How To Replace C3 Corvette Urethane Bumpers

A major problem with the 1974 and later C3 Corvettes is that the Urethane bumpers crack and disintegrate over time. These days, we have flexible fiberglass replacement bumpers that do not crack and disintegrate like the urethane do.

Replacing the bumpers is not an extremely hard process, but it does take a good bit of time and patience. Removal of the old bumpers is the easiest part of the job. I like to take a razer blade knife and cut close to the mounting area so I do not hurt the main body while removing the bumper. Once the old bumpers are cut off and the front grills and tail lights are removed, it’s time to remove the old bumper mounting brackets and bolts. If you’re lucky, the bolts will break off and you will be able to quickly remove all the nuts.  Otherwise, it’s the slow process of a quarter turn at a time in tight spots.

With all the old removed, it’s now time to test fit the new bumpers and make sure they will line up fairly closely on the body. Most of today’s bumpers are made a little smaller, so you can add filler to make the bumper fit nicely. With everything test fitted, it’s time to drill all the necessary holes to mount the bumpers, emblems, license plate bracket, and lights. When drilling the mounting holes, I like to slot them a little to allow room to move the bumper around for the best fit.

For mounting, I use quarter inch bolts with washers and nuts instead of the bracket kits that are on the market. They do a much nicer job and give you a lot of flexibility with the bumper’s fit.

Once the bumpers are mounted, it’s time to send it out for paint. Most body shops can get a fairly close color match, but for really nice Corvettes, it’s recommend to blend the front end and rear end so you do not see any color difference. After paint, its time to install the emblems, lights, and front grills.

The final result is quite pleasing and will last much longer than your original bumper!

These are some of the Corvettes that have had fiberglass bumpers installed:

• 1974 Red L82 4spd Corvette Stingray
• 1975 White Corvette Stingray
• 1975 White Corvette Convertible Stingray 4spd
• 1974 White Corvette Stingray 4spd
• 1974 Red 454 4spd Corvette Stingray
• 1974 Dark Red Corvette Stingray 4spd