Rigid front bumper question
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2012
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From: Summerville SC
Rigid front bumper question
I am installing an ACI rigid bumper and I have most of the process understood but I have a question about what is underneath. I know most of the hardware under the oem rubber bumper was to help with the 5mph crash test. And I know that if I hit something at 5mph my fiberglass bumper will crack. But does all the steel framing under the nose of the car do anything? I can't see it supporting anything other than the signal light lenses. I've done some searches and the answers are mixed. Thoughts from anyone who has done this. What is necessary and what isn't? Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2008
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2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Some of the support pieces on the front and back are their to support the "rubber". As you indicated, with rigid fiberglass, some of the pieces can be removed. When I rebuilt my 77 I removed the pieces from front and rear that were obviously there for rubber support only. I did NOT remove the large metal structures, which doubles as a vacuum reservoir on the front, and in reality is real crash protection. I did NOT install the honeycomb plastic piece on the front, because in my opinion, its the five mph part. My decisions were based on removing five mph pieces, but retaining the structural benefit of a real bumper. The chrome bumpers on early C3 Corvettes are a joke when it comes to crash protection, and obviously nothing more than trim pieces, when you compare them to the substantial bumpers on rubber bumper cars. Its your choice.......but I wanted to retain some real crash protection.
Last edited by Shovels and Vettes; Dec 1, 2020 at 07:28 PM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2012
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From: Summerville SC
Thanks. I agree not to take off the vac tank. It truly is a crash protection device. But I have a lot of other pieces of stamped steel brackets that seem to be there just to support the thick rubber pad that goes in the center along with the plastic honeycomb. Probably going to just lay it out and see what appears to serve a purpose and what doesn't. Allso trying to squeeze a PS cooler under there and loosing all those brackets makes things easier.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Waterford Mi
On my 73 I felt the piece laying on the floor is the support for the soft rubber bumper and not needed for a fiberglass bumper. If you do install it watch for the fiberglass to show signs of cracks where it rubs on the inside.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,822
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From: Summerville SC
Hadn't thought about all that stel might be rubbing on the fiberglass. Will watch it. Thanks. Also thinking of opening up the center section with some type of grill over it, similar to yours. 
