Fiberglass bumper experience - how did yours go?
#2350718
08/08/17 02:13 PM
08/08/17 02:13 PM
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX
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OP
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Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
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Especially for us post Ralph Nader bumper people ('73+) a fiberglass bumper is an opportunity to save serious weight from the nose of the car.
Can anyone share their experience with one of these parts?
Who made it? (Anyone other than AAR?)
How was the finish?
What kind of prep did it need before paint?
What kind of paint did you use?
Were there any issues mounting it up?
Would you do it again?
Answers to any of the above would be valuable info!
-Mike
Last edited by MRGTX; 08/08/17 02:14 PM.
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Re: Fiberglass bumper experience - how did yours go?
[Re: MRGTX]
#2351216
08/09/17 10:33 AM
08/09/17 10:33 AM
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX
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Ha... well, these are good questions, of course. Maybe it's not worth the risk running fiberglass on the street. It's just really hard to look at that bumper as protection from anything. It's bolted diretly to the car and seemingly not designed to absorb impact in any meaningful way...at least on a '73 car like mine. Any damage to that bumper would almost certainly mean damage to the frame/unibody as well. So it's mostly just a big chrome weight on the wrong end of the car. Then again, it could prevent a minor tap from destroying the grille, fenders, hood, radiator and the whole front of the engine bay. As for the rear one, do folks usually do them as a pair? I wasn't considering it because the rear bumper is much more slender, at the end of the car that could use the weight...and I have a vintage Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale bumper sticker that I'd hate to lose. 
Last edited by MRGTX; 08/09/17 10:39 AM.
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Re: Fiberglass bumper experience - how did yours go?
[Re: MRGTX]
#2351280
08/09/17 12:35 PM
08/09/17 12:35 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,695
Bitopia
jcc
If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
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If you can't dazzle em with diamonds..
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 22,695
Bitopia
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"and I have a vintage Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale bumper sticker that I'd hate to lose. laugh "
Too funny, but that also maybe a bullseye target, depending where you drive.
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
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Re: Fiberglass bumper experience - how did yours go?
[Re: MRGTX]
#2351354
08/09/17 02:35 PM
08/09/17 02:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 246
Cranberry Twp PA (North of Pit...
rumblefish72
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
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Cranberry Twp PA (North of Pit...
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I did this front and rear on my '72 'Cuda. It was a pain. I'm pretty sure I purchased both bumpers from Unlimited. Neither one fit just right. They were too narrow (vertically) and too long (horizontally), the ends didn't tuck in right and the crown was off. I cut both bumpers in half vertically and horizontally and used aluminum straps pop riveted to the four bumper pieces to get the correct spacing. Once I had the pieces in the proper locations, I fiberglassed everything back together and then did bodywork to make them smooth. I sand blasted the chrome off of the two rear bumperettes to fill in the bump outs in the lower valance panel and painted everything. I bet I have 40 hours into those bumpers.
If I was to do it again, I'd just replace the front bumper and I'd ask around to see who makes a better product as a starting point. And I wonder how much those "elastomeric" bumpers weigh. Maybe you slap a pair of those on and save a bunch of weight?
1972 Pro-Street 'Cuda, 500" Eagle stoker B Block, Eddy RPM heads, Victor Manifold, 850 Mighty Demon, Hemi 4 Speed, Dana 60 w/4.88 gears - Built by Hansen Racing Middlesex - NJ
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Re: Fiberglass bumper experience - how did yours go?
[Re: rumblefish72]
#2351857
08/10/17 01:29 PM
08/10/17 01:29 PM
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
MRGTX
OP
member
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OP
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 111
Connecticut, USA
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I did this front and rear on my '72 'Cuda. It was a pain. I'm pretty sure I purchased both bumpers from Unlimited. Neither one fit just right. They were too narrow (vertically) and too long (horizontally), the ends didn't tuck in right and the crown was off. I cut both bumpers in half vertically and horizontally and used aluminum straps pop riveted to the four bumper pieces to get the correct spacing. Once I had the pieces in the proper locations, I fiberglassed everything back together and then did bodywork to make them smooth. I sand blasted the chrome off of the two rear bumperettes to fill in the bump outs in the lower valance panel and painted everything. I bet I have 40 hours into those bumpers.
If I was to do it again, I'd just replace the front bumper and I'd ask around to see who makes a better product as a starting point. And I wonder how much those "elastomeric" bumpers weigh. Maybe you slap a pair of those on and save a bunch of weight? Yikes...this is what I was afraid of. It sounds like you had the skills for the job...I'd probably make a mess out of them. Are there companies making elastomeric bumpers for old cars? That's an interesting thought.
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Re: Fiberglass bumper experience - how did yours go?
[Re: MRGTX]
#2351882
08/10/17 02:08 PM
08/10/17 02:08 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,622
in a cattle trailer down by th...
Guitar Jones
Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
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Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,622
in a cattle trailer down by th...
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I bought front and rear dumpers for my 72 Duster from VFN. No idea if they are still in business but they made everything as ordered so it took about 6 weeks to get them. I had no problems with them, fit great but all fiberglass needs some finish work.
After an old lady bumped my car from behind I took it off the street. I couldn't see risking all that money in the lunacy on the roads around here.
"Follow me the wise man said, but he walked behind"
'92 D250 Club Cab CTD, 47RH conversion, pump tweaks, injectors, rear disc and hydroboost conversion.
'74 W200 Crew Cab 360, NV4500, D44, D60 and NP205 divorced transfer case. Rear disc and hydroboost coming soon!
2019 1500 Long Horn Crew Cab 4WD, 5.7 Hemi.
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