Yes, I've converted a '77 MGB roadster to chrome bumpers. A little
imagination in designing the bumper supports is required. Additionally,
at the rear one must fabricate the part of the fender that - on an older
B -protrudes beneath the tail light. I carved a form using a piece of 2
X 4 and hammered galanized sheet steel to the proper shape. Then I
attached them beneath the tail light by passing sheet metal screws
through from inside the trunk.
The front of the car presents equally challenging obstacles, but
with a grinder the interfering rubber bumper mounts can be shortened, an
appropriate grille mounted, and chrome bumpers attached.
Aside from appearance considerations, the car handles in a vastly
superior manner since (as Road & Track says) I have lowered the polar
moment of inertia.
Charles E. Edwards, CPA
Virginia Beach, VA
cedwards@pinn.net
On Mon, 21 Aug 1995, Sean Johnson wrote:
> While I'm not thrilled about painting a rubber bumper (the concerns about
> cracked paint due to parking lot dings are legitamate) I'm a whole lot less
> thrilled about paying $700 for a new bumper.
>
> [slight digression] The degradation of the rubber due to the sun and weather
> is irreversible. People talk about rubber "drying out", and how the"oil" can
> be put back into plastic or rubber parts by their products. My recollection
> is that all polymers are chains of carbon molecules with hydrogens hanging
> off. Ultraviolet light from the sun breaks those C-C bonds, and you can't
> put them back together again.
>
> I do wonder whether there are products out there that could be used to coat a
> bumper, but that would stretch enough to withstand parking lot incidents
> without tearing. Does anyone know of such a product?
>
> As an alternative, is it possible to take a rubber bumper 'B back to chrome
> bumpers?
>
> Sean Johnson
> '79 MGB
>
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