‘76-‘78 bumper conversion

Brendan Ryan

Daily Driver
Has anyone done a bumper conversion using a single bar from a ‘76-‘78? If so, did you use the top or bottom bars to do it? Also, what else is required, do you need brackets, bumper shocks from a certain year?
Also, if anyone has pictures of their car with this done, I’d love to see it. I’ve only seen a couple pictures, but what I’ve seen I have really liked! Thank’s!
 
Ideally you want a complete set of 75 bumpers and front turn signals. You can work with any year 75-78, but the 75 bars are different with thinner rubber ends. You can see the 76-78 bumpers have much thicker end caps that I am sure were designed to better "blend" with the lines of the car. :) You will need to cut up and reshape the end cap to fit a single rail.

If you look very closely behind the 75 bumper in the 2nd picture below, you can see the 74-75 turn signals housing that were body mounted. Those are hard to come by, so you can adapt from another year.

You will need to adapt the bumper shocks and mounting hardware to your needs. IIRC, the front tube of the shock can be rotated 90 degrees to fall inline with the bumper rail. Then it is a matter of using the hardware to attach the single rail. If I find a specific "how to" thread, I will link it. I haven't found one yet.

75 bumpers:
hauler3_75.JPG
hauler9_75.JPG




hauler7_75.JPG


76-78 bumpers:

bumpers_77.JPG
1978_X_JimD.JPG



Here is an example of re-purposing front signals from any 76-88 X. This is my 85X which I bought as a project car. The PO was well along on the "early x" style conversion and he had fitted the 85's signals under the headlights by cutting openings into the metal plates that cover those holes. It looks pretty decent and I haven't changed it. I had the car painted, so it looks a little different in the 2 pictures.
20190803_2b.jpg1st time on trailer 3.JPG

EDIT: I added a link to the MWB page for the trim plates I referred to above.
 
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Some threads with pictures and ideas:




From the Xweb 1.0 archives:



And just so we have Mike Mittlestead's official thoughts here in Xweb 3.0, brought forward from Xweb 1.0
Hiya. Parts needed are:
'75-78 bumper rails, one front and one back (longer '75 preferred).
'75-78 front uprights (between shock and rails).
'75-78 front grille and spoiler.
'74-75 front turn sigs with bases (optional, but '75 preferred). Optional also are Euro lenses.
Alternately, you can mount your OE sigs into the metal plates below the headlights.
'74-78 ribbed plastic plates, just below headlights.
'74-76 red rear turn sigs (optional)
'75-78 bumper ends ('75 are easiest).
Your existing bumpershock units.
New stainless hardware to mount front turn sigs.

You need to cut and modify the uprights, bumper ends, and bumpershocks.
You should fabricate upper grille mounts.
You need to deal with the body holes remaining after removal of the
'79-87 bumper surrounds, either with plugs or bodyworking them flush.
The latter is pretty time consuming...24 holes doesn't seem like alot,
but lots of awkward areas to blocksand flush.
I plugged the holes on BlackX, in order to preserve the OE paint,
but filled/flushed the holes on IceBlueX, since it was already a re-spray.
And most front spoilers need some bodywork!

Besides the two Xs I've converted,
have also supplied components ready to bolt-on for three more cars.
My inspiration for the conversion was a pic in Faza catalog,
so after unveiling BlackX on my webpage some years ago,
several more X-heads have done the same conversion.
Ripley even named them 'Mittelstead Bumpers'.

Here's the same old boring pic I've posted before to show one style of front conversion:
(Thx to Tony for the inspiration to boldly post same pic over and over...heh).
IceBlueX has the bumper cut short and mounted lower between the turn sigs...for a different style.
DSC02285.jpg
 
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I'm willing to bet the upper and lower bars are the same. I have done this mod several times and no extra parts are needed. The bumper is assembled with bolts and is easy to take apart and reassemble however you want.
IMG_0522[1].JPG

For end caps you just make your own, I actually just used black tape the last time I did this.

IMG_0524[1].JPG
 
I used '75 rear bumpers, cut the bumper ends and flipped them upside down to hide the cut. On the front, I used '75 turn signals (but you can use Lada turn signals for cheap on ebay! Bobkat turned me on to those (I bought two sets).

1596722818751.png


I tried to tuck everything as tight as I could to the car - looked OK and "stock"'ish - I repurposed some of the front bumper rubber trim to hide the bracket.

1596722871974.png


Personally - I love the Midwest conversion kit - the bumper overriders nicely cover the mounts and at first I wasn't sure if I liked the length of the '74 US/CAN bumpers, but now I kinda prefer them over the longer Euro ones. Nicest conversion kit available - albeit not cheap - but that's what I would do today.

I did this conversion around 2000.


The car was my '78 that I brought back to life (sat in a garage for 10 years). Painted Alfa Romeo red 130 - same colour as my race car (seen in the background here up on stands)

I put Momo wheels onto it after these pics - I need to find a pic!
1596723265594.png
 
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Ideally you want a complete set of 75 bumpers and front turn signals. You can work with any year 75-78, but the 75 bars are different with thinner rubber ends. You can see the 76-78 bumpers have much thicker end caps that I am sure were designed to better "blend" with the lines of the car. :) You will need to cut up and reshape the end cap to fit a single rail.

If you look very closely behind the 75 bumper in the 2nd picture below, you can see the 74-75 turn signals housing that were body mounted. Those are hard to come by, so you can adapt from another year.

You will need to adapt the bumper shocks and mounting hardware to your needs. IIRC, the front tube of the shock can be rotated 90 degrees to fall inline with the bumper rail. Then it is a matter of using the hardware to attach the single rail. If I find a specific "how to" thread, I will link it. I haven't found one yet.

75 bumpers:
View attachment 35087View attachment 35088



View attachment 35086

76-78 bumpers:

View attachment 35085View attachment 35089


Here is an example of re-purposing front signals from any 76-88 X. This is my 85X which I bought as a project car. The PO was well along on the "early x" style conversion and he had fitted the 85's signals under the headlights by cutting openings into the metal plates that cover those holes. It looks pretty decent and I haven't changed it. I had the car painted, so it looks a little different in the 2 pictures.
View attachment 35090View attachment 35091

EDIT: I added a link to the MWB page for the trim plates I referred to above.
I added a new "Bumper info" link to the BOX.
I added a new "Bumper info" link to the BOX.
You’re the man Jim, thank’s for taking the time to do this!!!
 
I used '75 rear bumpers, cut the bumper ends and flipped them upside down to hide the cut. On the front, I used '75 turn signals (but you can use Lada turn signals for cheap on ebay! Bobkat turned me on to those (I bought two sets).

View attachment 35121

I tried to tuck everything as tight as I could to the car - looked OK and "stock"'ish - I repurposed some of the front bumper rubber trim to hide the bracket.

View attachment 35122

Personally - I love the Midwest conversion kit - the bumper overriders nicely cover the mounts and at first I wasn't sure if I liked the length of the '74 US/CAN bumpers, but now I kinda prefer them over the longer Euro ones. Nicest conversion kit available - albeit not cheap - but that's what I would do today.

I did this conversion around 2000.


The car was my '78 that I brought back to life (sat in a garage for 10 years). Painted Alfa Romeo red 130 - same colour as my race car (seen in the background here up on stands)

I put Momo wheels onto it after these pics - I need to find a pic!
View attachment 35125
Great info, beautiful car, the one I’m restoring is also red, so this gives me a great idea of what it would look like. I also like the wrap arounds Midwest sells, but like you said, expensive......thank’s for the tip on the Lada lights, super cheap and look great!
 
I'm willing to bet the upper and lower bars are the same. I have done this mod several times and no extra parts are needed. The bumper is assembled with bolts and is easy to take apart and reassemble however you want.View attachment 35113
For end caps you just make your own, I actually just used black tape the last time I did this.

View attachment 35114
Thank you Carl, it looks great, I think this bumper conversion suits the cars well, and seems easy and affordable.
 
expensive......thank’s for the tip on the Lada lights, super cheap and look great

hehe - well technically I said "not cheap"- I think they're priced right, and very thankfull that MWB offers stuff like this. The car I have now is an '82 (I've owned it since 89!) - and I am debating if I ditch the bumpers and go with the MWB. The 80s bumpers are ugly, but they're kinda growing on me! (very 80s/90s Radwood style)

And just to clarify, my '78 had '75 turn signals - which are very similar to 74.


Here's @Bobkat 's car with the Lada turn signals. These are super inexpensive. Mine came from Ukraine. The quality is rated "meh".. looks like drywall screws holding the lamp holders in place, lol.. easy fix. But, seeing the '74/75/Euro turn signals are hard to find and indeed expensive - these can make for a great low cost and fairly good looking option! They have a slight angle/taper that works well on the X/19.

1596734029018.png
 
hehe - well technically I said "not cheap"- I think they're priced right, and very thankfull that MWB offers stuff like this. The car I have now is an '82 (I've owned it since 89!) - and I am debating if I ditch the bumpers and go with the MWB. The 80s bumpers are ugly, but they're kinda growing on me! (very 80s/90s Radwood style)

And just to clarify, my '78 had '75 turn signals - which are very similar to 74.


Here's @Bobkat 's car with the Lada turn signals. These are super inexpensive. Mine came from Ukraine. The quality is rated "meh".. looks like drywall screws holding the lamp holders in place, lol.. easy fix. But, seeing the '74/75/Euro turn signals are hard to find and indeed expensive - these can make for a great low cost and fairly good looking option! They have a slight angle/taper that works well on the X/19.

View attachment 35130
Actually those are not drywall screws new old stock from the 70’s lol
 
Somewhat off the topic of the single bar mod, but since they have been mentioned, here some more pictures of the MWB kit installed on my 85X for anyone weighing options. They have been installed for a couple years at least and still look good. As Myron said, not cheap, but they are well made and fit the 75-88 shock tube openings. Definitely a style choice, there is basically no protection like a typical bumper. The shock tubes are replaced with a piece of pipe, might be PVC. I can't recall. Completely bumperless if s the next step down the protection scale. :)
IMG_1834.JPGIMG_1835.JPGIMG_1837.JPGIMG_1838.JPG20190803_2b.jpg
 
Can anybody give me a thickness dimension of of just one half of the split bumper? I am going to make my single chevron bumper a bit thicker and that look just about right.
torino-sm.jpg
 
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