To bumper or not to bumper - that is the question

T

tdskip

True Classic
Hi guys - question for you. My '74 doesn't have any front or rear bumpers at this point. Assuming that getting correct '74 bumpers will be a PIA, would you mount up the more readily available '76 or later bumpers just to have bumpers there or run without bumpers for now

I like the idea of keeping her as light as possible...

IMG01259-20100719-1922.jpg
 
Will this car see any street duty?... I don't know about your location, but here in MA, without bumpers (of some fashion) I could not get past the state safety inspection.
 
To bumper or not to bumper?

It depends on your tolerance for seeing (almost) irreplaceable body panels and that front plastic grill damaged.

I'm driving one of my '74s with no bumpers, use it for the grocery shopping any time the weather is nice. It has a fair amount of rust and the front grill is crap.

Maybe thirty years ago, one of the more irrepressible Car&Driver editors (probably David Davis or Brock Yates? Maybe Patrick Bedard?) did a column about going bumperless... said that if someone drove into his car, well, they could "jolly well pay to fix it".
 
to be or not to be

In my honest opinion, the X, without a body kit, looks best with either the 74 corner bumpers or no bumpers at all. As soon as I can, I will start to source the stuff I need to take my 1500 bumpers and plastic off to do the 1300 no bumper look. BUT, looking at your pic, you need to either cut your springs or get adjustable coilovers. The X does not look right without bumpers and sitting so high.
 
abec said:
No bumpers, chances of finding 74 bumpers is slim or expensive.
Click to expand...

Yeah - kind of what I expected. See this is where I usually get into trouble. If I am going to put bumpers on her I'd want them to be right. That means digging deep and spending more than I paid for the car, then they'd make the car's paint look crappy (which, frankly, it is). So then I'd paint her. Which would make her interior look crappy (which, frankly, it is). So I'd going hunting for correct and good condition interior panels.... $8,000 later....

I'm sure no one here can identify with having this experience. :grin:
 
tdskip said:
Yeah - kind of what I expected. See this is where I usually get into trouble. If I am going to put bumpers on her I'd want them to be right. That means digging deep and spending more than I paid for the car, then they'd make the car's paint look crappy (which, frankly, it is). So then I'd paint her. Which would make her interior look crappy (which, frankly, it is). So I'd going hunting for correct and good condition interior panels.... $8,000 later....

I'm sure no one here can identify with having this experience. :grin:
Click to expand...


Yeah, I know the feeling. Leave it bumperless. :D
 
It could be argued...

... especially by a talented insurance lawyer, that using a car with its bumpers removed is contributory to any damaged suffered in a collision. Sort of like how bicyclists who ride without a helmet are nowadays considered complicit in their injuries in an accident by their own negligence. In many states it's against the law, but often only comes up after something bad happens. In most areas you are required to use the safety equipment the car came with, at a minimum.

Having been hit once or twice pretty hard, hard enough to move the bumper on my X or Zagato, I can say I would prefer to have a bumper there.
 
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