I have seen the name Don anderson thrown around when it comes to chrome front bumper conversions, and I can't find him online; makes sense as people say he is taking a break. I wanted to know if anyone else who has done this that can help me or anywhere, I can buy a conversion aside from buying the fiber glass front from a 73, I think.

 

73's don't have chrome front bumpers. Not really much different than your 75.
Easiest way to get a chrome front bumper.
Sell your 75 and purchase a 72 or earlier C3.
This comes up on here fairly frequently.
There really is no free lunch here.
Anything is possible if your willing to spend enough money. But for way, way less, sell your 75 and purchase a 72 or earlier.

 

With the amount of money, time, and skill it takes to graft the early chrome bumpers onto a later car, you’re much better off getting an actual chrome bumper car for a few thousand more.

I could understand doing it though if you’re also doing fender flares or other additional bodywork that would necessitate taking the car down to bare fiberglass with the intention of painting the whole thing.

 

when people say " sell what you have and buy a real one " its easier said than done, like it or not there is a pretty hefty premium on chrome cars and most people don't have unlimited money. there is also the case of what someone wants does not exist at any price. so " buying a real one " is not an option. the conversions required some time and effort , but its nothing close to the effort of grafting the nose off a chrome car on a rubber car. the problem is finding a conversion. ,the glasworks conversion was a bolt on that transformed the entire look of the car. the group that says it cheaper and easier to buy a real one have no idea what they are talking about. i hope someone steps up and makes a similar conversion , there is demand for it

 

You rang? Forum Member PRIYA and a few senior members have/are making the conversion.

As a Forum Corvette Rookie, the Members guided/encouraged me in changing my Heinz 57 convertible to a chrome bumper car. In my thread I made a list of parts and prices to do a front and rear chrome conversion/use my Table of Contents on page 1 of my thread to locate the subjects you are asking about.

The front clip can be cut off carefully in front of the headlights to match the body of a '68-'72 front chrome bumper car, which I think is what you are really asking. I overthought the process and did a LOT of unnecessary body work to make the modification (mistakes/reworks noted in my thread).
Also...LIFE intervened many times which greatly extended the conversion time.

Think all the above advice given by all the members...it is all good to know.

 

There is a hefty premium on chrome bumper cars he said. NO KIDDING!
And converting frame, bumper extensions, body work, paint, the actual parts needed, etc, etc. Are Free!
ahhh, no, they are not!
IT SERIOUSLY IS CHEAPER to buy a real one!

 

Buy a real one he says . how many of these rolled off the line and where can i find a few to choose from so i can choose the color i want too.

 

when i speak about conversions , this is what i'm talking about.


so i stand by my statement , its cheaper and easier to convert than it is to buy a chrome car.

 

I'll cast a vote for the "its easier and cheaper to buy a real car" group.

While its true if you are looking for some version of something that was never built, of course it's easier and only possible to make your own custom. But when you really just want a chrome bumper car, you should just actually buy a chrome bumper car.

No one has taken into account that when you buy a chrome bumper car, its worth market value from that point forward and likely will appreciate at a rate far greater than the rubber bumper car you sold to get it.

On the other hand, while there may be a few individuals who disregard the market and are willing to pay too much for a custom car (not talking about crazy budget restomods of course) the vast majority of the rubber bumper cars that have been converted to look like a chrome bumper car wind up worth even less than they started in the market. Not remotely like the real car you might have bought. So, market realities add dramatically to the "cost" calculation of buying a real car in the first place, making that choice a far wiser financial decision.

 

there are quite a few different ways to look at this , obviously if your heart is set on a chrome car and originality , a chrome car is the only way to go, if you want the look and are not fixated on originality and have a smaller budget the conversion kits are your best bang for the buck. assuming body work and paint are a wash that doesn't enter in to it. i know there are some guys who will be offended , but there are quite a few people that simply don't like the look of the rubber cars , never have and never will. with a premium on chrome cars a way to get " the look " is a conversion. notice i said " the look " not an undetectable copy.
again at the risk of offending some , not everyone that owns a corvette is consumed with originality , numbers , appreciation , investment potential , how many were made with what options and how rare it is.in short corvettes are just cool cars. they like the looks and want one. and again i hate to say it but the group that lusts after a rubber corvette is tiny compared to the group that lusts after a chrome one.
i will also add this , as far as grafting the front and rear of a chrome car on a rubber car along with all the above mentioned frame work and and everything that goes with it is a fools errand with one exception , rebuilding a wreck. that is a whole different kettle of fish
as far as people that disregard the market and over pay for a custom , that too is pretty subjective. restomods are fetching some pretty serious money , as well as not everyone gets tied in knots about resale value or originality.

 

Curious, what would it take to install the factory chrome bumpers? I'd image the original brackets would have to be utilized to support the weight vs the fiberglass bumpers?

 

Based on the pics I’m seeing of that kit, it does not look like the mentioned bracketry or weight are needed. Looks like cutting off glass and putting glass back on. I’ve seen more than a few chrome bumpered C3’s with the bumpers being painted either body color or a contrasting color. Nope, not everyone’s cup of tea, but to each his own. I’ve liked a few that I’ve seen, with the pro touring treatment, as I am not the NCRS type. Not saying these shown were conversions, nor do I care if they are or not, but showing examples of how the fiberglass “chrome” bumpers can be pulled off. Resale value? If someone comes along who loves the super cool, custom looking car you’ve created (another person who does not care about having the correct water hose) one could sell for a mint if it is built smartly and with one’s own labor (sweat equity)

 

The expensive part is prep and repaint

 

Yes, I can imagine that could get expensive. However, I’ve been watching quite a few rattle can painting videos on youtube. Rather amazing some of the finished results. Rattle cans have come a long way. In the hands of someone skilled, with the patience, proper prep, sanding, cutting, polishing, masking, etc (tons of sweat equity), I think one could get a nice finish for less than $1k. Would it hold up forever? No way. But, I’ve seen people pay thousands for pro paint jobs where issues pop up in a few years as well. I could imagine that with good wax/ceramic that it would look good for some time, more so if garaged and only a weekend cruiser. But, even in one of these vids, the pro wouldn’t recommend doing a whole car. I could imagine that not having a booth, compressor, spray equipment, etc that this would be a viable option for someone who is not weak hearted and is a detailed person. I keep an open mind to various possibilities. I did the engine, engine compartment and front chassis on my 69 with rattle cans, with good prep and a high attention to tape off (those red bushings were already in there) so it came out pretty dang nice.

The engine and compartment of the 69

 

Quote:

Based on the pics I’m seeing of that kit, it does not look like the mentioned bracketry or weight are needed. Looks like cutting off glass and putting glass back on.

That's what prompted my question.This conversion is for those wanting the chrome bumper look, but appears you’re not able to fully achieve it with painted fiberglass bumpers. That’s why I asked what it would take to put the original factory bumpers on, I’m assuming the bracketry would need to be utilized.

 

There are methods for chroming any material. That kit could be used and still pull of the chrome bumper look, or real bumpers could be purchased and bolted on. If this was something I was interested in doing, I could pull it off. I showed the painted bumper one’s as a reference as I’m sure that’s the route most would go with that kit.

 

One could run steel or aluminum tubes, threaded at the bumper side, and fasten/epoxy/weld the tubes behind the glass (under the nose, tied into other things, such as existing brackets, rad support, or sub bumper plastic unit) and bolt the real bumpers into those threaded tubes. In the attached pic of a 75, there’s tons of plastic behind the nose that those threaded rods could be epoxied into. I would not want to be the guy trying to align everything just right though!!!!

 

putting real chrome bumpers on that particular kit is not going to work. the front is a totally different shape and length. the rears are also different dimensions . the front and rear or the rubber cars are surprisingly different , i'm assuming it was to accommodate for the extra length and impact stuff under the skin. gm did a pretty fair job of maintaining the overall look , but there are some significant differences that make it impossible to make look 100% factory with a bolt on nose and tail. there are a few ways to chrome fiberglass if thats the desired look. with a true bolt on conversion there is roughly the same amount of body and paint work as replacing the broken , sagging rubber pieces. so like i said earlier depending on the circumstances its pretty much a wash.

 

Here is one..great episode..i miss tony..not same now
https://www.motortrend.com/news/budg...arage-preview/

 

That one came out fantastic!