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Im having trouble understanding what ”Front Center Bumper Bracket” my 1968 shall have, mine is missing.
My car was bought in parts, it's a restoration that been on hold for 25 years, after so long time and the car in boxes, the answers is few.
According to Corvette central there is three different bumper brackets, one unique for 68, one unique for 69 an one for the three years 70 - 72
According to the Assembly manual, the 68 and 69 use the same bracket, I attached a picture of this.
When I today visit a friend who is professionally restoring corvettes, to look at what he had that could help me out , we became a little confused.
In the pictures, from my friends shop, we see one bracket from a 69, the white, the black is from a 72.
In the screenshot from Corvette Central the 68 has a little "wing" set into the front of the bracket. While the one for 70 - 72 do not have this wing.
The 70–72 have two nut mounts, in the middle on each side, that 68 and 69 don't have.
My friends black bracket has both the little wing in the from and nut mounts in the sides.
What is true here ?
Shall I by a 1969 bracket from corvette central or ?
Hello,
That's not a photo from my car.
It's one taken from the internet.
If it's not in the 68 AIM it must have been a mid model year change to help stabilize the front clip forward of the heavy headlights which were causing various fiberglass problems .
Regards.....
The nut plates on the sides of the 70-72 are for brackets that hold the grilles on those model years. The 68 and 69 grilles were featherweight compared to the 70-72s and have their own brackets that do not attach to the horseshoe.
As pointed out by @Alan 71 , the L bracket was added to the original 68 issue. I don’t know if it was introduced during the 68 production run but it was on all 69, 70, 71 and 72s.
Unless you plan to judge your car, you’re fine with the bracket you have as the dimensions of the horseshoe are the same for all year (68-72).
Hello,
At least by the 71 model year and likely earlier a 'rod' with flattened ends with a threaded hole for a bolt was added.
It ran from the center bottom of the core support to a hole in the bracket in the back side of the center of the front bumper.
That rod passed above the large horse shoe shaped bracket we've ben talking about.
Regards....
First the lower connection with the core support.
Then the forward end disappearing into the bumper.
The nut plates on the sides of the 70-72 are for brackets that hold the grilles on those model years. The 68 and 69 grilles were featherweight compared to the 70-72s and have their own brackets that do not attach to the horseshoe.
As pointed out by @Alan 71 , the L bracket was added to the original 68 issue. I don’t know if it was introduced during the 68 production run but it was on all 69, 70, 71 and 72s.
Unless you plan to judge your car, you’re fine with the bracket you have as the dimensions of the horseshoe are the same for all year (68-72).
Are you sure the L-bracket was on all 69-72 cars? I have had a number of 71's, including lower-mileage ones, and they had no L-bracket.
Hello Mike,
I think that too.
I'm just not sure what the sequence was and when.
Where did the second piece in that photo come from?
Is it bonded to the fiberglass nose? Or bolted in some way?
Here's something I've never mentioned.
This piece of metal was on my car between the large horse show bumper bracket and the bumper itself..
It seems it's intent was to adjust both distance and angle between the body, bumper, and brace.
Remember.... I was the original owner.
It's a no hit body.
Have you ever seen anything like this?
Regards....
Are you sure the L-bracket was on all 69-72 cars? I have had a number of 71's, including lower-mileage ones, and they had no L-bracket.
Truth be told, no. A lot of these cars have had front end damage and it’s likely that whatever was available from The General at the time was installed during the repair. My 69 has the bracket and the rod but I know it has a center wheels surround replaced very early in its life.
Hello,
Well, then perhaps the L shaped brackets went away pretty quickly during (?) the 68 model year.
Regards.....
Thanks for all answers. I think then we can summarize this.
it seems the picture I posted from corvette central then is correct. 68, 69, 70-72 are three slightly different brackets, but the 70-72 will fit all.
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one question remains, in my picture the black bracket seems to be a combination, or?
The L bracket is there, if this is 68 unique, why is there grill mount nuts on the side if that was 70-72 unique?
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also in my picture the AIM shows the same part number for 68 & 69, which points to the assumption that the L was removed somewhere on the line during 68.
Front Center Bumper Bracket
