As I strip down my 1969 corvette convertible project I'm learning more about what's been done decades ago.

Let me begin by saying I'm not looking to restore her back to factory specs. I'm looking to build a resto-mod race car replica while keeping the same styling and overall design. My decision is whether or not to bring back the chrome front bumper or leave it like it is.

Someone many years ago did some fiberglass work over the original front bumper. There doesn't seem to be any signs of an accident at all. I guess they wanted to make it look like a mid 70's model. The chrome bumper was removed but the center horse shoe bracket and two outside brackets were still there but obviously not attached to a bumper. They then extended the front nose 2-3" in front of that and glassed in the spoiler on the bottom. I think I can lift the body and just clear the lower spoiler so I could possibly keep the look that it has now. I have no body work experience let alone fiberglass so I'm curious how extensive it would be for a body guy to shave it back to the original bumper? I know anything is possible but being as I would send it out for that work would it bust my budget?

I know most of the racers back in 69-70 removed the chrome bumpers anyway, I assume to cut weight, so it would still look like a racer without the bumper on it. Here are some pictures.Thoughts?

 

THIS is the million dollar question and you have to decide which direction you want to take.

YES...many..way too many...but until you figure out what you want to do...any thoughts are pointless.

Putting this back to a chrome bumper car is do-able...but it is going to be extensive due to all the fiberglass work. The fenders have been modified and it will need a lower valance and I can not say anything about condition of the top hood surround due to your photos are not showing critical areas. So it is hard to say.

DUB

 

What pictures of the top hood surround would you need to see? I can take some more pictures later. Thanks!

 

I do not need to see any photos...I am more interested in which way you are choosing to take?

Knowing what direction you want to take will determine in what is needed next...because as like I stated in my last post...the two options you have given yourself to choose from are quite different. ...and I honestly do not want to waste your time or my time in discussion a repair method/procedure that will then be changed.

Think of it like we are hiking from Washington D.C.....and you either want to go to Richmond Virginia or Los Angeles California. Knowing WHERE you want to go DOES make a huge difference....not only in costs but also logistics.

DUB

 

Thanks Dub, I appreciate your help. I want to keep the fender flares since I'll be going with wider tires so I'm just not sure if it's possible to just cut back the fender to the original and reshape the corner in or would it be easier for a body guy to cut in a partial front end from a 69 and would that be strong enough. I would like to go back to chrome bumper if its not crazy expensive! Anything is possible if you throw enough money at it. Not having any body experience I'm unsure if this is a terribly complicated task to undo or not. I appreciate your time and help.

 

I would say that the paint has to be sanded down and taken off so a better view of what the previous person did...and thus...a plan of attack can be figured out in order to get the front of the grille area correct and still allow you to use a chrome bumper and all its hardware to make it like it was designed from GM.

The very first three photos of this thread are showing the underside of where the bumper would be. It is really hard to see what is going on in regards to the flange that may have been ground off or modified.. THIS area is where things can begin to get a bit FUN. And not FUN in a good way.

Sectioning in a partial front end is do-able..but so much depends on how much would need to be corrected so it could be bonded on and laminated in.

DUB

 

Thanks again Dub. In regards to the first three photos, I'm not sure what the original front foiberglass looks like under that front 'bump' area for the chrome bumper. Mine seems to come down and end at it. Not sure if its a metal strip on the front there or not. Don't know if the original continues down and under a little and this is where they cut it off to continue the extended new firberglass bumper.

 

remove the paint so you can see what you have to work with,
you can usually tell if it was done properly with fiberglass or not= (bodyfiller).
if done poorly cut it out, and see what remains.

 

Looking up from the underside it looks to be done with all fiberglass. I'd have to say it was a good job considering it's well over 35 years old and still not cracked or anything.

 

I'm just throwing this out there for you experts to consider:

IF you want the chrome bumper "LOOK", and the bodywork is as well done as it looks, THEN couldn't you just get a Chrome Bumper and modify it to fit the present structure?

If that's a bonehead idea just go ahead and say so. I readily acknowledge my ignorance of bodywork.

 

Car, I actually considered that option. It would take some work because the center horseshoe brackets front two bolt holes are now slightly covered by the new front nose. I guess I could make a u shaped bracket to around and in front to bolt onto. Then the outside corner brackets are now underneath the new front nose corners so there's probably 1-2" I'd have to make up to reach the bumper to bracket. Plus I would need to cut a hole exactly in the corner spot where it would bolt through.

I fiddled around with that idea for about an hour a couple of weeks ago. I just held up the chrome bumper to the front nose. It seems to extend out from the corners quite a bit. On the stock nose does it get pulled in when bolted down anyone? It seems like the new nose is shaped a little sharper than stock maybe.

 

It IS NOT a 'bone head idea'...as you put it...but it has EVERYTHING to do with what I call "the angles of the dangles'....and attempting to attach a chrome bumper would require so much cutting on the front of this clip..and then the modification of the brackets...it could still be quite time consuming. And this is assuming the person was wanting it to look factory.

If the person did not give a hoot about the correct facotry looks and wanting to get the chrome bumper on....I know it could be installed and made to fit but it might end up looking crappy. But once again...when dealing with stuff that is 'custom' .... EVERYBODY has their view on what looks good or bad when comparing it to facotry styling.

NOT saying that it could not be done...but it could actually cost more to do it that way than it would be to possibly section in panels and put it back factory.

SO hard it say how much it would cost and how long it can take....because I can not see what the owner want is it look like and if that vision changes...then that changes everything again and again and again...IF teh vision keeps changing.

DUB

 

The bumper...when bolted to a facotry body does NOT get pulled in. IF it did that ...then the bumper would have a bow to it and that is NOT how it goes on.

On the front bumper...where the two outer welded in brackets are that have the welded in nuts that allow the bolts to go into the bumper. The distance between these two outer bumper mounts are what they a re. SO...having the holes in the body that are ...for example... 1 inch closer together than what the bumper measures out to be...You CANNOT expect the bumper to be able to be pulled in to that distance. IF that now makes sense. You should eb able to hold the bumper to the body and start threading the bolts without EXCESSIVE effort.

DUB

 

Yeah thats what I figured. Like I said I only played around with it for like an hour and just held up the chrome bumper to the front end to see how it looked and how 'off' it was from original. My guess is the point out front is more pronounced than the outside corners. I guess 40 years ago someone thought they were 'uodating' thier 69 to look like a 73 or something but wish they had left it alone. I guess I'm going to have to find a local c3 body guy that can take a look at it and help me out.

Anyone know a good C3 body guy in the NY area?

Also just finished building Alan's body mount so hopefully I'll have the body off this week.