[1OLDBRD]

Due to it being so hard to find a good usable original, I've decided to go re-pop for my 73 rear bumper. Can anyone who has done this recommend a good current brand/company to buy from? I really hate doing this with such a significant part but am trying to find the best reproduction option. Anyone done this recently?

Thanks, Eli

[Scarebird]

No complaints about the one our host sells.

[78w72]

i used a repro on my 72 after seeing what rechroming an original costs. i used the goodmark brand which is one of if not the only brand available, its sold by majority of retailers for varying prices. quality is very good to excellent & the chrome looks almost as good as originals, it looks like the day i got it after 6-7 years.

i researched mine & found rock auto was by far the cheapest price. got mine about 6 years ago for around $250 shipped, i just checked & the prices have gone up quite a bit, just like everything else has since jan 2020.... but still far cheaper than rechroming.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ly,bumper,1340

[Formulabruce]

KEEP IT WAXED ALL YEAR LONG..both sides.
Yes, I meant Caps.. these bumpers can get tiny rust pits where there are temperature changes. And any humidity over 60%.
They ARE the only game in town, look pretty good.
Metal is 100% recycled and probably is porous in the middle.

[srmmmm]

Mine came from Classic Industries. Fitment was very good, but their corresponding bumper bolts were the wrong diameter - too big.

[71GP76TA]

I bought a repop for my SD and wasn't happy with it. I ended up having my original rechromed.

[NOT A TA]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

KEEP IT WAXED ALL YEAR LONG..both sides.
Yes, I meant Caps.. these bumpers can get tiny rust pits where there are temperature changes. And any humidity over 60%.
They ARE the only game in town, look pretty good.
Metal is 100% recycled and probably is porous in the middle.

I'll add to this ^^^ with the recommendation that if you're storing a bumper or the car for extended periods with the bumper attached to apply a thick coat of carnauba wax on it and don't buff it off, just let it dry. When you're ready to use the bumper or car re-wax.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by 71GP76TA

I bought a repop for my SD and wasn't happy with it. I ended up having my original rechromed.

Examined several reproduction Firebird rear bumpers & wasn't impressed.
Ended up having an original stripped & triple plated @ TriCity that was 16 months ago.

In looking @ '70-73 rear bumper cores I had, none of them could I discern a legible date code.i thought that was odd. Most original bumpers ive paint penned the body build of the car i pulled them off of. The Firebird rear bumper I picked to drop off was very straight & the peak lines were undamaged. Ran $460 plus $60 commercial ship, the high quality box was a good $20 of that. Very pleased.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Examined several reproduction Firebird rear bumpers & wasn't impressed.
Ended up having an original stripped & triple plated @ TriCity that was 16 months ago.

In looking @ '70-73 rear bumper cores I had, none of them could I discern a legible date code.i thought that was odd. Most original bumpers ive paint penned the body build of the car i pulled them off of. The Firebird rear bumper I picked to drop off was very straight & the peak lines were undamaged. Ran $460 plus $60 commercial ship, the high quality box was a good $20 of that. Very pleased.

I hand delivered mine to a chrome shop in Fresno. They charged $400. My original was straight as an arrow. All the lines are crisp and sharp like they should be. My only regret was wasting time and money on a repop. I ended up selling the repop to a buddy for $50 less than I paid for it.

[Trevor78]

So apart from different vendors, no one knows the brand? Makes it hard to compare prices if don't know if same or better parts.

[unruhjonny]

I believe this was mentioned in posts 3 & 4.

I had previously understood there was only the one source.

[Trevor78]

Aah yes, good catch, if that's the case.

[78w72]

i forgot to mention that i did return the 1st one due to a small 1-2" area that was wavy or a had couple small dimples, werent bad at all & probably would be very hard to see when installed but im kinda picky like that & wasnt in a huge hurry for it while teh car was getting painted. the 2nd one was very nice with no noticeable issues in the metal, almost as straight as a factory one if you get a good one. chrome was excellent on both.

when i called around for rechroming the original one it was $500+ with a warning that if they had to straighten any metal it would be a lot more. so i went aftermarket & sold the original that was straight but the chrome had failed.

the bumper is a little lighter weight than originals but the fitment was almost perfect, just some minor tweaks to get perfect. i used the original bolts & brackets. only waxed the outside once after install & put a thick coat on the inside from norwoods suggestion, it looks like the day i got it after 6-7 years, but i dont wash my cars much to avoid excess water getting into nooks & crannies & little to no condensation or moisture while it sits in the garage.

overall im very happy with the bumper especially for the price i paid of about $250 shipped from rock auto when i bought it in 2015, price is higher now but then again so is everything else since a certain date in 2020.....

[72projectbird]

Have used reproduction bumpers in the past, and they're ok. The chrome isn't as "clear" looking as it should be. If you stare into it, it almost has a fuzzy look. Mine also liked to hang downwards on the corners, so I had to shim the bumper brackets to get it sitting straight.

For my 70 I had an original re-chromed. I put the repro and original side by side and there's definitely a difference.

[70TA-RAIII]

Good timing with this thread as I have a bad spot in the chrome on the original bumper on one of my 70 T/A's. After reading through everything here, I'm leaning towards getting the original replated.

John

[78w72]

the chrome finish on my repro looks excellent. no fuzzy look at all, just a nice even glossy/shiny finish that looks as good as any low mile factory part or newer chrome on motorcycles etc i have seen. im sure there can be imperfection & issues on any repro part, but that type of chrome is not the norm for these goodmark bumpers... & if they look like that most retailers will do a refund or exchange as the part is defective.

when i called for rechroming in the midwest area 6 years ago, i got very high quotes, 500-800. $400 to rechrome a bumper that may need some metal work is extremely low, must be a west coast thing but i doubt today that is what it would cost. if that is the current price for a quality rechrome id do that if teh bumper was in good shape... but need to factor in shipping both ways to that price if you arent local.

[FASTASSBIRD]

I have a nice straight one in Fresno if you need it call me…….