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I need to replace the rubber bumper on my 76 and would like to hear from those of you who have done this. Please include the pros and cons of doing this. The going price here in town is $1000 to put on the stock version. Any comments regarding the flexible fiberglass bumpers would be appreciated too!
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Re: 76 Rear Bumper Replacement
Hi Jeff, Just went through this myself with my '74 at a local Corvette body shop. The bodyshop owner (30+ years on Vettes only) highly recommended the fiberglass bumpers over the flexible fiberglass and original urethane versions. The problems with the urethane are well documented: color and finish irregularities, warping, waves, poor fit, etc. The flexible bumpers were my first choice, however, the bodyman said that his experience with the flexible bumpers has been less than perfect. He says they are harder to fit, harder to repair if damaged, and I forget what else he had to say about them specifically. He strongly recommended the solid fiberglass, which is what I chose. They are also less expensive than the flexible bumpers. One word of caution: he says that some of the cheaper bumpers (and some flexible bumpers, too) are so thin that they break through the glass while fitting them to the body. This requires additional work, the cost of which will eat into your savings based on initial purchase cost. I can tell you that properly fitted fiberglass bumpers fit MUCH better than the originals, and will last indefinitely, provided you don't go around running into stuff with them. You can check my website for photos of the bumpers at various stages.... Jeff
Jeff's '74 Corvette Restoration Project -
Fiberglass or Flexible?
I too have had the BEST results with rigid fiberglass!! But if you consider using a flexible replacement, try Toledo Pro Flex-Glas. I have had good experiences with them also. Good luck, it's not an easy choice.
Wild BillComment
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Re: 76 Rear Bumper Replacement
Jeff,
After a lady rear-ended my 75 I had to replace the bumper. No urethanes are available for 75's (long story..... make sure the lettering matches your car) so I only had the two choices (rigid or flexible fiberglass).
I picked the TRUFLEX because I thought it would more closely resemble the original urethane.
Picking the bumper is the easy part. Installing it is not straight forward and requires some rework or removals underneath the bumper cover.
For example, on my 75:
I had to cutoff the lower part of the two inner bracket assemblies
Remove the rubber pads on the outer bracket assemblies
Slot the two inner mounting holes on the outer bracket assemblies and drill new holes on the ends of the main bumper impact bar assembly
Completely remove the tail lamp housings
"Live" with the poor recessed molding for the letters (corvette) that are attached
Drill new holes in the bumper impact bar for the three mounting screws under the license plate. (save pieces of your old bumper cover to make spacers so you don't tighten these screws too tight)
After completing the above I was finally able to get the cover to fit over everything and attach to the fenders and deck.
Had the cover painted and then I attached. Not bad. Cover flexes like the old urethane but it is stiffer.
Lots of work but there aren't many options.
John Wire 75 coupeComment
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