Special Front Bumper VE3 differences between OEM & aftermarket

[x66 714]

I was looking for research between original & reproduction VE3 bumpers. How can you tell the difference off the car? Are things real noticable? Thanks, Joe

[x66 714]

Maybe I should've said 1969 endura. Some people don't know it by it's real name...Joe

[DONCZ28]

The 1969 camaro tv commercial refers to the bumper as (New resilient bumper). Nice originals are hard to find, prone to rusting out. Paid $350 for a nice used one 30 years ago!

[restore-z28]

Hey Joe, try the below link as there is a difference in overall size and weight of the after market compared to an OE bumper.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=155455

[william]

Maybe I should've said 1969 endura. Some people don't know it by it's real name...Joe

Chevrolet never marketed the VE3 "Special Front Bumper" using the trade name Endura as Pontiac did. I have much of the '69 Camaro marketing info and Chevy never did settle on a name. The US showroom brochure refers to it as the "color-matched" bumper, the Canadian version calls it the "Astro" bumper. All docs list it as "special front bumper."

Not a good design for the rust belt. The steel liner wasn't coated and quickly rusted.

[x66 714]

Sonny
Thanks for the link. It appears the only option we have is the weight as it is 2000 miles away

William
I'm glad mine's not from the rust belt. My Camaro came from the dry rot belt. My bumper is perfect

Thanks, Joe

[Mark]

Originals weigh about 12 lbs, the repros weigh about 8 lbs. Real ones are almost exactly 3" tall while the repros are just over 2 3/4" tall measured across the back of the bumper from lip to lip. Repros are more flexible the the originals (softer urethane), theres also a difference in the tabs the the center brackets attach to, the bracket consists of two metal tabs next to each other, one about twice the width of the other, but at different heights to match the bracket that attaches to the frame rail. On the repros both of these brackets are square, while on the original bumpers the larger of the two tabs has an angled cut on the edge furthest from the bumper, and it also has a circular notch cut out of the smaller of the two tabs, the repros smaller tab is just a rectangle, the repros have a square notch cut out on the edge of the larger tab, next to the smaller tab where the tabs meet.  Originals are made from an amber colored urethane, repros are molded in a grey colored urethane.

[69Z28-RS]

a very good summary of he differences, Mark...   

[crobjones2]

Is there any one that can repair them?

[69Z28-RS]

There are urethane repair materials available, but I can't say how well they can be repaired, as the only repairs I've noticed were the 'bad repair jobs'.. (but of course, it it was repaired perfectly, I would not have noticed..)..
Gary

[DONCZ28]

Check out You Tube video!  (Tv Ad Series 1969 Camaro RS)

[mark x22]

This is a


GM one .

[rsr]

Did Chevrolet / GM make all the endura bumpers in house or another company do it for them? Was it ever a first or second run or changes made during production?Also how many years after 69 where the bumpers stocked by gm for the collision industry in case my camaro was victim of a crash say in 1974? Anybody know when and who started to repo the bumpers?

[william]

Chevrolet produced many chrome bumpers in-house but VE3 was nothing like those. There may have been more than one supplier involved anyway; one to produce the steel liner/bracket assembly; another to mold the urethane.

#3938643 is not listed in the May 1979 P & A manual. Exactly when it became no longer available would require searching through '70s P & A manuals and price books. A part that was scheduled for discontinuation was noted in the price book as no longer returnable. However it may have remained available. At the time GMPD may have had stock they could continue to sell or they may have scrapped the stock if there was little demand for it. In those days there was a crude locator system dealers could use to find a discontinued part so obtaining one a few years later may have been possible.

[rsr]

Thanks William for your input...Interesting more than one supplier was involved and realistic... we must assume ALL were made exact in every way? Some production numbers indicate little over 12,500k cars left the factory with VE3 bumpers and that option cost around 42.00?