Agreed I just can't remember what her name is.

 

I have a bumper car already so I can't vote.

If this was something that would sell then either Keen, Ecklers, Corvette America, or Vanacors would have done it a long long time ago.

 

To me, this mod just opens up another door for fraud. With all the fake tank stickers and fake engine pad stamps, who knows. Some one could possibly fake a chrome bumper car from a rubber bumper. I think its a option that should not be explored, let alone the cost of such a mod

 

17% of rubber owners saying yes. Interesting.
I would have expected a lower number, maybe 5%?

I also think some of you are jumping to the wrong conclusion that this would be a kit capable of reproducing an identical steel bumper car. The intention of the OP was to give a rubber bumper car more of a muscle car look. More of a "bolt on" "replacment bumper" similar to what Eckler and the like sell. Similar to the ZR1 bumpers or the 80-82 style that are bolted on so many pre 80's. The intention/goal is not to reproduce a steel bumper car or an identical clone.

Personally, I like the idea.

Now if the poll was to put rubber bumpers and emissions on steel bumper cars, then I may change my mind.

There are some decent photo shop images in the original post that have possibilities.

 

 

When you factor in all of the variables, it probably IS actually a lower number.

1. How would the kit attach - if it had to be glassed in the number would go down. It becomes a much more expensive installation than just a bolt-on bumper because you can't paint it separately so you have to sand some of your paint off, attach the bumper, repaint and blend it ... not cheap.

2. As we've seen from the fiberglass bumpers available on the market today, even when the seam ISN'T going to be filled in it's a real PITA to fit them. The advantage to those is that once you have the fit right you can paint it OFF the car, which is easier and less expensive. Having to fit a fiberglass bumper makes it not worth the hassle for a lot of people - this is evident by the fact that although regular fiberglass replacement bumpers are available on the market, most C3's are still sporting their warped factory urethane bumper.

3. If we could assume that some vendor could make a magical fiberglass bumper that always fit every car perfectly on the first try, and the intention WASN'T to glass it in, the number would go up or down based on how a chrome bumper looks with a seam. It definitely wouldn't look stock, so those who wanted the 68-72 look would be disappointed. Those who wanted the old muscle car look might be OK with it ... that one really depends on the buyer, so it's hard to guess. I thought it would be kind of neat when envisioning it in my head, but then a couple of photoshop pics were posted on what it might look like and I changed my mind - no way I'd do it on a bubble back, it just looks wrong.

 

 

YOUR MATH IS OFF - ONLY 14.95% RUBBER BUMPER OWNERS WOULD.

 

It may have been right at the time he posted.

 

Good Point

 

Survey is young, one or two votes can move the percentages a bit.

 

<begin rant>
I believe the people who think this is a good idea waiting to happen do not appreciate the subtle differences in body lines between the different years of C3 Corvettes. It isn't a matter of just slapping some repro chrome bumpers on. the entire front ends are cut differently and engineered differently beneath.
You would have to move the vacuum reserve tank, do a huge amount of fiberglass work to make the body lines right... Then you'd still be left with different headlight buckets and a stupid looking front fender that didn't match the bumperettes.
The back is a whole different story. Jesus, I can't even imagine the fiberglass work and expense to do this.
Now, let's talk about people like me with bubble back cars and chrome bumpers. AWKWARD! STUPID! RIDICULOUS! are three words that immediately come to mind.
My idea for a chrome conversion is this. Stop being a self-loathing rubber bumper car owner and sell it. Take your money, add 3X that amount and buy a chrome bumper car in poorer condition that you're afraid to drive because it cost you so much freakin money.
at least you'll look good in the garage sitting behind the wheel making engine noises.
<end rant>

 

Hey, the dude's persistant, I'll give him that....

 

You can buy chrome in a rattle can and go at it.
Or spray the whole thing and paint black bumpers on.

 

My .02:

1. I vote for Mach 5's avatar also.

2. Why bother? If you really have the urge to cut up a rubber bumper car, the threads on converting 75-77 coupes to Verts have been very interesting and to me would be a better investment of time and $$.

Rickman

 

Unbelievable. Obsessed with the worst idea ever conceived.

Really, we'd like to see you sink tons of upfront money in this goofy concept just to see 3 get sold in 2 years. A fine plan. Maybe it could overtake New Coke as the worst business plan ever.

PS, just because some online posers say they "would do it," doesn't really mean they would do it.

 

Superb post, but you forgot the part about when the one or 2 morons who actually did it drive by people with actual Corvettes and they pee themselves laughing.

 

I have been reading this but guess I must be missing the point. Why would someone take a car that MIGHT have some value (if not today, then someday), change it to something it is not, and therefore reduce or completely destroy the value of it just to make it look like another model? The 14% of posters that said they would buy the kit would probably drill down to 1/2 of 1/10,000ths of a percent when they saw what the kit would cost in materials and labor. I doubt the original poster of this thread would even buy one. The next post would read "Why doesn't someone build a metal bumper conversion kit that the average guy could afford"?
I recently looked at a C-2 that was priced "right". It had been modded with flares and so much other stuff, it would have cost way more than it was worth to put it back to anything close to original. It was fine if you want a hot rod. The same car in decent original shape sells on average for twice as much.
I hope someone can come up with a kit for cheap, and that everyone with a rubber bumper car buys one and converts their car over. Think I'll just leave mine as-is and maybe original rubber bumper cars will become rare as a result and mine will be worth the big bucks. Ha!
Seriously, if you like the look of the metal bumper cars that much, buy one. You can still find them at decent prices if you look hard enough Why got through all this nonsense?

 

You are absolutely correct! I would never make such a modification myself, but then I'm somewhat of a purist when it comes to Corvettes. I posted this thread not because I would ever consider doing it myself, but because there have been other threads that have made statements suggesting that there is a lot of interest in such a kit and I was curious.

Frankly I didn't think there would be much interest at all, but then I recognize that not everyone shares my perspective regarding mods to their Corvettes. Granted the returns represent a very small sampling, however it appears there is a lot more interest than I would had guessed.

 

As much as I dislike the idea of a urethane to chrome bumper conversion kit, based on the results (be it a very limited sampling) 19% of 74 to 79 owners (which would be a single kit version) would be interested. A lot more interest than I would have expected.