly 'bumperrets' on either side of the license plate..
ok as you can see both of these cars are forum members' cars.. ( i didnt use mine cuz its kinda beat up.)
does anyone know how / where i can get a smooth styled bumper for a 78 vette?? i like the bumper on the right alot better..the only real diffrence is a little lip that goes up on the 78 and later cars for.. vs the older ones just being straight across the nose ( im talking about where the car actually meets with the bumper.) that is ofcourse besides the ugly bumperrets..
so yeah.. anyone know where i can get one or is this on the custome list?? by the way im not interested in the 80s styled bumpers.. had a nightmare my brother put one on my vette !!
ok as you can see both of these cars are forum members' cars.. ( i didnt use mine cuz its kinda beat up.)
does anyone know how / where i can get a smooth styled bumper for a 78 vette?? i like the bumper on the right alot better..the only real diffrence is a little lip that goes up on the 78 and later cars for.. vs the older ones just being straight across the nose ( im talking about where the car actually meets with the bumper.) that is ofcourse besides the ugly bumperrets..
so yeah.. anyone know where i can get one or is this on the custome list?? by the way im not interested in the 80s styled bumpers.. had a nightmare my brother put one on my vette !!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Originally Posted by Shirley1978
alright so i dont like my bumper on my 78 vette due to the ugly 'bumperrets' on either side of the license plate..
ok as you can see both of these cars are forum members' cars.. ( i didnt use mine cuz its kinda beat up.)
does anyone know how / where i can get a smooth styled bumper for a 78 vette?? i like the bumper on the right alot better..the only real diffrence is a little lip that goes up on the 78 and later cars for.. vs the older ones just being straight across the nose ( im talking about where the car actually meets with the bumper.) that is ofcourse besides the ugly bumperrets..
so yeah.. anyone know where i can get one or is this on the custome list?? by the way im not interested in the 80s styled bumpers.. had a nightmare my brother put one on my vette !!
ok as you can see both of these cars are forum members' cars.. ( i didnt use mine cuz its kinda beat up.)
does anyone know how / where i can get a smooth styled bumper for a 78 vette?? i like the bumper on the right alot better..the only real diffrence is a little lip that goes up on the 78 and later cars for.. vs the older ones just being straight across the nose ( im talking about where the car actually meets with the bumper.) that is ofcourse besides the ugly bumperrets..
so yeah.. anyone know where i can get one or is this on the custome list?? by the way im not interested in the 80s styled bumpers.. had a nightmare my brother put one on my vette !!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
You can do anything with fiberglass
Cut the bumperettes off and glue fiberglass mat on the holes (on the inside of course), then add more mat and resin and fill the outside.
These bumperettes were one reason why I bought the 'custom' 80's style bumper ....
Cut the bumperettes off and glue fiberglass mat on the holes (on the inside of course), then add more mat and resin and fill the outside.
These bumperettes were one reason why I bought the 'custom' 80's style bumper ....
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by Scott Marzahl
Or just replace with the '74 bumper, I believe it does not have the bumperettes
1. The mounting area shape across the front changed in 1975 with additional curves between the headlights, '73 & '74 covers are straight across on each side.
2. The bumperettes are not hollow. The rubber bumper cushion behind the bumper cover protrudes into each bumperette. The rubber cushion is also a mounting point for the center of the bumper where the '73 & '74 center grille would be.
The easiest (not real easy) way to eliminate the bumperettes is cut the rubber cushions off and cut the bumperettes from the fiberglass bumper cover and re-fiberglass the area in front and underneath which is a major rework of the bumper cover.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by ahoover
The easiest (not real easy) way to eliminate the bumperettes is cut the rubber cushions off and cut the bumperettes from the fiberglass bumper cover and re-fiberglass the area in front and underneath which is a major rework of the bumper cover.
It's not that much more work considering that you have to fit a fiberglass bumper anyways.... a front bumper replacement is a weekend job, can't be done in just a few hours because you'll very likely find all the bolts rusted.
Get some beer, fiberglass putty and gitRdone........
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by Scott Marzahl
Thanks for that good info Al! I certainly didn't want to mis-inform anyone.
No problem. I'm going to build a bumper this winter without bumperettes, and possibly opening up the center area with a fabbed slat grille across the entire opening. I wanted to do this when I did the current bumper but time did not allow due to the extra mods. If anyone reading this has a center rubber cushion for sale let me know. I don't want to chop up my original. Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 9
From: Fairport NY
Originally Posted by ahoover
The 2 front ends are drastically different. The '73-74 front bumper won't fit '75-'79 bodies for 2 reasons.
1. The mounting area shape across the front changed in 1975 with additional curves between the headlights, '73 & '74 covers are straight across on each side.
2. The bumperettes are not hollow. The rubber bumper cushion behind the bumper cover protrudes into each bumperette. The rubber cushion is also a mounting point for the center of the bumper where the '73 & '74 center grille would be.
The easiest (not real easy) way to eliminate the bumperettes is cut the rubber cushions off and cut the bumperettes from the fiberglass bumper cover and re-fiberglass the area in front and underneath which is a major rework of the bumper cover.
1. The mounting area shape across the front changed in 1975 with additional curves between the headlights, '73 & '74 covers are straight across on each side.
2. The bumperettes are not hollow. The rubber bumper cushion behind the bumper cover protrudes into each bumperette. The rubber cushion is also a mounting point for the center of the bumper where the '73 & '74 center grille would be.
The easiest (not real easy) way to eliminate the bumperettes is cut the rubber cushions off and cut the bumperettes from the fiberglass bumper cover and re-fiberglass the area in front and underneath which is a major rework of the bumper cover.
Last edited by Red73; Nov 16, 2006 at 09:37 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: san jose California
GOD that red one looks SOOOOO CLEANN!!!!... the yellow one looks horrible... (compared to what i want..)..
STOP TEASING ME!!!!
what if i just glassed a 73 bumper on to my car?? i think that should work right?? the only diffrence is that little part in the middle that goes into the nose a little..
STOP TEASING ME!!!!
what if i just glassed a 73 bumper on to my car?? i think that should work right?? the only diffrence is that little part in the middle that goes into the nose a little..
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 845
Likes: 1
From: Columbus Indiana
Shirley1978 I couldn't agree with you more! I hate the 'bumper lumps' with a passion! I'm not enthralled with chrome bumper cars, so I'm targeting a '74 vert in the future.
This pic was taken almost 2 years ago. I had just modified it and was this was it's first test fitting. I bought it off e-bay not wanting to spend a mint in case it just didn't work out. I really can't use it for a finished product, but it was a good research/learning project.
It all went well. I'm probably gonna buy a good, new front bumper and modify it to use. I really wish someone offered a '73-'74 front end for the '76 and up vettes, I'd sure buy one!
That red '73 of kid vette is the cleanest '73 I've ever seen! The rear end cleaned up beautifully! Filling in the seams really make it stand out!
Cobblejock John
This pic was taken almost 2 years ago. I had just modified it and was this was it's first test fitting. I bought it off e-bay not wanting to spend a mint in case it just didn't work out. I really can't use it for a finished product, but it was a good research/learning project.
It all went well. I'm probably gonna buy a good, new front bumper and modify it to use. I really wish someone offered a '73-'74 front end for the '76 and up vettes, I'd sure buy one!
That red '73 of kid vette is the cleanest '73 I've ever seen! The rear end cleaned up beautifully! Filling in the seams really make it stand out!
Cobblejock John
Last edited by seventysixvette; Nov 17, 2006 at 09:18 PM.