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raygreenwood wrote:Or...add a fairing strip for top and ottom from plastic and sheet metal so there is no gap between bumper and body save for a gasket, and paont it the same color as the body. Ray

That right there with rims painted the same color as the body, SWEET!

maybe that in yellow with the colored Euro lights, 2 rally's mounted UNDER the bumper tinted windows, black headlight trim and a black trunk.......

I think the polish idea is a great idea and clear coat; I'm sure the chrome idea would look sweet but adds to your cost. I love having the alloy bumpers!! They are so tuff! I got hit a few time on my old 412 and the other car toke a beating and I had a little indent in the rubber,lol!
I kinda wonder about the shocks on them but cant be too different then solid mounts? bill

I had mentioned the chrome idea as a alternative to swapping with earlies, I to think the polish is probably the least expensive and best way to go. I just like the chromies better.

I am actually thinking, when the time comes , to have them chromed and recessing them closer to the body, They stick out too much for my liking. Still have no clue if at all doable, also with the chroming, never had good luck so far....every T3 I had rechromed, started rusting through. Next time I am going to the harley shop down the street. Them guys are fanatics

Shortening the "shocks" on the '74 bumpers should be doable. Back in my more BMW oriented days, I read that quite a few people would do this mod to the the older BMW's with the big 5mph alu. bumpers. It really changes the look. I left mine on my BMW alone, and lucky I did, because I was really tired in college one time and ran into mail truck (nobody ruled at fault, it was obvious they were going WAY too fast, so it was ruled a draw I guess? ). Well, my bumper shocks were kind of pushed over to one side, and my fender was slightly creased, and the rubber bellows on the side of the bumper was kind of scraped up a little, and a few side lenses were cracked. I spent about $30 in parts to fix it and bent the fender back myself and with some minor spraypaint blending, you could barely see where the damage was. Really minor damage. I believe the "long life" post vehicle bodies are made of aluminum, and I totally demolished this damn thing. I mean the whole side was completely destroyed, ripped open. They couldn't even open the door, and the rear bumper cover was totally ripped off.

Anyway, remember the orange wagon with the Porsche motor? The one that is all color matched orange. I think that car is pretty hot. It's very "'80's Euro tuner style" with a little "German look." I love it!

OK, if you chromed the aluminum (alloy, which ever it is), seems that you would not have rust,..ever.

Is it the steel bumper that rusts,...or is it the nickel plating (chrome) that rusts. I've always thought it was the steel under chrome.

what actually happens is the weather deionizes the chrome plating, it flakes off and the metal undeneath rusts. Your right about the aluminum, the chrome would flake, but there would be no rust.

I only know what I've seen on TV about the chroming process, but it seems that the vat of molten nickel is somehow magnitized so that it will adhere to the metal.
Ya couldn't do that with aluminum.

Oh, I think you can, chrome aluminum wheels are all over the place.

67 T1 wrote:I only know what I've seen on TV about the chroming process, but it seems that the vat of molten nickel is somehow magnitized so that it will adhere to the metal.
Ya couldn't do that with aluminum.

Well sorta, they ionize the chrome vat, the ionization draws the chrome to the metal you want chromed.

Right, it has to do with electrical charge, and aluminum will conduct electricity.

Aluminum wheels

Call me old fashion, but I want good ole american (or German) steel keeping my tires attached to the vehicle. And bring back the steel beer can while we're at it ! dang aluminum taste.

Shortening the "shocks" on the '74 bumpers should be doable. Back in my more BMW oriented days, I read that quite a few people would do this mod to the the older BMW's with the big 5mph alu. bumpers. It really changes the look

That would be interesting. Do you remember how it was done?

67 T1 wrote:Aluminum wheels

Call me old fashion, but I want good ole american (or German) steel keeping my tires attached to the vehicle. And bring back the steel beer can while we're at it ! dang aluminum taste.

But how does beer taste out of an aluminum wheel??

I work at an architectural sign company and we have aluminum nickle plated all the time. I believe the process is about 5 steps of various dips. Chrome plating is one additional step above nickle plating.

I was considering putting some early type 3 bumpers on mine. Havn't actually measured one up yet to see if it will work though.