[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

What did you choose to make them out of Mike? My Buddys 70 will be needing some, and he wants more than my 2 options, TY

Our work had some used 1/32" sheets of rubber. I coated with a PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) sheet and used a die to cut the 0.75"x0.75" squares. A 0.425" hole punch cut out the centers.

[Transamric]

Pretty sure the new for '73 bumper "crash" standards were set at 5 MPH for the fronts and 2 1/2 MPH for the rears. So the front end got all those extra braces/brackets and the rear bumper simply got spaced a bit further from the body with these new brackets we're discussing.
Also pretty sure the the rear bumper guards were not part of the improved protection design, but were a "recommended" option. So they're commonly seen, but not all '73's had them. The March 15, '73 Dealer Accessorizer had the guards as option #732 V32 as in previous years. But were now noted as included with the Body Protection Group #334 Y95 which was not available on TA's.

[Transamric]

Pretty sure the new for '73 bumper "crash" standards were set at 5 MPH for the fronts and 2 1/2 MPH for the rears. So the front end got all those extra braces/brackets and the rear bumper simply got spaced a bit further from the body with these new brackets we're discussing.
Also pretty sure the the rear bumper guards were not part of the improved protection design, but were a "recommended" option. So they're commonly seen, but not all '73's had them. The March 15, '73 Dealer Accessorizer had the guards as option #732 V32 as in previous years. But were now noted as included with the Body Protection Group #334 Y95 which was not available on TA's.

[Transamric]

Wonder why I'm getting these double posts lately? Anyone else having this happen?

[Formulabruce]

1973 Bodies got higher amp spot welds . This is why 72 shells could NOT be used...

[unruhjonny]

/\ i don’t recall reading that;
now i guess scrapping all those strike cars kinda makes sense.

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

the bumper standards changed for 1973.

That's why:
1) 1973 cars have a different front bumper
2) all 1973 cars had rear bumperettes

My '73 never had bumperettes (bumper guards).

My '72 has/had them. I left them off when I installed a rechromed bumper I had laying around.

[unruhjonny]

neat!

I have never seen an unrestored 73 that didn't have them

[71GP76TA]

Originally Posted by johnta1

The 73 Firebird bumpers were spaced about 1" further away from the body for collision protection.
(if I remember correctly)

'72 and '73

[Transamric]

I too haven't ever heard or read that stronger spot welds item before either. It'd be cool to see some factory issue paperwork on that.

[unruhjonny]

I had always just read that the cars were crushed because they would have required too many modifications to be finished as 1973 vehicles... but between us I thought that was bunk.

They were all vin coded as being 1972 and they were on the production line during the 1972 model year;
I never understood the justification for crushing them because how would have finishing those vehicles and shipping them "late" for the model year be any different than cars that languish in the lot outside of the production plant, or have some sort of production hold up which may have caused the vehicle to be pulled from the regular line to be finished off-line?

[Transamric]

Most likely because of the big HUGE tax deduction GM would get for "having to" crush all those cars!

[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

does anyone have length measurements to identify which is which?

Asking for a friend who might have brackets, but doesn't know how to identify one from the other.

I should add, if they are still attached to the bumper, the stainless capped head on the '73 is larger.

[Held for Ransom]

Still haven't got the car. But, I was able to purchase a set of brackets. Had one nut to fix (not a standard nut for 3/8-16" thread. Head is 5/8" vs 9/16"). The plating looked to be a gray (or grey) phosphate, but I went with clear zinc. I will be on the lookout for individual pieces when I figure out what's what.

[nas t eh]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

the bumper standards changed for 1973.

That's why:
1) 1973 cars have a different front bumper
2) all 1973 cars had rear bumperettes

Well, they all had the rear bumper spaced further away from the body, but bumperettes were not standard equipment on 73’s, plenty of birds shipped/sold without them.

[Red80TA]

There's a NOS set on ebay at present.

[Held for Ransom]

Do you have a link or search phrase to use?

[Red80TA]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/32608483215...mis&media=COPY

[Held for Ransom]

There was my problem. This is a thread on bumper brackets, not guards.