just replaced both bumpers with fiberglass, the rear bolted right up, the front took a little work by the corvette body-man. The old bumpers just crumbled away. These have no waves in them, looking a lot better. Ordered both styles for fiberglass bumpers for the front, hopping the flex would move enough to just bolt right on, not happening. Each body (and bumper) is different from the next one, not like the metal cars(fitting closer than wavy fiberglass).

 

Two questions....

1.) does the flexiglass have the wave look like the stock bumpers? If I am going to replace it I want it look solid. I don't mind if I push on it gives some, but it is wavy or warps when adding some pressure I may just go fiberglass.

2.) Is a stock 1980 bumper worth anything? Its not falling apart yet so is anyone looking for a bumper that could help offset the bumper I would purchase?

 

The glass bumpers have no wave and are smooth.Like everyone has said they are hit and miss on the fit. I just put glass bumpers front and rear on my '76 and if I wasn't planning on glassing the seams for a one piece body look I would be disappointed in the fit.Something to consider. Good luck

 

I know the fiberglass don't have waves. I was specifically referring to the trufiber ones that are suppose to be just like the stock bumpers. If they have the wave in them, I will get regular fiberglass.

When people say they don't line up right does that mean that no amount of work would get it to? Meaning it is about inch longer than it should be so it will never be seamless. Or are we taking about having to shave off some of the end, maybe adding some fibergalss for the lines to match up?

 

Truflex front covers are softer than regular fibreglass obviously, and as a result, if the holes in the cover aren't drilled in the right spot, or not slotted slightly, the cover can look a little wavy due to being pulled up tight in places. But they're not too difficult to get right. Just time consuming.
Mine needed about 1/2" added to the drivers side edge. Remember to use polyester resin when working on the covers, and (depending on the year of your car) epoxy resin on the car. As I say to anyone attempting this, the more time you take, the better the fit. I'd never done it before, and I don't think I did too badly. My main focus was to get the gap right all the way around.

 

Someone is doing the work for me. A speciality shop that does a lot of restorations. So I need to plan for longevity.

I like the idea of the truflex bumpers being a little flexible for fitting but I don't want to buy something if it is slightly bumped, it is going to crack because it is already really thin. The fiberglass may take more time to fit, but it will withstand more over time. (bad roads jerking the car, a fender bender in a parking lot, etc.)

I am really conflicted on which to get. Though the information on this thread has been informative, I feel I am no closer to making a decision.

Has anyone received a bumper that just didn't work at all? Besides the trufiber being able to flex some for fitting, is there any other advantages (for example, taking a small bump in a parking lot or bumping a parking curb will bend it and not crack it; similar to a plastic bumper)?

 

My OE urethane bumpers were perfect until the shop tried to remove them during a repaint. The bumper were so brittle they just tore. Went with aftermarket urethane bumpers. The newer urethanes are much improved than the older versions. Backs fit up fine, shop still struggled with the front bumpers and is still not 100% right. The fiberglass are worse and need fitment. Remember the age of the car. The car is no longer squared from the factory, and if any collision would be worse so fitment would be off regardless.

 

I know I want to get a fiberglass one simply because I don't want to have to deal with the waves and possibly needing to replace it again in the future because the urethane broke down over time.

I just don't know if I want to get a truflex or full fiberglass. They are about $50 difference on Eklers so that is not the issue. I want to get the best for the money. If the fiberglass ones can withstand weather and maybe if someone bumps me in a parking lot then I will go with that. If there is no difference between the two besides the ability to make it fit better, than I would with the cheaper route becaus at that point, it doesn't make a difference.

 

Here's the thing......you've ruled out urethane. Now. you want to choose between Truflex and regular fibreglass. You say it's not the money, so why not go for the Truflex? If you get a regular fibreglass one, and someone does bump into you in a parking lot, and it cracks, you'll be regretting not getting the Truflex. What regrets will you have if you have a Truflex over a regular fibreglass one?
To put it another way, if Truflex really is 70% more flexible than regular fibreglass, you would think it could absorb 70% more impact. At the end of the day, they do get chips that will need touching up. Especially when ********* in Dodge Rams decide they want to park up against your nose!

 

I replaced both front and rear bumpers with with no fitment issues whatsoever.

 

My main concern at this point it quality. I want to make the right decision that will last me a long time. I want to be confident that if I go truflex I am not sacrificing anything in looks, quality, or longevity. I would rather work a piece a bit more than be able to "bend" it into place and have tension for years until something finally cracks, or the lines don't matchup, or something like that. I am not sure really how to explain my concern. I have never done something like this before and the suggestions are for both sides so I am not sure which direction to take. I thought posting on here would give me a one sided answer, but it seems to be mixed.

 

heres how mine first fit...trueflex on a 73. dont let the flex name fool ya, theres very little flexibility. i had to work mine over quite a bit, filling w resin/mat and sanding. also had to sand the body where the bumper met up, i had a few high spots and cracks to take care of. had a local body shop paint it, they did a wonderful job matchin the color.

 

heres a couple after shots. fyi it took me longer to mount and fit the front bumper than it did to rebuild my muncie. you mention quality and longevity...i dont think ull have issues w either. the piece seems strong and heavy. there was just enough give to get the top seam lined up well without applying what id consider excessive force. for the final fit along the top seam i was able to press slightly with one hand and snug the mounting hardware w the other. the boday shop was willing to paint the bumper on the car, i really didnt want to take it back off once i had it where i wanted it. they charged me $200 for the paint.

 

learje,

Thanks for the pictures and the explanation. This has really helped me understand what people mean by fitment issues and the difference between the types of bumpers.

I know you said you bought a truflex, but just out of curiosity, do you have any idea, or opinion, on the difference in work and time that would be needed if you bought a regular fiberglass bumper over the truflex?

 

Wow.....looks great......I used truflex on the rear of my 74 , no issues been around ten years . Been replacing the tail lamps though ...always something to improve on.

 

thx guys! i can say i was very happy w the results.

i did a ton of readin before deciding on the trueflex, at one point i considered glassin in the bumper, but my paints good enough, and i have some engine upgrades planned. theres a local body shop here who paints fiberglass airplane parts, wheel fairings, cowlings etc and there work and ability to match colors is amazing. after reading up here and talkin w the body shop i picked the trueflex. i read here somewhere that Wilcox prefers them, and w all the help ive gotten both live and from their site that was my final deciding factor.

i read here while back about how chevy installed the front bumper covers, and how much variation there is from car to car, which is i understand the reason they chose a very flexible urethane. i didnt want the wavy finish, and i knew with time i could make either the hard fiberglass or the trueflex fit well. i believe it would have taken much longer to get the hard fiberglass perfect. the slight amount of flex in the trueflex allowed me to compensate for my cars imperfect front clip. the top seam when fit correctly and level in the center fit almost perfect on the pax side, but the bumper was high and short on the drivers side. it would have required alot more filling and sanding to get everything perfect w the rigid one. also, the gap between the bumper and front clip was uneven due to someone overtightening the original bumper and cracking the fiberglass and bending the metal behind it. i did a minimal amount of sanding and filling, and was able to the gap real nice since the bumper comformed to the body as the mounting hardware was tightened.

hth!

 

hey stingray just noticed ur close by. if u want to see the trueflex and feel how much it actually 'flexes' let me know.

 

So are their any purists out there who would like a urathane bumper? Its not falling apart, it just needs to be repainted.

 

Thank you everyone for all your input. I decided to go with a truflex from willcox. Its on order right now. Having a one-on-one conversation with learje really helped me make the decision.

Thanks again to everyone.