Hey folks...was wondering if any of you have experience with the reproduction endura front bumpers. Any feedback on how well they do or don't fit, wavy-ness of the urethane, etc? I have seen a few at car shows that didn't look quite right...wondering if I should bite the bullet and buy an original, or are the repros just as good?

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Photos of my 1969 Camaro project car:

http://community.webshots.com/user/rswhite

I've heard the repops do not fit well. I went for the original, but they are not without problems, either. The urethane bumper was molded over a steel core. The core is prone to rust, causing the plastic to peel and warp. It's a job to fix...you have to cut it open a little, and remove all the rust. then glue it back.

An NOS one sold on ebay a few months ago for 1500-2000....can't remember, for sure, but it was A LOT!

Repros are terrible, if you have a restored show car stick with a GM bumper. If you have a street strip play toy the fiberglass bumpers look nicer and fit better. an original Endura in nice condition will run from $600 to $2000. I have seen Endura bumpers in very bad condition sell for close to $400.

Thanks Guys. There are a couple of GM originals on Ebay now, one is in the mid-$400s already. Guess I know what to ask Santa for this Christmas http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif

Well, I have spoken with a few different folks on this....It seems that there were initial manufacturing problems in getting the urethane molding process figured out, and for that reason, quality of the initial production runs of the OER part was spotty. I also keep hearing that the OER part is made off of one of the original GM molds, in fact. The word is that those problems have since been solved, and the later production runs are "excellent". I tend to place some credibility with these discussions, as both individuals I talked to have high-dollar super-condition originals as well as the repros to sell. One even indicated that the OER repro is of better quality than any originals he has yet seen, in terms of "waviness" of the urethane over the steel core. No one has yet indicated approximately WHEN the quality improvements kicked in...I for one wouldn't spend 400-500 bones on an original Endura if the repros are just as good, if not better. I think I'll order up the repro, inspect/test fit it, and go from there. Anyone out there with more info to share?

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Photos of my 1969 Camaro project car:

http://community.webshots.com/user/rswhite

The OER I have is still poor quality, The brackets are moulded in the urithane too high and the surface is wavy. The only way to make the bumper fit was to trim the lower valance for clearance. Im sure if you were to buy ten different bumpers you might find one that fits. I also had to do a good amount of heavy sanding/blocking to get a reasonable surface. The bumper ends do not fit the fenders like the original on my other car. My oppinion is that the repros are still far from matching the GM bumpers quality. The repro inner brackets are aslo very bad. I Just sold an original on ebay for $600. People dont give that kind of money for originals went he repros are just as nice or better. The waviness is caused by rust between the urithane and the steel core causing the urithane to buldge or swell.The repro I bought must have been moulded from an original that was rusted.

[This message has been edited by Jeremiah (edited 11-03-2002).]

I have an original bumper but it needs some work. Does anyone repair these bumpers? Thanks Wes

[This message has been edited by MY396 (edited 11-03-2002).]

Thanks, Jeremiah. I have to wonder, though, why someone like OER, with plenty of $$, would use anything less than an absolute gem of an original Endura bumper as a model, if they were making up new tooling (ie, a die for the metal core, a mold for the urethane). Anyone out there know for certain wether or not the repros are made off of original GM tooling, as some have indicated?

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Photos of my 1969 Camaro project car - 383 stroker, T56

http://community.webshots.com/user/rswhite