James et al:
This one is near and dear to my heart, so I did some checking cos I
need bumpers for my 79 conversion.
Regarding Moss stock:
1. The front and rear bumpers come from two different manufacturers
2. Neither bumper is manufactured to concours standard. They are
manufactured and priced to be good quality replacements. A carefully
straightened and rechromed original unit will be superior to the
replacements in fit, finish, longevity and thickness.
3. There have been no recorded quality related returns on either bumper
since 2000. At that time there was a rash of complaints about scratches,
wavy chrome and incorrect curvature. Please note that this only means that
customers have not sent any units back to us with an explanation. Returns
without explanation, and grumpy dis-satisfied customers who bolted the units
on anyway don't make it onto the database.
Now to personal recollection rather than data. The front bumpers seem to be
pretty good. The rear bumper ends are not cut quite right, but you have to
know what you are looking for to notice the difference. Plating has gotten
much better, but there are always cases of a bad spot getting through. In
this case the satisfaction guarantee warranty comes into play. Neither of
the bumpers has the inside surface finished or polished. The chrome on this
surface can definitely be peeling. I strongly suggest cleaning off any
loose chrome flash then painting the inner surface with Rustoleum or some
other grey colored paint. This is done on some of the more expensive repro
bumpers out of the UK (not MGB) and makes a big difference to looks and
longevity.
IMHO I want to drive my B, and anticipate having the bumpers dinged by
idiots on a regular basis, so I'm going to opt for the repros. If I was
building a car for weekend driving or show, I would source and rechrome
originals and pay the higher price.
Hope this helps.
Kelvin.
>
> I was looking into bumpers for my '71 BGT today and got some
> unexpected
> results. My bumpers are crapped out, they are full of pits
> and have some
> large sections where the chrome is gone and rust has started;
> also at least
> one of the bumper bolt holes is rounded off. The info I got
> today is that the
> Moss repro bumpers, rears especially, are a terrible fit and
> so not a great
> option. Rechroming my bumpers was estimated at $180 each
> after I fix the
> rounded out hole(s) - again not a wonderful option because of price.
>
> Can anyone add any input or experience to this? Neither one
> of these routes
> sounds too hot.
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