Are bumpers interchangeable?

Longbeach412 · Post by **Longbeach412** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:50 pm

My 74 got them dull Alu bumpers

. Are they interchangeable with earlier chrome bumpers? Thanks

ubercrap · Post by **ubercrap** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 7:19 am

It doesn't look like they are easily interchangeable. The earlier chrome bumpers have a "blade" style mounting system with kind of a "framework" that fits inside the bumper. The aluminum bumpers, as you know, are mounted to big shock absorbers like many cars that had to be updated/adapted for U.S. use in the '70's and '80's, to meet the 5mph crash standards I guess? If you look at the panels, at least on the front, the '74's have recessed punchout areas for both styles of mount. Now, I haven't compared how both mounts attach to the body closely, I don't remember what is welded or bolted. I think it is possible, but some serious work might be required.
There should be some type of metal polish that would at least get the bumpers back to their original state I would think. I don't know how shiny they originally were, though. I don't see why one couldn't go one step further and polish the aluminum bumpers to a high polish, just like one can do with road wheels. I bet Eastwood would have the stuff to do it.

Longbeach412 · Post by **Longbeach412** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 8:31 am

Hmmm........some food for thought! Thanks. I wonder how polished aluminum would hold out against oxidization.

67 T1 · Post by **67 T1** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 9:45 am

My aluminums look like crap on a shingle also. Check back a few pages, I posted a thread on how to polish them. Everybody chiped in some good ideas, and also, some what "not to do's". i.e. some chemicals will eat your bumpers

DeathBus · Post by **DeathBus** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 10:26 am

get them chromed

ubercrap · Post by **ubercrap** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 11:09 am

67 T1 wrote:My aluminums look like crap on a shingle also. Check back a few pages, I posted a thread on how to polish them. Everybody chiped in some good ideas, and also, some what "not to do's". i.e. some chemicals will eat your bumpers

Guess I missed that thread?

ubercrap · Post by **ubercrap** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 11:11 am

Longbeach412 wrote:Hmmm........some food for thought! Thanks. I wonder how polished aluminum would hold out against oxidization.

Possibly they could be clearcoated after polishing?

67 T1 · Post by **67 T1** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 11:25 am

took a few minutes to find, actually was on a different subject but migrated to cleaning the bumpers. Not as detailed as I remembered either.

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... ht=#525878

67 T1 · Post by **67 T1** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 11:29 am

ubercrap wrote:
Longbeach412 wrote:Hmmm........some food for thought! Thanks. I wonder how polished aluminum would hold out against oxidization.
Possibly they could be clearcoated after polishing?

Or just paint them flat black

DeathBus · Post by **DeathBus** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:06 pm

send them out to be chromed I hate to sound like a broken record, but there are plenty of shops everywhere that will chrome anything including aluminum. In the long run it will be cheaper and alot less hassle.

ubercrap · Post by **ubercrap** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:13 pm

Oh, I thought it might be that thread, the one with the pictures of the car where the aluminum bumpers looked shiny still. That last part of the post by Ray, I'm puzzled by. Is there nothing behind the normal U.S. spec chrome bumpers? On my '73 on the front, the chrome bumper part is missing, but there is this beefy metal framework that fits behind it.

It's difficult to see, but the white string is wrapped around it.

So was that extra framework behind the bumper on all '73's or just the tourist delivery vehicles? Who has a for sure U.S. spec '73?

DeathBus · Post by **DeathBus** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:15 pm

I have one, it is just a frame behind it.

Chrome it...............

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:31 pm

Or...you can have it anodized black...or colors. There is a strip frame behind the standard chrome bumper, but what came on mine...was different.
I had probably removed about 30 front 411/412 bumpers in m life....and when I pulled the last bolt out of mine...and it dropped to my lap.....

...it weighs about 50 lbs! It has extra metal behind it from the factory. I'm sure its extra strength...right before the 5 mph crash bumpers came out...but have never seen it on another. Ray

DeathBus · Post by **DeathBus** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:52 pm

raygreenwood wrote:Or...you can have it anodized black...or colors.

now THAT looks sharp. Sorta Euro style, almost modern.

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 5:09 pm

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