1973 front bumper repair
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 97
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1973 front bumper repair
Hi all,
My question is:I have a 1973 vette but the front bumper has a couple of cracks. Is it repairable? I would like to keep it original like the whole car. Or do I have to replace it. Looks to me that the bumper is rubber material
Thanks John
My question is:I have a 1973 vette but the front bumper has a couple of cracks. Is it repairable? I would like to keep it original like the whole car. Or do I have to replace it. Looks to me that the bumper is rubber material
Thanks John
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 582
From: West Monroe Louisiana
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Eventually all of the original 73-82 Urethane front and rear bumpers will need to be replaced. As these flexible, stretchable bumpers age, they become brittle loosing these plastic characteristics. Whether it is from Ozone, Heat or UV light, the volatile plastic materials inside the Urethane escape leaving a harder substrate that cracks and crumbles. In severe cases, merely bumping into a Corvette with your knee can produce a crack in these bumpers.
Mine completely broke apart and I decided to replace it with the Tru-Flex
fiberglass bumper.
You can buy the urethane replacement, but it is very expensive. They have come out with a cheaper so call replacement
urethane, but I was advised that it may not fit as well as the original.
You might want to search the forum and see what experience others have had with the urethane fit.
Donnie
Pro
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 535
Likes: 8
From: London Ontario
My 45,000 mile original bumper cover literally crumbled to pieces when my body man tried to remove it! These were some of the first urethane bumpers used on cars (due to new DOT regulations starting in 73) and they just didn't last 40 years.
True-Flex seems to be the most common replacements, but, may need a bit of work to get a perfect fit (keeping in mind that the original was a poor fit).
