C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Corvette Bumper Conversion

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 3, 2009 | 08:36 PM
  #1  
davidchristopher's Avatar
davidchristopher
Thread Starter
Racer
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 276
Likes: 31
From: Brant County Ontario
Default Corvette Bumper Conversion

Okay, so I've been searching around the forum and the net, I've not seen anything done along these lines, so I'm looking for you folks with greater C3 experience to chime in:

Has anyone ever taken a rubberbumper C3 and refitted it with 68-72 fiberglass & bumpers?

I'm not much of a shop noob - I'm confident I can fab up new mount points etc once I actually get my eyes and hands in there - so I know anything is possible - but if anyone's done this mod I'd love to hear about it.

My last vette was a C4 (an '85 Z51 - sold a while back) - I *am* new to C3s.

Thanks guys & gals.

D
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2009 | 09:10 PM
  #2  
EyeLuvCorvettes's Avatar
EyeLuvCorvettes
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 809
Likes: 1
From: Mass
Default

This may be a sore subject for some. Make sure you put on your flame suit.

This questions has been debated by many, but I don't think there has been anyone who has done it (correct me if i'm wrong). There have been many who have contemplated doing it and started threads which were eventually closed due to differing of opinions.

So basically the answer is no one has tried it (to my knowledge). More power to you to try it though.
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2009 | 10:55 PM
  #3  
davidchristopher's Avatar
davidchristopher
Thread Starter
Racer
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 276
Likes: 31
From: Brant County Ontario
Default

Originally Posted by EyeLuvCorvettes
This may be a sore subject for some. Make sure you put on your flame suit.

This questions has been debated by many, but I don't think there has been anyone who has done it (correct me if i'm wrong). There have been many who have contemplated doing it and started threads which were eventually closed due to differing of opinions.

So basically the answer is no one has tried it (to my knowledge). More power to you to try it though.
Whoah- not looking to start a war

I'll be checking assembly manuals etc to see if I can find the difference between a '72 and a '73 or '74, and go from there. Just thought I'd fall back on the voices of greater experience.

If I decide to go this route, I'll be weblogging every step - but I've not yet decided..

So, let's open the discussion up for thoughts and ideas- and once again, no fire protection is needed
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2009 | 11:44 PM
  #4  
cor28vettes's Avatar
cor28vettes
Race Director
15 Year Member
Veteran: Army
Liked
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,214
Likes: 1,140
From: Santa Rosa Beach FL
Default

I bought a bright yellow 76 retrofit w/fiberglass front & rear and it was perfect.

Would never alter '73 and below. The value is chrome orig.
Reply
Old Apr 3, 2009 | 11:59 PM
  #5  
vettebuyer6369's Avatar
vettebuyer6369
Administrator
25 Year Member
Community Builder
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 54,006
Likes: 6,215
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Default

Well, let's see... you could take a 74-77 or whatever, knock the entire nose off, remove the entire clip, buy complete front and rear body panels and install.

Or, your could cut off the tips of the nose and tail, and completely fabricate in 68-72 "ends" to install chrome bumpers.

Either would be an enormous expenditure of effort and expense, only to wind up with a completely worthless final product that will induce more giggles than thumbs-up from Corvette people. Oh, that's right, who cares what people say?

Has it occurred to you to just buy a cheap chrome bumper car that needs work? You could get a 72ish coupe for $10-12K and after you were done working on it it might actually have some measurable value.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2009 | 02:12 AM
  #6  
Bowerss2's Avatar
Bowerss2
Safety Car
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,435
Likes: 9
From: Kalamazoo Mi
Default

Originally Posted by Vettebuyer5869
Has it occurred to you to just buy a cheap chrome bumper car that needs work? You could get a 72ish coupe for $10-12K and after you were done working on it it might actually have some measurable value.



i am one of those strange people who actually prefer the looks of 80-82 front and rear......

but if your heart is set on chrome, and you are not a fabrication wizard, you are better off buying a chrome car to begin with.... it would honestly require a mind bending amount of work to make it look right.


OR find yourself a chrome bumper car with a rotted out frame or something, sell the parts you dont need, and drop the body on your car... that is i possibility.
Reply
Old Apr 4, 2009 | 11:40 AM
  #7  
davidchristopher's Avatar
davidchristopher
Thread Starter
Racer
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 276
Likes: 31
From: Brant County Ontario
Default

Originally Posted by pearlwhite
I bought a bright yellow 76 retrofit w/fiberglass front & rear and it was perfect.

Would never alter '73 and below. The value is chrome orig.
Hey pearlwhite- got a picture?
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Corvette Bumper Conversion





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:57 PM.

story-0
2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 First Look: Everything You NEED to Know!

Slideshow: Is the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 the best Silverado yet?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-16 08:01:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers

Slideshow: 5 best and 5 worst Corvette daily drivers

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-15 10:32:13


VIEW MORE
story-2
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained

Slideshow: The headlights of every Corvette generation explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-15 10:17:14


VIEW MORE
story-3
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 most overrated Corvette track packages ever.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:46:45


VIEW MORE
story-4
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

Slideshow: Every 2027 Corvette engine explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:16:31


VIEW MORE
story-5
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-08 19:53:43


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE