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    Results 1 to 13 of 13
    1. #1
      Join Date
      Jun 2014
      Location
      Wisconsin
      Posts
      61
      Country Flag: United States

      Best 1970-1972 Firebird front bumper????

      My 1971 Formula is finally getting the paint and bodywork it deserves but my painter is conserned about the condition of the endura bumper. Whats the best alternative? All I've found is a fiberglass and carbon fiber shell. I'm not conserned about weight but I just don't like the idea of just having a fiberglass shell? Has anyone used the fiberglass bumper? Convince me it's the way to go! lol
      Attached Images Attached Images  

    2. #2
      Join Date
      Sep 2004
      Location
      Orlando, FL
      Posts
      1,074
      Country Flag: United States
      I've had the Anvil carbon fiber nose on my car for 10 years now... no issues whatsoever and all the grills etc bolted right up!
      SMSgt Ty Ingle, USAF
      "CF71" - Freedom Bird
      Hoodpins.com, Inland Empire Driveline, Billet Accessories Direct, Modo Innovations, AutoRad Radiators, Morris Classic Concepts, Marquez Design, Anvil Auto, Fesler Billet, US Collision (DOOM), AGR Performance, Pro-touringF-body.com, Phoenix Transmission Products, Shiftworks, ACC Carpet, Hedman Hedders, BMR Fabrication, American Autowire, MityMounts, TIN INDIAN Performance, Kauffman Racing Equipment, Pypes, RobbMc Performance, WMC, Holley, NOS, PST

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Austin, Tx
      Posts
      495
      Country Flag: United States
      Do you have any pictures of how you mounted the carbon bumper? Do you remove the big l-shaped brackets and fabricate something lighter weight in the same place? Those brackets are hefty and shouldn't be needed when you go to a lightweight bumper.

      Thanx.
      Bryan (a.k.a. Carbuff)

      70 Camaro RS Hunk'o'Metal - Previous Project
      71 Firebird Project T.O.W. - New Project

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Nov 2006
      Location
      Mountain Springs, Texas
      Posts
      4,488
      Country Flag: United States
      Media blasting followed by several rounds of SPI epoxy primer and sanding will restore that bumper to better than new. Save it if you can.

      They look pretty rough after blasting but don’t let that scare you.

      Is that a factory formula hood? Those are the heaviest hoods I have ever come across.

      Don
      1969 Camaro - LSA 6L90E AME sub/IRS
      1957 Buick Estate Wagon
      1959 El Camino - Ironworks frame
      1956 Cameo - full C5 suspension/drivetrain
      1959 Apache Fleetside

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Sep 2018
      Location
      Knoxville, TN
      Posts
      110
      Country Flag: United States
      Fiberglass will get beaten up pretty badly. Have had it on some race cars. If you must go that route, find one of those places that does the clear bra and see if they can install one. Otherwise, as stated above, I'd try to save that endura.

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Jun 2014
      Location
      Wisconsin
      Posts
      61
      Country Flag: United States
      I decided to go with a fiberglass bumper because I had to make a decision quick to keep this project going but I'm keeping the stock bumper. That is the stock hood, the car is a real Formula with a full Ride Tech suspension and a LS2. Only the doors are original, even the roof was replaced!!

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Jul 2013
      Location
      N. Scottsdale
      Posts
      376
      Country Flag: United States
      After considering the various options, I decided to go with the factory bumper on my Formula. The Anvil piece and fiberglass options weigh a lot less, but my body guy convinced me that neither would look quite right without a ton of work. The factory bumper needed a lot of work too, but I asked for super nice fit & finish and correct factory lines, and he said that would be the best option. He's had a lot of success restoring Endura bumpers on Judges he's restored--his specialty. I was skeptical when I saw it stripped, but it looks great on the car...it's not quite finished. He just shot it with a thin coat of paint so I could see the color. I can put you in contact with him if you want info on his process.
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    8. #8
      Join Date
      Jun 2014
      Location
      Wisconsin
      Posts
      61
      Country Flag: United States
      For the amount of money I'm paying to paint the car I asked them to also paint the stock bumper but didn't get a reply on that yet? lol Did you fill in the holes where the jack is used? My bumper is in bad shape in that area, very chewed up.

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Jul 2013
      Location
      N. Scottsdale
      Posts
      376
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by STV-R33D View Post
      For the amount of money I'm paying to paint the car I asked them to also paint the stock bumper but didn't get a reply on that yet? lol Did you fill in the holes where the jack is used? My bumper is in bad shape in that area, very chewed up.
      I asked him to fill in the jack slots and other holes (e.g., license plate) to clean it up a little. Here are some photos so you can see what he did.

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      I thought about having him do an Anvil bumper too, but after seeing how much time it took to fit the bumper, hood, fenders & valence, it was just cost prohibitive. I started with a good hood, but he spent a ton of time on that too. Different process because the material is completely different. Here is the starting point BEFORE fitting. It looked amazing when he finished, but I forgot to take photos before we disassembled for mock-up.

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    10. #10
      Join Date
      Jun 2014
      Location
      Wisconsin
      Posts
      61
      Country Flag: United States
      It looks really good! My car is white. I had a cheap paint job done on the car when I first built it and the paint shrunk on the bumper after two years and started to show imperfections. Now it's getting another frame off restoration and getting a hopefully quality paint job but its over two hours from where I live so its hard to be hands on in the process.

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Austin, Tx
      Posts
      495
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by STV-R33D View Post
      I decided to go with a fiberglass bumper because I had to make a decision quick to keep this project going but I'm keeping the stock bumper. That is the stock hood, the car is a real Formula with a full Ride Tech suspension and a LS2. Only the doors are original, even the roof was replaced!!
      Which fiberglass bumper did you use? I know of VFN and I think Anvil also makes one...
      Bryan (a.k.a. Carbuff)

      70 Camaro RS Hunk'o'Metal - Previous Project
      71 Firebird Project T.O.W. - New Project

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Mar 2007
      Location
      Florida
      Posts
      2,391
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by Alponcho View Post
      I asked him to fill in the jack slots and other holes (e.g., license plate) to clean it up a little. Here are some photos so you can see what he did.
      Be aware that your body man filled the holes for the grill brackets. I never liked the lip on the bottom of the bumper with the grill bracket bolts in it, so during the current rebuild I removed the lip completely and will have custom lower grill brackets. IIRC the factory painted the lip and bracket bolt heads flat black on some (all?) of the early 2nd gens. I painted mine flat black last time I built the car so the lip would "disappear" in the shadow when looking at the car from more than a few feet away.




    13. #13
      Join Date
      Jun 2014
      Location
      Wisconsin
      Posts
      61
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by carbuff View Post
      Which fiberglass bumper did you use? I know of VFN and I think Anvil also makes one...
      I bought mine from Classic Industries.





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