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Chrome Bumper Experts - Anyone Know???

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Old Oct 5, 2009 | 08:47 PM
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Default Chrome Bumper Experts - Anyone Know???

I have a 1971.
I received a beautiful 1969 bumper today from a very good friend.
When I got it home I compared the two.
I found the 69 bracket that holds the bumperette to be straight.
I found my 71 bracket has an extra bend in it and an extra hole.
Anyone know why the 71 has the extra bend and or know any reason why the 69 bumper wouldn't work on the 71?

Okay, I admit I am not the sharpest pencil in the pile, so have at me.

This is a copy of the bumper details from my AIM. I am speaking about the bracket coming from the bumper used to secure the bumperette.

Thanks for any help...

David
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Old Oct 5, 2009 | 09:13 PM
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Just a quick look at Zips catalog and they are two different part numbers. 68-69 are the same and 70-72 are the same. I can't say I know what the difference is but it does seem like there is something.
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Old Oct 5, 2009 | 10:54 PM
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I looked on Zip's and Paragon's websites and they list 68-72 bumpers made from GM tooling as the same. I am unsure why Zip's catalog shows 2 different bumpers. Perhaps they are different, but the changes are just a little that they do not effect bolt up. Now they do list 68-69 and 70-72 bumperettes, but that is probably because the 68-69 cars have all chrome and the 70-72 cars have black paint on them.
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Old Oct 5, 2009 | 11:08 PM
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The bumpers from 1968-1972 were the same part number and the same part. The bumperettes were different. The 1968-1969 bumperette was bare while the 1970-1972 bumperette had a flange spot welded to it that finished off the slate gray edge created by the new grille design in 1970. I'll see if I have a picture to show you.

Willcox

We'll I don't have a good picture. . . I'm still moving them to this machine. But the main question is about the bumper and yes the bumper is the same.

Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Oct 5, 2009 at 11:19 PM.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 09:55 AM
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Name:  69 Front Bumper Bracket 1.JPG
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Size:  589.2 KB

Name:  71 Front Bumper Bracket 1.JPG
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Size:  569.9 KB

Here is a picture of the brackets from the 69 bumper and the 71 bumper.

FYI.

David
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 10:00 AM
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I almost forgot. My 71 had these two additional brackets attached to them but where they went I don't recall. More food for the kettle.

Name:  PA060004.JPG
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I certainly appreciate all your help.

David
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted by AllC34Me
I almost forgot. My 71 had these two additional brackets attached to them but where they went I don't recall. More food for the kettle.
Attachment 47643490

Attachment 47643491
I certainly appreciate all your help...
Probably grille retainers. The assembly instruction manual will show them. Do you have the AIM?

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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 01:31 PM
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Easy Mike is correct... those brackets are for the blinker/ park light grill assembly to bolt onto near or behind the bumperettes. Just guessing... the blinker/park light assemblies were completely different for 68-69 and then the change in 70 model through 72 those have an attachment bracket in there somewhere...behind the bumperettes... i need one of those AIMs on my pc...lol

hope that helps! sorry not more precise

Sully
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by AllC34Me
Attachment 47643488

Attachment 47643489

Here is a picture of the brackets from the 69 bumper and the 71 bumper.

FYI.

David
Your upper photo is a 68-69 front bumper, the lower photo is a 70-72 bumper.

Originally Chevrolet did make 2 different bumpers: part number 3930410 was the 68-69 bumper, part number 3974008 was the 70-72. The only difference in the 2 bumpers is the brackets you pictured here. The 70-72 bumpers required the extra bend and hole to mount the inner grille brackets. By 1972, Chevrolet had discountinued the the 68-69 bumper and only listed the 3974008 bumper in the parts book with it listed as a 68-72 bumper and includes the note "(Z-shaped bumper guard brkt)". This bumper was the only one offered by Chevrolet for many years and is the bumper that the current repros made by Paragon and Keystone are based on.

Chevrolet discountinued the 68-69 bumper because the 70-72 bumper will work fine, you just don't use the extra holes. Unfortunetly, the 68-69 bumper won't work on a 70-72, because there is no provision for mounting the inner grille brackets.

I have a dented 68-69 bumper on my shelf. I've been saving it because sooner or later, the NCRS is going to figure out the difference and all the 68-69 owners are going to be out there running around wanting to spend lots of money for 68-69 bumpers!
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 06:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Easy Mike
Probably grille retainers. The assembly instruction manual will show them. Do you have the AIM?

Yes I do, and I got it now. Sorry for the dumb question, I see it now. Fabrication will be easy to make the 69 bumper work on my 71. Thanks for all the help.
David
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 06:42 PM
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Originally Posted by gbvette62
Your upper photo is a 68-69 front bumper, the lower photo is a 70-72 bumper.

Originally Chevrolet did make 2 different bumpers: part number 3930410 was the 68-69 bumper, part number 3974008 was the 70-72. The only difference in the 2 bumpers is the brackets you pictured here. The 70-72 bumpers required the extra bend and hole to mount the inner grille brackets. By 1972, Chevrolet had discountinued the the 68-69 bumper and only listed the 3974008 bumper in the parts book with it listed as a 68-72 bumper and includes the note "(Z-shaped bumper guard brkt)". This bumper was the only one offered by Chevrolet for many years and is the bumper that the current repros made by Paragon and Keystone are based on.

Chevrolet discountinued the 68-69 bumper because the 70-72 bumper will work fine, you just don't use the extra holes. Unfortunetly, the 68-69 bumper won't work on a 70-72, because there is no provision for mounting the inner grille brackets.

I have a dented 68-69 bumper on my shelf. I've been saving it because sooner or later, the NCRS is going to figure out the difference and all the 68-69 owners are going to be out there running around wanting to spend lots of money for 68-69 bumpers!
Thank you. But one disagreement if I can. The 68-69 bumper can be made to work with the 70-72, you only need one well crafted L-Bracket to fill the void and you are good as Gold. No NCRS for me, so I should be fine. Great place to store a hotly needed 69 bumper is on a 1971, nobody would ever think to look there.
Thank you again, much appreciated.
David
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by AllC34Me
Thank you. But one disagreement if I can. The 68-69 bumper can be made to work with the 70-72, you only need one well crafted L-Bracket to fill the void and you are good as Gold. No NCRS for me, so I should be fine. Great place to store a hotly needed 69 bumper is on a 1971, nobody would ever think to look there.
Thank you again, much appreciated.
David
OK, you got me. I guess I should have said that the 68-69 bumper won't work on a 70-72 without modifing it.
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Old Oct 6, 2009 | 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by gbvette62
OK, you got me. I guess I should have said that the 68-69 bumper won't work on a 70-72 without modifing it.
You are absolutely correct that a new bracket supplement will be needed. I will not be changing the 69 bumper, just borrowing it for the life of my car or until the original owner wants it back.
I haven't crafted the bracket yet, but will do so soon. I'll share what I learn.
Thanks again.
David
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