I see a lot of different versions of this on 69's. I like the color bumper sometimes....but I like the chrome bumper sometimes...depends on the car color really.

What was the factory options on the front bumper?

Do they paint the chrome ones? Or was there another type?

THANKS!

....and I'm creating a 69 SS/RS clone, yellow w/black stripes...and I have not decided what to do. But I want to know what the original option was.

The front bumper options for 69 was either chrome (with or w/o bumper guards), or the Endura (rubber) bumper, which was a different bumper that was painted to match the color of the car.

The endura was shaped a little differently, uses different brackets, and fit snug up against grille housing.


dave

I like the chrome bumpers a lot better i have a 1969 camaro with chrome bumpers. Also i have never seen a 69 camaro with colored bumpers.

The endura bumper is a look on a 69 that is all it's own. I think they look way better than chrome. I do not know if they were avaible in all colors though?

I prefer the Endura for a cleaner, matching look thats not distracted by chrome. But its always each to his own. :) They are all camaros. Thats the most important thing.

http://www.brainerd.net/~knudsen/69RS/BodyShots/DCP_0002.jpg

Interesting but useless tidbit of info: Chevrolet never marketed the optional VE3 front bumper as "endura"-that term comes from '68 GTO advertising and was probably a trade name.

All documentation for a car so equipped refers to it as "special front bumper" marketing material calls it "color-matched" I believe. For some reason the Canadian showroom brochure refers to it as the "Astro" front bumper. It was available in any color on any model and required a special jack adapter. They had a steel liner much like a standard bumper which quickly rusted in Northern climates. In my parts days we threw out several of them; nothing left but the rubber. Beware of one that "looks" good on a parts car.

Neat info. Wm thanks :) I had a 74 Chevelle LaGuna with the same type of bumper and grille area that I think was referred to as Endura back then too. Probably reference to the product name as you said.

Oh boy does THAT bring back memories. We had one of those bumpers too-must have weighed 300 lbs. Couldn't give it away.

here is my old LaGuna :) I remember on a trip out of town once in early winter, a light freezing drizzle was falling and I pulled into a small town for a burger, went around a block and when I turned the wheel, the car didnt turn, I was on glare ice and skated straight into a massive tree dead center smacked my Laguna. Luckily at 20mph no damage to me or the car. I got out and looked and the paint was wrinkled but the bumper did its job.

http://www.brainerd.net/~knudsen/69RS/Misc.Stuff/74Laguna.jpg