Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

[Paul D.]

Were the original GM Mid Year front bumpers 2 pieces?.....I have a front left & front right with a very visable seam just before the down section.....How smooth is the chrome from the factory?....Can see the seam very well from the inside and bottom,but not so much on the top......Thanx Paul..

[Edward J.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Paul, The bumpers did have a welded seam from the factory.

[John H.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Were the original GM Mid Year front bumpers 2 pieces?.....I have a front left & front right with a very visable seam just before the down section....

Paul -

Yes, they were - photo below shows the outer half of the front bumper, fresh out of the draw and trim dies; the exposed edge was then butt-welded to the vertical piece and metal-finished prior to plating.


MidYrTrimmed800.JPGMidyearTank800.JPG

[Chris E.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Wow John, what photos DON'T you have.....

[Ara G.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Wow John, what photos DON'T you have.....

you're not kidding....my goodness.....AWESOME

[Paul D.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Thanx guy's....what was the chroming process?...

[John H.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Thanx guy's....what was the chroming process?...

It was what I call "Factory Chrome" - nickel base, followed by (clear) chrome. No copper base was used. Photo below shows them fresh out of the nickel tank, ready for their trip through the chrome tank.


MidYearNickel800.JPG

[Mike E.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Paul -

Yes, they were - photo below shows the outer half of the front bumper, fresh out of the draw and trim dies; the exposed edge was then butt-welded to the vertical piece and metal-finished prior to plating.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]50052[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]50053[/ATTACH]

John,
Just to be clear those are photos of reproduction bumpers not original correct? Reproduced using original production methods. The reason I ask is I don't think they had barcodes in the '60s as seen in the first photo

In the late 1970's I bought new front bumpers from GM. They were wavy as heck, were original factory bumpers that bad?

Mike

[Timothy B.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

Mike,

I can tell you that factory bumpers of the sixties were nothing like the service bumpers in the 70's and 80's when it came to flatness. Also, I am not 100% but the gauge thickness may even be different.

[John H.]

Re: Mid Year Front Bumpers.....

John,
Just to be clear those are photos of reproduction bumpers not original correct? Reproduced using original production methods. The reason I ask is I don't think they had barcodes in the '60s as seen in the first photo

Mike -

Yes, those are in-process photos of the Paragon reproduction bumper process, which uses the original GM draw dies; the original trim dies are too worn to economically refurbish, so t r i m m i n g is done with a robotic laser.

The midyear bumper dies were designed in 1961, and reflect the die design technology of the time; the similar 1968 rear bumpers were drawn in one piece, with no welded joints.