cdavis03

So my 78's bumpers are yellow and powdery from sitting in the sun so i'm gonna get some new bumpers, the problem is I dont know whether to get fiberglass or the flex fit? What is better? Also I found a set of used glass T-Tops for $100 and I was wondering if its a good deal to get them even though they are cracked (Not sure if they leak) but is it possible to make them look normal again and just use them when I want glass instead of the solid ones I have? Thanks for the help! <br > <br > <br >

ATIS

I used the flex fit fiberglass ones on my 75 when I had to replace them. They fit decent and I havent had any issues 3 years later but she is garage kept so she doesnt sun bake all the time.

gbvette62

There are 3 types of bumpers, the flexible urethane that originally camme on the car, rigid fiberglass and flexible fiberglass. I personally prefer ACI's Tru-Flex brand of flexible fiberglass bumpers.

The urethane ones have the most give to them, and are factory correct, if that's your goal. The rigid verse flexible fiberglass, is really just a matter of personal preference. I like the flexible ones, because they at least give the illusion of being urethane, though they are no where near as flexible.

Fit wise, they can all present problems. After 30-40 years, the bodies on a lot of these cars, ahve changed from when they left the factory. With the either of the fiberglass bumpers, fit issues can be addressed by sanding, grinding or filling the bumper. With urethane bumpers, the only way to correct fit issues, is to do body work on the car.

The rigid fiberglass are the cheapest, with the flexible glass ones slightly more expensive, and the real urethane ones quit a bit more.

There is no way to make cracked glass tops look "normal" again, other than having them restored with new glass. $100 is a pretty good deal for a pair of broken tops. The rebuilders will give you about $100 each for them. You can turn them in as cores, for a pair of restored glass tops, and save about $400 over the cost of a pair of glass ones bought outright.

Snoopysvet

Is there a supporting vendor that repairs cracked glass, I have a cracked one too.

gbvette62

There is only one company that restores the tops, using glass like the originals, Melrose T-Tops. Most of the Corvette vendors are dealers for Melrose, so pick your favorite, and give them a call.

Thompson Astrotops restores factory tops too, but they use acrylic panels, not glass. Their tops are a little cheaper, weigh a little less, and come in 3 or 4 colors, but because they're plastic, they don't look quite like original tops. Thompson doesn't offer much of a discount to wholesale customers, so not many of the Corvette vendors sell their tops. Most people end up having to deal direct with Thompson, who I don't think is a Supporting Vendor?