This has been bugging me since I bought my 'Cruiser: some previous owner seems to have backed into a post/pole, denting the rear bumper enough to have the top of the "crimp" almost in the way of the tailgate.

Actually, that's not entirely true. I'm pretty sure that it DID block the door from swinging out, as the top of the crimp has what might be hammer blow marks while the bottom of the door "wood" looks like it was scraped, even if it was just a little bit:



I want to "repair" it, even if it's just flattening the upper bulge a bit. I've gotten all manner of suggestions, from beating on it with a sledgehammer (once it was removed, of course) to using a hydraulic lift to "squash" the bulge (ditto).

When they built this bumper they weren't messing around. It's HEAVY, and it seems like the same amount of force required to bend it has to be applied to UN-bend it.

I haven't found one yet, but I've been thinking that a replacement (used) bumper would be the way to go instead. You can see where that side of the bumper is twisted, and when you look at it from the side you can see that it's bent in several different directions.

SO, how hard is it to straighten one of these suckers? Is it something I can bang out with a hammer (plus wood to protect the surface)? If not, do you know what years/makes/models used this bumper? I've gotten a big fat zero looking for "Custom Cruiser" bumpers specifically. I know the front bumper is different from, say, the Buick version as the turn signal arrangement is different, but does the same go for the rear?

My main concern is the upper surface where it can be hit with the door. Though banging on it might not be the best solution, if I can't find a (cheap-ish) replacement I can live with whatever cosmetic problems might arise in order to get the peace of mind that the 'gate won't get hit (as it's only "just" clearing it now).

Thanks!

[Oh, and that strip that covers the gap between the bumper and the body is gone, too, most likely because of this damage. I liked that "feature" this winter as it kept snow from accumulating there and blocking the tailgate, but it looks bad to have that space there (it shows the license plate light wires and mounting grommet holes). Easy/hard to find? Is it metal or plastic? Does it "need" to be there? Etc., etc. Thanks again!]

 

If you've got a 'friendly' body shop around, ask them who they use for steel bumpers.
Just tell them you'd like to get an estimate if it can even be fixed by them.
That bumper has a steel re-inforcement that's probaby bent, too - and they have a tendancy to rot away at the absorber attatching point.
The upper plastic piece was probaby hitting the door, and removed.
You may be abe to pull it off and apart, but you'd need someone with a press to straighten the re-inforcement, and the bumper MAY straighten during re-assemby!
They're actually kinda flimsy without the steel.

 

I did a search just now at this website

http://www.aautomotiveinc.com/

and came up with two hits, each $75.

One says it's for an '85 Chevy Caprice and the other for an '89 Chevy Caprice. I have no idea if these are interchangeable with the bumper for an '89 Olds Custom Cruiser or even if this place still has these bumpers in stock, but it's probably worth a call.


Doing a similar search at this site

http://www.car-part.com/

turns up lots of hits, including one that says specifically 1989 Custom Cruiser, third one down from the top, rust free, for $199. Again, you would need to call to confirm availability as this search engine covers many different used parts places, and, in my experience, these lists are not always up to date.

 

All 1977-1990 B-body wagon back bumpers interchange. The rub strip may be different, but the basic bumper is the same. You can transfer your old rub strip.

 

You can take the bumper off and use BFH and some blocks of wood and hammer that back in shape. Does not look too bad from the pic.