New rubber bumper

Johan · 03-21-03, 06:13 PM

Ok, anyone out there have some experience to share from installing a new rear bumper? (74 or later).
I have bought a new replacement bumper from partsforvettes.com (flexible fibreglass), and after some minor touch-up it will soon be painted ready to bolt on.
But, can i bolt it right on to the body, or do I have to have something in between? There was something between the old urethane one and the fibreglass body, but if it was some kind of "gasket", or just years and yeras of dirt, I cant say.
I cannot find anything in the vette catalogs for this (except different kinds of mounting brackets).
Apart from this, what's your opinion of the fitting? The one I got lacks almost half an inch of width, but I guess it can be bent to fit to the bolt holes with some force.

/Johan

GW74 · 03-21-03, 09:32 PM

Their is nothing between the bumper covers. They are sandwiched by the retainers that are available from the major catalog suppliers. Mine were in good shape I just cleaned them up and used them again. This is a knuckle banger of a job but I did it from the garage floor. Patience

wwilkins · 03-21-03, 11:19 PM

I just replaced my front bumper and there was a layer of wax and dirt in between them. No gaskets. Good luck fitting your bumper, mine was a real PITA. I had to redrill nearly every hole and the flange was a different size. But now that it's on the car it looks better than the old one.

Bill

Johan · 03-22-03, 04:36 AM

Well my retainers were in a world of rust, so I have ordered a set of the rplacement "bolt-type" retainers that can be found in most catalogs. Haven't got them yet, so I have yet to find out if they work good.

/Thanks, Johan

paintdaddy · 03-24-03, 02:01 AM

Yep, Ive installed many of these bumpers.The most common problem with just replacing the bumper is that alot of times people will fill and block the edge of the fiberglass where the bumper mounts to make it line up good with the old one.Now you put the new on on and if its made just a little different it doesnt line up exactly like the old one.

Johan · 03-24-03, 03:29 PM

Yes it doesn't line up at all actually. The new bumper is something like 1/4" narrower than the rear end of the car. Ofcourse you can bend the lower part of the bumper outwards to meet the body, but that doesn't help on the top, in the "corners".
Option A is to "build" on the side of the new bumper to make it wider, but I guess that will be hard to get good.
Option B is to cut the bumper in two, at the "fake seam" (it is a 74 fake two-piece design), add 1/4" to the length, and then fill and sand the seam.
I sure don't want to bond the bumper to the body, since this means I have to repaint more or less the whole car, and this is not needed.

GW74 · 03-24-03, 06:38 PM

I was fortunate enough to have gotten a good half from some one on Ebay for a good deal. The Rubber ones are the best because you can adjust the sides out to where they need to be. I would shop around for one that is more flexible before I start splitting seams and adding material.