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Need Chrome Front Bumper Measurement Help!!

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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 10:03 AM
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Default Need Chrome Front Bumper Measurement Help!!

My 72 front chrome bumper mounting brackets for the bumperettes need to be repaired. They bottom of the bracket is missing. Can someone measure the length of the bracket from where it attached to the bumper to the full vertical length, and then give me the horizontal distance?

Thanks,
Dino
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 10:21 AM
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I'd be happy to help you out, but I honestly don't understand what you want measured. I don't know what you mean by the "bumperettes" on a chrome bumper car, I think I would know what they are on a rubber bumper car, but not a chrome bumper. Or maybe I don't know what they are at all. I am also at a loss to understand what this means "the length of the bracket from where it attached to the bumper to the full vertical length, and then give me the horizontal distance" it sounds like you want someone to measure the vertical distance and then give you the horizontal distance. Or have I just gone completely 'round the bend?
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 12:11 PM
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There is a difference in design, between the '68, '69 bumper bracket and the '70 to '72 bumper bracket that attached the front bumper to the vertical chrome bumperettes that frame the ends of the left and right front grilles.
I believe the '68, '69 bracket that is attached to the front bumper and hangs down to meet with the vertical bumperettes is 'L' shaped. The '70 to '72 bracket that is attached to the front bumper hangs down to the bumperettes in a 'Z' shape.
He is asking for measurements that refer to this bracket. In order to correct a portion that is missing in order to mate his bumperettes to this bracket.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by early shark
There is a difference in design, between the '68, '69 bumper bracket and the '70 to '72 bumper bracket that attached the front bumper to the vertical chrome bumperettes that frame the ends of the left and right front grilles.
I believe the '68, '69 bracket that is attached to the front bumper and hangs down to meet with the vertical bumperettes is 'L' shaped. The '70 to '72 bracket that is attached to the front bumper hangs down to the bumperettes in a 'Z' shape.
He is asking for measurements that refer to this bracket. In order to correct a portion that is missing in order to mate his bumperettes to this bracket.

Exactly! Glad someone could decipher my instructions. Attached are two pics of what I am looking for. I hijacked these pics just for reference:





Any distance you can measure for the entire bracket would help.

Thanks,
Dino
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 01:00 PM
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St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
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I'm sorry, I don't get it. Those brackets look L shaped to me, not Z shaped. I still don't understand "measure the length of the bracket from where it attached to the bumper to the full vertical length, and then give me the horizontal distance" either. I'd be happy to help, but I think I am just not verbally capable of understanding what it is that you want. Sorry.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 02:19 PM
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PKguitar,

The pictured bracket coming off the bottom of the front bumper is of a completely different configuration for the '70 thru '72 cars. That bracket is attached to the bottom edge of the front bumper, but then it runs horizontally back, NOT vertically down as shown in the picture. The bracket then runs vertically down and then horizontally inward, again. Similar to a letter 'Z' not like the 'L' shape shown in the pictures.

This bracket is difficult to get precise measurements when in place on a car. You just can't get a ruler of some type in there easily. It can be viewed somewhat while on the ground looking up, and you can definitely feel the brackets contour with your fingers, by just following it from where it attaches to the front bottom edge of the front bumper to where it attaches to the bumperettes.

Last edited by early shark; Oct 27, 2008 at 02:27 PM.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by early shark
PKguitar,

The pictured bracket coming off the bottom of the front bumper is of a completely different configuration for the '70 thru '72 cars. That bracket is attached to the bottom edge of the front bumper, but then it runs horizontally back, NOT vertically down as shown in the picture. The bracket then runs vertically down and then horizontally inward, again. Similar to a letter 'Z' not like the 'L' shape shown in the pictures.

This bracket is difficult to get precise measurements when in place on a car. You just can't get a ruler of some type in there easily. It can be viewed somewhat while on the ground looking up, and you can definitely feel the brackets contour with your fingers, by just following it from where it attaches to the front bottom edge of the front bumper to where it attaches to the bumperettes.
EarlyShark,
Do you have a pic available showing the bracket as you described or do you know where I can view one? I think I may have the wrong bumper on my car if this is the case.

Thanks,
Dino
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 03:16 PM
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OK, I'll lay on the floor of my garage tonight and see what I can see. 1stC3vette: What measurements are you looking for? If you are looking for the horizontal distance from one bracket to the other, that should be equal to the distance from the center of one bumperette to the center of the other, yes? If so, I think I can get that fairly accurately. Or, are you looking for the dimensions of the bracket, like how far back from the bumper, then how far down, then how far back? If so, I think this would be harder without taking some pieces off my car.

The car I have now is my 2nd C3, but the first one with a chrome front bumper (my old '69 had an aftermarket nose that looked like a '73 nose, no chrome bumper), so I am a little slow to picture this stuff in my head as it is new to me too.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 03:20 PM
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1stC3Vette,

I'm thinking that there is probably a good drawing of that bracket in the '70, '71 or '72 AIM manual. The front bumperettes on the '68, '69's have the threaded attaching hole on a vertical plane, while the '70 to '72's have the threaded attaching hole in the bumperettes on the horizontal plane.
You cannot use a '68, 69 front bumper with original brackets with a '70 to '72 bumperette, or vice versa.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by PKguitar
OK, I'll lay on the floor of my garage tonight and see what I can see. 1stC3vette: What measurements are you looking for? If you are looking for the horizontal distance from one bracket to the other, that should be equal to the distance from the center of one bumperette to the center of the other, yes? If so, I think I can get that fairly accurately. Or, are you looking for the dimensions of the bracket, like how far back from the bumper, then how far down, then how far back? If so, I think this would be harder without taking some pieces off my car.

The car I have now is my 2nd C3, but the first one with a chrome front bumper (my old '69 had an aftermarket nose that looked like a '73 nose, no chrome bumper), so I am a little slow to picture this stuff in my head as it is new to me too.
I am looking for the dimensions of the bracket itself so I can have mine repaired. As the pics show, mine is broken where the hole is shown and I do not have the portion that goes back (or horizontal).

EarlyShark,
I have reviewed the AIM as far as the grille mounting goes. I will see if I can locate a good picture of the bumper in the AIM.

Thanks to all,
Dino
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 04:12 PM
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1stC3Vette,

In my '71 AIM, Page L289 shows a drawing of that bracket. Some people refer to this AIM by its UPC 14 Sheet A3.

I was mistaken in my earlier post, the bottom horizontal plane on the bumper bracket is for attaching the thin metal bracket that is used to attach the left and right front grilles to this bumper bracket.

Last edited by early shark; Oct 27, 2008 at 04:21 PM.
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 06:19 PM
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OK, I just got back from under my car. The bumperettes are 14 3/8" apart at their centers. The bracket was not that hard to reach with a steel tape measure, but would have been darn near impossible with a ruler. Anyway, these measurements should be considered approximate, but pretty close:

First leg heading toward the back of the car (call it leg #1) = 1 1/4"
Leg heading down (call it leg #2) = 2 5/8"
Third leg, heading back (call it leg #3) - 1 1/4"

Early Shark is correct, the bumperette and the buper attach at leg #2.

It would be difficult, if not impossible to get a decent picture of the bracket without taking the bumper off, but I will try for you if you want, but we have already seen that I am not the best photographer even under the best of conditions.

Hope this helps.

PK
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Old Oct 27, 2008 | 06:24 PM
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Wilcox, Corvette Central, Paragon or Caledonia Classics have the 2 grille brackets you are looking for. I always need to "tweek" the grill mounting holes to get good alingment of my grilles to the bumperettes.
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Old Oct 28, 2008 | 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by PKguitar
OK, I just got back from under my car. The bumperettes are 14 3/8" apart at their centers. The bracket was not that hard to reach with a steel tape measure, but would have been darn near impossible with a ruler. Anyway, these measurements should be considered approximate, but pretty close:

First leg heading toward the back of the car (call it leg #1) = 1 1/4"
Leg heading down (call it leg #2) = 2 5/8"
Third leg, heading back (call it leg #3) - 1 1/4"

Early Shark is correct, the bumperette and the buper attach at leg #2.

It would be difficult, if not impossible to get a decent picture of the bracket without taking the bumper off, but I will try for you if you want, but we have already seen that I am not the best photographer even under the best of conditions.

Hope this helps.

PK

PK,
Thanks for the dimensions. This is what I am looking for. If you could post a pic or two, I would be grateful. I want this to be set up correctly and will make sure it is done right.

Thanks again,
Dino
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