Arrowstorm

...on a Vista Cruiser that is a "cruiser", instead of buying a new reproduction bumper?

Or is the guy who quoted me $550 to straighten and rechrome my front bumper just THAT much off track?

A reproduction bumper costs $350 shipped on ebay.

So is there any actual reason besides "Well, you want everything as original as you can get"? Or maybe you guys can point me in a better direction as far as getting my old bumper straightened. Most of the guys says I"ll never bang it straight, but honestly, I'm willing to try if I remotely thought I could get decent results compared to $550 to straighten it. Chrome is still good, actually.

I drive a cruiser. Not a museum artifact.

Allan R

IMO you're ahead of the game to buy the repro bumper. The guy who quoted you the fix and rechrome is actually giving you the price it costs now. That said I am still amazed that the repro bumpers can be made and sold relatively cheap. Which vendor are you looking at? I am very pleased with the repro I got from Tamraz.

RetroRanger

If it's not a pretzel and your not shooting for perfection take the bumper off and give it a shot. My front bumper was badly bent at both ends and in the middle and was obvious looking at the car, I took it off and straightened it pretty good w the help of a friend. We laid it on plywood and used weight a sledge and wood 2x &4x pieces to bend it back. The chrome is good and my cars a drvr the bumper looks 100% better. If we had a third person for weight we might a been able to get it better. Once the bumper is removed it's actually kinda flimsy. We were careful when we worked it to not mar the finish, ie no hammering right on the bumper

Arrowstorm

I have recently taken the bumper off to install 442 grilles and to install bumper guards while it's off.

Surprisingly, it's not as thick or heavy a steel bumper as I thought it would be. It IS rather flimsy... I posted a thread on this forum regarding that already.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ut-bumper.html

A couple of the guys I work with said that for that slight a bend, I could be able to lightly bend it back with blocks of wood and a hammer. At first I thought I'd rather not risk it (I've not had good luck with "bending" back body parts, but I've learned so much since then! Lol), but now that it's off.... I'm thinking of maybe trying it...

Hmm...

droldsmorland

Its just a decision you need to make.
1.The original GM... is... well... GM. Which means its been properly engineered with proper materials (we hope).
2. The metals thicker then the repro, so Im told...though they will grind some off during the straightening and re-chrome process which is why a good chrome shop will only re-chrome most bumpers once.
3. Your putting someone to work in the USA re-chroming.

The repos are...
1. Thinner(so Im told).
2. The fit is questionable on some.
3. The chrome is sometimes thin or hit or miss.
4. And your putting a chinaman to work.

If its a driver then a show chrome triple plating job could be over kill???

Keystone, formally North Star Chrome, out of Minneapolis/St Paul does a spectacular triple chrome job. Last set they did cost me 275-300 each for a 68, 442. Arrow straight. Straighter then it was from the factory. The last rear bumper I sent to them couldn't be re-chromed because it had been done once already, and those rears are thin to start with. He didn't have any 442 cores at the time and asked me if it was ok to graft my cut-outs into a Cutlass bumper. I said sure as long as I couldn't see it. I couldn't see the repair from the front and only a slight hint of it on the back side.

Oldsmaniac

If not bent the factory fit will be right on while a repop may not be. The rechrome should give you a better chrome job than the repops. It seems to me the repop bumpers are thinner and more flexable than stock.

Allan R

Please take pics of the drilling and installing for the front bumper guards. I have to do that myself and wouldn't mind learning from your efforts.

Your last words are the key. Hope away. Most of the tolerances on the 70's cars were so loose and sloppy there's literally no difference between some OEM and aftermarket parts.

Maybe? I'm not so sure. When I bought my rear cutout from Tamraz I compared that to the OEM one. It looked identical and fit perfectly. I weighed both bumpers and they were spot on within 2 oz of each other. The only way that's possible is to have the same metallurgy and chroming. The chrome is also spectacular. Bought it from Tamraz and have no problems recommending their 71/72 rear cutout bumper. Shipping was also very well handled and relatively quick.

Arrowstorm

Allan, I'm sorry, man, when I'm working on a project, I am often so fully enthralled in the work that I don't even think about taking pictures to explain to others how I did it. Hell, sometimes, I forget to drink my beer! And this particular project was one of those projects that took a bit more effort than I thought it would, too, until I realized how to do it properly.

But they came out well. The bumper is still off, so for the sake of others, I think later today I can take the guards off and take a few pics and make a thread detailing what I did.

I might also see what I can do about straightening that sucker out.

By the way... this post is only about my front bumper. I haven't seen too many rear Vista Cruiser bumpers, and the chrome is a bit rusty on it, so I'm sure I'll end up going to get it rechromed when I have some dough to spare.

dc2x4drvr

I've seen the Tamraz "USA Chromed" bumpers and was impressed with both fit and finish..Alan your bumper looks terrific.

droldsmorland

Good to know that the repro quality has come up from where it once was. It certainly opens the door for choices for many who have no bumper. I have not dealt with a repro bumper in a dozen or so years. The quality just wasnt there then.
I wonder if this applies to the 69 and down bumpers? I know the 70-72s have been being reproed for quite a while now. So looks or sounds like there are satisfied customers out there.

oldcutlass

For a daily driver, the wood and BFH have served me well over the years. Some of the repo bumpers are quite nice, and Alans is a good example. For light rust, very fine steel wool and dish washing soap work wonders.

Arrowstorm

Trouble is, I'm not actually sure how I would use the wood and BFH.

oldcutlass

Very carefully. Post some pictures of the offending bumper so we can see what your up against.

hilbily

Gotta go with the Dr.

Arrowstorm

Eric,

There in the following thread:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ut-bumper.html

Bernhard

I would go with a re-chromed if the shop does quality work.
I have never seen a re-pop that comes close to a quality re-chromed bumper.
Things to look for that the shop does not alter the shape with the belt sander or grinder.
Quality re-chrome starts with good prep and a rust free core.
quality chrome has a bluish tint to it and is free of scratches/ dents/nicks and other imperfections.
If it is a driver then a re-pop might be the way to go as quality re-chrome cost $$$

oldcutlass

You will need to make a wooden wedge to insert into the back of the dent and a saddle to lay the bumper on that fits the outer and inner contour of the bumper. Then hammer on the inside wedge to push the dent out. The wood will not damage the chrome. the wood needs to be wide enough so as not to create it's own dent and spread the pressure over the entire dent.

Bernhard

A quality shop can repair dented bumpers so that you will never know that it was ever dented.
It comes down to the skill of the people working in the shop, a lot of the old masters have
retired.

Greg Rogers

I have a repop rear bumper that I bought maybe 15 yrs ago. the chrome has started to pit and the fit around the tail lights needed to be modified to look right, also it looks like the mold wasn't quite right but it has been ok for a limited use driver. I could only imagine how bad it would look if the car was driven in the salt, etc. So probably your bumper after being straightened/rechromed, would probably be the best. I also don't think you could repair that dent yourself because of its location. I imagine the reason the repops are cheaper that rechoming is because of our epa regulations that they probably don't need to adhere to in other countries.

bigin1978

I bought a repo bumper for my cutlass and the chrome was nowhere near what the plater I used on my 56 bumpers did. you can see the difference in the quality for sure. now that being said make sure you use a good plater. they are getting harder to find.