New Front 1971 240 Z Bumper

[barichardson]

So...If I understand this correctly than the 73' 240z bumper is the same as the early 260z bumpers.

[TVollnogle]

Hello Everyone,

Ran across this thread while doing research this morn on whether my 4/70 production date was built having rubber on the bumper ends or not. I'm doing a rotisserie resto.

I'll start with a little background: my car, which I've owned for 4 years, had been stored for about 8 years before I bought it. Some time prior to that it's apparent, it had been damaged by a RF hit thus requiring RF fender, bumper, etc. being replaced. In my whirlwind disassembly after I got it, I didn't notice that there were no front bumper rubber end strips nor holes for mounting them. The bumper was in excellent condition so I didn't have it plated with the rear, but I did have the bumper guard (over riders) plated.

The other day after discovering no holes in the bumper for mounting rubber, I started wondering about the bumper rubber. I dug out the original (?) guards I had plated, and they have the cutout to go over the bumper rubber. Did some research and came up with the same part numbers that Mike did and it would seem that maybe cars built prior to 6/70 didn't have the rubber. I have a downloaded 1970 Z sales brochure which almost appears to NOT have rubber on the front bumper ends, although the clarity is such that's it's not conclusive. I'll attach below.

This brings up a couple of questions: 1) Did the early Z's have rubber? 2) If not, I would think the guards would not have a cutout for rubber, so were my guards added later? I'll add a pic of my bumper before disassembly.

Thanks,

Terry

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn44/tsekc/?action=view&current=118-1844_IMG.jpg

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn44/tsekc/?action=view&current=Page6.jpg

http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn44/tsekc/?action=view&current=Pages23.jpg

[Mike B]

Terry,

All 240Z's sold in the US had the front and rear rubber strips on the bumpers and the bumper guards with the rubber strips. The 1970 brochure you attached shows them on the red and silver cars. In other markets some models came with no rubber strips (generally the "base" models such as the JDM Fairlady Z) and others came with the rubber strips (the more "deluxe" models, such as the JDM Fairlady ZL). Here is a thread with some more details http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5958. People in the US could still order the bumpers without the holes for the rubbers strips through the parts department. It seems that a prior owner replaced your front bumper with this version after the fender bender.

-Mike

[TVollnogle]

Thanks for the info Mike. I always thought that all 240Z's had the rubber but then I noticed several things while getting ready to order it, so I began investigating after seeing my bumper with no holes. The thing that started it all was one vendor (don't remember who) showed applicability of the rubber beginning with '71. Anyway, that clears it up for me.

Terry

[26th-Z]

Terry,

From everything I can find, the American HLS30-U came with bumper rubbers. It also came with the uprights and I think the guards are unique to our American version as much as the red side-marker lights. I'm not certain about the HS30 but the S30 and PS30 are shown in the picture with rubbers - the S30-S without. The North American test cars had rubbers and both my owner's manuals show rubbers. I would say that if you are trying to go original stock original with your restoration, you need rubbers.

Chris

Edited April 25, 2009 by 26th-Z

[lonetreesteve]

I had all my bumpers re-chromed on my 240Z projects by Denver Bumper Works. They do triple-plate chroming that is superior in quality to the original bumpers and their prices are reasonable. Here's the link:

http://www.denverbumper.com/index.html

As a follow up to this, I dropped off the bumpers from my '71 at Denver Bumper Works earlier this week and here are what their current costs are for re-chroming:

Front bumper: $250.00

Rear bumper center piece: $100.00

Rear bumper corner pieces: $75.00 each

Bumper guards $55.00 each

Their re-chroming costs include pulling all of the dents out and straightening. I opted not to do the guards since I've been able to buy some in the past that were in great condition for about half of the $55.00 re-chroming cost. However, since it's been a while, I will probably have a tougher time trying to find the early guards in nice condition.

They accept shipment orders and will ship back the re-chromed bumpers to anywhere in the USA.

[TVollnogle]

Thanks for the additional info, Chris. I suspect the bumper with no holes is what was available to the repair shop at the time it was replaced. I think the guards are probably my originals, too. I've ordered the rubber for it.

Steve, those seem like good prices compared to what I paid a couple years back. Keystone Automotive, the big aftermarket parts supplier out of the west coast, has a plating facility in my city, Grand Rapids, MI, so I had them do it. Good work but cost me about $550 for the rear bumper and front and rear guards.

Terry

[lonetreesteve]

............Steve, those seem like good prices compared to what I paid a couple years back. Keystone Automotive, the big aftermarket parts supplier out of the west coast, has a plating facility in my city, Grand Rapids, MI, so I had them do it. Good work but cost me about $550 for the rear bumper and front and rear guards.

Terry

Terry, So you're saying that the $550.00 didn't include the front bumper itself?

[TVollnogle]

Terry, So you're saying that the $550.00 didn't include the front bumper itself?

No, it didn't include the front bumper. Only the rear and all 4 guards. I talked with less expensive places I found online, but by the time I added shipping both ways, they would have been as much or a little more. The good news is Keystone did a nice job.

Terry

[beandip]

if you want to pay the "big bucks", this guy appears to have a new OEM 70-72 front bumper:

http://www.new-datsun-parts.com/datsun-240Z-parts-exterior1.html

In my neck of the woods the cost to re chrome the center of a 240 bumper is VARY close to the prices quoted for new from these guys.

Gary

[beandip]

As a follow up to this, I dropped off the bumpers from my '71 at Denver Bumper Works earlier this week and here are what their current costs are for re-chroming:

Front bumper: $250.00

Rear bumper center piece: $100.00

Rear bumper corner pieces: $75.00 each

Bumper guards $55.00 each

Their re-chroming costs include pulling all of the dents out and straightening. I opted not to do the guards since I've been able to buy some in the past that were in great condition for about half of the $55.00 re-chroming cost. However, since it's been a while, I will probably have a tougher time trying to find the early guards in nice condition.

They accept shipment orders and will ship back the re-chromed bumpers to anywhere in the USA.

Thanks Steve , you are the Man. I will contact them on Monday. It so happens that I borrowed a rear bumper for a Portland Car show and mine is off . So off it goes to the plater.

Gary