First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... Look for a better original bumper and have that re-chromed. If you can't locate an original bumper in nicer shape, have that bumper repaired at a trusted plating shop. Avoid the repo bumper because of the quality issues. You could check with tri-city plating. Sometimes they have reworked Firebird front bumpers in stock. Tri-City plating was selling Firebird front bumper at Carlisle show for $240 plus core. Their workmanship looks better than it left the factory in 1967.
That fender looks like it has been damaged before. I would want to check the rest of the fender to see how much bondo it has before investing in repairs. If the rest is in good shape, a good body guy can repair that and it will be better than having a reproduction piece on your car. The reproduction piece is five pounds (15%) lighter. Find out if the shop that wants to replace it has worked with import/repro parts on classic cars. A collision shop that swaps panels on newer cars may be maknig assumptions. Make sure you have a meeting of the minds on what you expect for body panel alignment and fit/finish. They may be making assumptions about accurately the fit from the reproduction parts is. That could drive their estimate. It could take them longer to correct the fit of a repro part than to metalwork the original. If you watch Overhaulin, you see them struggling with the repro fenders to make the align. Typically the say "the car's been hit". "And now a word from our sponser". --- On Tue, 4/7/09, Scott Everson <[email protected]> wrote: From: Scott Everson <[email protected]> Subject: [FGF] Repair or replace? To: "'First Generation Firebird-L'" <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 12:51 AM First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List ......................................................................... OK all you body & paint experts. I've got a '67 bird with a crunched left front fender & bumper (compliments of my beautiful daughter, so I couldn't even get mad - yes, the same daughter who's in the wedding photos). After visiting two body shops, one of them is telling me they can repair the fender and send the bumper to Salt Lake Chrome for straightening and refinishing. The other shop is telling me to replace both the fender and the bumper. They say that the fender is damaged at just the wrong place (right at the very leading edge) and that it would be better to buy a new one. Here are some pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/EversonFam/Firebird#5321802470000446114 The car's been in my family since 1969 and it has all original metal, matching numbers, etc. Other than some rust in all the usual places, it's never had any major body damage. I prefer not to replace any parts that can be repaired, but I also want the car straight. I'd love to have your opinions/recommendations. Thanks in advance. Scott '67 326 HO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> Donations: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store/cart.mv?999999> FGF Merchandise: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/> Donations: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store/cart.mv?999999> FGF Merchandise: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/store>
