doorgunner

I have seen a couple questions in the past about "Chrome Bumper Conversions".

My basket-case project is a '68 that the previous owner installed a '76 front clip onto (for whatever reason).

Since I didn't want to invest $50,000 into restoring what would be a daily driver, I am buying new/modifying existing body parts to "restore" the look of the front grill.

(I would NEVER do ANY cutting to an original '68 car....I will watch for/purchase a '68 clip later on when the "wallet recovers")

To eliminate double-posting in two separate threads, I will post the modification in my original build thread........ it may give you an idea of what needs to be done.

Remember....this is a "Rookie Venture" by me into unknown territory concerning body/fiberglass work.

For anyone interest in a conversion/costs/etc., I have included a "Table of Contents" on page 1 of my thread....

"Doorgunner's '68 Convertible Project"/"Chrome Bumper Conversion".......

Here is the link: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1590451458


All of my posts will be in the above mentioned build thread

Thanks.

On page 88 the Conversion starts at post #1756: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1590451458

Don Rickles

You've been calling yourself a "Rookie" for three years now......

A basket 68 can be done for less than 50 large.......

WB

76CSRvette

Heres link just in case
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...roject-88.html

doorgunner

When I see your great car and others similar to it....................

I think calling myself a "Rookie" might be an exaggeration of the facts.

(And I limited myself to $20,000 after reading build threads/I didn't want to start the project and then have to sell it for lack of $$,$$$.02)

Don Rickles

DG, Thanks for the compliment! I was very lucky to find the cars! I was a matter of cleaning them up only, for me.....

I did restore a base motor 72, that I paid 4000. to buy. After paint, body work, engine complete rebuild, suspension, new trans (re-converted from auto, back to manual), new interior, really a complete rebuild. My spending totaled just at 20,000. So, I had 24k into it, drove over 24,000 mile on it in a little over two years, and had a blast!!!

Sold it in Carlisle for 14,000. a few years ago, with NO regrets. It was never about the money......I had to prove to myself that I could build a car, and I did just that!

Anything I can do to help, just ask.....I really don't bite!

SB64

How about moving up from rookie to freshman, junior, senior but no rookie. As for War Bonnet he has helped me along the way and I am in the same boat as he was with my disaster of a 69 restore. I want to say I finished it and built a nice car. Thanks for your help War Bonnet and although I have never met Alan71 he has been a huge help also and one day hope to meet him. DG carry on man you are an inspiration to many.
ZIO

oldgto

I resemble that remark! Actually, wife & I have built several cars, but this is our first Vette... so we knew a little bit about what we were getting into, but not really!

doorgunner

This is my first Corvette also.......and I'm learning a lot......especially with having to change the "Nose" and the tail light "clip" back to 1968 looks!

E.Murray

Gotta throw my thanks out there for your thread. I'm more of a rookie than any of the other guys who've posted above, and man-oh-man am I thankful for you all! I had no idea what I was getting into when I bought my '68 with it's 73-74 nose and later interior. Reading chunks of rvzio, doorgunner and War Bonnet threads has been absolutely invaluable to the little progress I'm making.

doorgunner

To quote Cheech and Chong...........................


"Chew can du-it!"

That's why I "doing" the nose first.....less fiberglass to deal with.

oldgto

(fixed)

Don Rickles

Gotta ask, why was a new thread started? IMO, I think this thread should be merged?

You're talking about the same car right?

doorgunner

War Bonnet....it's the PTSD mixed with A.D.D. in my case that brings about such decisions.

I wanted to make it easy for someone to do a Forum Search specifically for chrome bumper conversions without them having to sift through 50 different threads that popped up when the word "conversion" was used in the search (P/B conversion/Headlight conversion/Radio conversion/Etc.).

A new thread would also eliminate extra pages of discussions by different members into my "already self-inflicted scatter-brained thread"........

for example......Derek made a good point about the fact that there is an extra 2" between the headlight openings and the "lip" of the clip. That one detail could use some discussion among Forum Members about how to deal with eliminating the extra length.

Thanks for the question.

derekderek

i want to do this to a rubberbabybuggybumper car some day. i noticed the length and mentioned it to tony. i asked about this in another thread and got a couple of kits for doing the rear. once the front bumper is removed, it looks like the front of the clip is just about where the lip that goes under the chrome bumper starts. it would take some filling between the headlights where the bumper curves in on 74 and later noses. does anybody make a bond-in piece to put the 72-earlier lip on the front of the 73 or 4 and later front clip? or do we hafta make it from scratch?

derekderek

ok, we need a mold. that's the way to go. somebody with a 72 front clip that is off and needing paint. spray it with mold release and lay up a couple of layers of glass to make a negative of the bumper lip. then clamp it to the 73-up nose, lining up the headlight holes, mold release again, and lay up the bumper lip, glassing it to the nose. we would probably need 3 seperate molds. one for the lip, and one for each fender front. cuz it looks like they are a lil shorter. or mebbe not? no, there is some diff around the grilles, or is it just the 2 trim pieces?

derekderek

ok, here is a 72 nose. overpriced, but he has a zillion good pics. especially the close-up side view of the front... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Corvette-Original-Black-Fiberglass-Front-Clip-Assembly-with-A-C-1970-1972-/201140912238?fits=Model%3ACorvette&hash=item2ed4eec06e&vxp=mtr now, here are some pics of my 75 nose that is a twin to your 76. these will show you where the bumper is glassed to your nose. and it looks like the edge between headlight openings and the bumper lip on the 72 is even shorter than the distance between 75 headlights and the bumper mount edge.

doorgunner

Derek.......since I already have new '68 grills and brackets ($300) I will have to modify/shorten the length myself rather than spend another $300 on a later model nose piece which I would have to modify anyway.

I would like it to look like the original '68, but....since it's a restomod car......close is close enough (I don't want to sink any more $$$ into the fiberglass panel modification in case I find a '68 clip or nose=piece for sale.

The '68 lower valence will do a good job as far as appearance goes.

(I guess I am trying to make a conversion that doesn't require $2,000-$4,000 to complete the change-over.....something "simple-to-do" that Vette owners with limited skills-"like me"-could accomplish)

derekderek

you won't need a later model nose piece. you already have one on there and that is the problem. i am talking about cutting the nose to the correct length and fabbing the bumper lip right there where it belongs. not buying a clip. it would be a LOT easier if somebody could pull a mold of the bumper lip, but not absolutely necessary. because you still need to fab a lip for the bumper to mount over anyway.

SB64

Know that's a thought, make a mold of the pieces needed off a front clip hmmmmm!
ZIO

derekderek

little resin, mat and some mold release wax, and he has the real deal! cuz the lip looks a little complicated to try to do from scratch. possibly with a bunch of measurements and a sheet metal brake, a back piece could be made to glass over.