Quote:

---

Are the 70 / 71 / 72 Challenger rear bumper guards being reproduced? I taking the the '73 Nader bumpers off and want to replace them with the earlier years guards. Any help is appreciated.

---

Why put on any bumper guards at all? On my 73, I used the 70-72 style shorter brackets to move the bumpers in, and did away with the guards completely. Besides, the 70-72 bumpers have holes in different locations than the 73-74, and there are no holes for the guards...

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Are the 70 / 71 / 72 Challenger rear bumper guards being reproduced? I taking the the '73 Nader bumpers off and want to replace them with the earlier years guards. Any help is appreciated.

---

Why put on any bumper guards at all? On my 73, I used the 70-72 style shorter brackets to move the bumpers in, and did away with the guards completely. Besides, the 70-72 bumpers have holes in different locations than the 73-74, and there are no holes for the guards...

---

Eventually, I'm losing them off my '74 mainly because they really hurt when you bang your knees on them while working on it

Quote:

---

THEN YOU will need to weld up the solts in the rear valence

---

Ewww. Didn't think of that. May just live with them. I got enough bodywork to do

Quote:

---

THEN YOU will need to weld up the solts in the rear valence

---

No you don't! Do like I did. Get the 70-72 style bumperettes. They fit perfectly in the valance slots. The valance style was the same from 70-74...

Quote:

---

The 73/4 cop car guards look like crap as where the small 70-2 guards look cool.

---

You know what they say about opinions... I don't mind the looks. I'm just tired of banging my knees, or shins as the case is in front LOL

Quote:

---

Scott:

If you ever want to get rid of your 74 bumper guards, let me know !
I am looking for a decent set for my restoration.

---

PM your way

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Are the 70 / 71 / 72 Challenger rear bumper guards being reproduced? I taking the the '73 Nader bumpers off and want to replace them with the earlier years guards. Any help is appreciated.

---

Why put on any bumper guards at all? On my 73, I used the 70-72 style shorter brackets to move the bumpers in, and did away with the guards completely. Besides, the 70-72 bumpers have holes in different locations than the 73-74, and there are no holes for the guards...

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

The 73/4 cop car guards look like crap as where the small 70-2 guards look cool.

---

You know what they say about opinions... I don't mind the looks. I'm just tired of banging my knees, or shins as the case is in front LOL

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

The 73/4 cop car guards look like crap as where the small 70-2 guards look cool.

---

You know what they say about opinions... I don't mind the looks. I'm just tired of banging my knees, or shins as the case is in front LOL

---

The front you loose completely. The rear needs the 70-72 smaller guards or "bumperettes" as stroker is stating they are called. Either way, is anyone reproducing these?

---

Let me explain a few things on the E-body bumpers, as this subject comes up quite frequently.

(MODS: Anyway you could archive this in Tech?)

70-72's had bumpers relatively flush with the body. They did not have jack slots. They had a cut-out on the underside lip of the bumper, & the jack "hook" hooked into this slot, whereas 73-74's had a "slot" in the bumper face, and a "tab" on the jack mechanism fit into the slot.

Bumper guards on 70-72 were strictly an option. They were an upright chrome piece with a rubber facing, and had extra holes drilled in the bumper to accomodate them. These optional guards were available both front & rear. On the rear, the opt. guards are not to be confused with the rear "bumperettes"' which all 70-72's had as std. equipment. These "bumperettes" hung down below the rear bumper, & filled the cut-out rectangular openings in the rear valance. For 73-74, the rear "bumperettes" disappeared, and these cut-outs were filled by the huge oversize guards which were std. on all 73-74 cars , as part of the fed. govt. 5 mph crash regulation compliance. The 73-74 front bumpers also got the huge guards.
The optional front & rear guards from 70-72 were no longer offered.

Here's the process to make your 73-74 look like a 72. First you need to acquire the shorter front & rear bumper brackets from a 70-72. These will pull the bumper in flush, and allow you to do away with the rubber/plastic (whatever the heck they are) filler pieces, as well as the extremely heavy metal inner bumper re-inforcement bars. I've heard that on the front, you can re-drill the brackets to move them in further, but I'm not sure about that.

You'll need 70-72 bumpers, since the bracket holes are in a different position from the 73-74, as well as the previously noted jack slot vs. cut-out difference. Don't forget, your jack with the "tab" will not work. You will need a different jack mechanism, as well as a 70-72 Challenger specific jack hook. The last 3 digits of the part no. on the hook are "102", and the 102 hooks are being reproed.

To finish the front, I bought the 70-72 style rubber bumper "wedges" which fit in each end of the bumper, by the fender indentation. I also bought what I believe was a 72 style license plate bracket, as my old one was badly rusted. This hangs from the license plate opening in the bumper. The 2 holes in the bracket aligned perfectly with the 2 existing holes in the bumper opening. I did not compare my old rusted 73 plate bracket to the repro I bought, so I don't know if they are the same.

For the rear, you will need the narrow metal filler piece which goes between the bumper & the body. These came on 70-72's. I used sheet metal screws, and ran them thru the underside lip of the filler, and into the rear body of the car.

You will need the 2 rear "bumperettes" which hang down and fill the rectangular openings in the rear valence.

Last, but not least, you will need to remove the upside down "V" brace from the rear valence, that the rear plate mounts to. If you don't, the plate will be too far rearward in relation to the bumper and the rear plate light, and the light won't illuminate the plate properly. It will look funny, and may cause you to get pulled over, because the cops can't read it. When you remove the "V", there will still be 2 square holes in the valence. Use these to press your white square plastic license plate nuts into. The plate screws go right into these nuts.

I do not have pics. of the bumper changeover process, but my 73 Challenger now looks like a 72. Best mod I did to the car. It really cleaned up the lines, and made it look so much sleeker.

I think I've covered everything needed to do the conversion. If anybody has anymore questios, feel free to E-mail me...

Quote:

---

70-72's had bumpers relatively flush with the body. They did not have jack slots. They had a cut-out on the underside lip of the bumper, & the jack "hook" hooked into this slot, whereas 73-74's had a "slot" in the bumper face, and a "tab" on the jack mechanism fit into the slot.


You'll need 70-72 bumpers, since the bracket holes are in a different position from the 73-74, as well as the previously noted jack slot vs. cut-out difference. Don't forget, your jack with the "tab" will not work. You will need a different jack mechanism, as well as a 70-72 Challenger specific jack hook. The last 3 digits of the part no. on the hook are "102", and the 102 hooks are being reproed.

---

Quote:

---

You cannot remount the 73-74 front bracket inwards on a Challenger (maybe a cuda its ok). The frame rail is in the way.

---

Quote:

---

First you need to acquire the shorter front & rear bumper brackets from a 70-72. These will pull the bumper in flush, and allow you to do away with the rubber/plastic (whatever the heck they are) filler pieces, as well as the extremely heavy metal inner bumper re-inforcement bars. I've heard that on the front, you can re-drill the brackets to move them in further, but I'm not sure about that.

You'll need 70-72 bumpers, since the bracket holes are in a different position from the 73-74, as well as the previously noted jack slot vs. cut-out difference. Don't forget, your jack with the "tab" will not work. You will need a different jack mechanism, as well as a 70-72 Challenger specific jack hook. The last 3 digits of the part no. on the hook are "102", and the 102 hooks are being reproed.

To finish the front, I bought the 70-72 style rubber bumper "wedges" which fit in each end of the bumper, by the fender indentation. I also bought what I believe was a 72 style license plate bracket, as my old one was badly rusted. This hangs from the license plate opening in the bumper. The 2 holes in the bracket aligned perfectly with the 2 existing holes in the bumper opening. I did not compare my old rusted 73 plate bracket to the repro I bought, so I don't know if they are the same.

For the rear, you will need the narrow metal filler piece which goes between the bumper & the body.

---

Not true. Both front and rear 1972-74 bumpers and brackets move in just fine. For the front. Use the one square hole to mount brackets to framerail and drill a new hole for the other bolt. For rear bumper, cut bumper brackets. Move inward by overlapping and reweld. Works great. Use 1972-74 bumpers, brackets,fillers, everything. Then add 1970-72 bumper guard to fill slots in valance.
Done.


Here's more:
Piece of cake... you wont need any other parts...just a 5/8" drill bit..

OK, here's some instructions and pictures...

1) a picture showing the rear most hole on the brackets.. (held together with a vice grip)

Re-drill this mounting hole. you will see a square hole about an inch forward of the original hole..

drill this hole to 5/8" as shown below

This will be you new rear most mounting hole.

Now remove the vice grip and look to the inner straight bracket... you will see another square hole as shown below

drill this to 5/8" inch like shown below

Here is a before and after shot of the bumper bracket location...

before

after

Now remove the bumperettes and fill the bumperette mounting holes with a set of bumper bolts and you are done...There were no clearance issues with this procedure... I hope this helps anyone who was thinking of trying this!!!!

You could also slot the newly drilled holes horizontally if you want to get a little front to back adjustment on the bumper alignment. I didn't think it was nessecary though. There is about a 1/8" gap between the bumper and grill now. It looks very clean.


Just be sure now....if you are going to run in to anything head on... be sure you're going under 5 mph