'73 front bumper

[siteunseen]

I got a phone call from a friend who had a friend that had a friend, blah blah blah.  I go look at this 10/'72 240 with Webers and some funny looking bumpers.

 

It looks like there has been earlier bumpers put on because the brackets are attached to the backside landing of the bumper.  The big brackets aren't touching.  I told him he could take those big brackets off and put the bumper back against the car.  Did I tell a lie?

 

[zKars]

The 73 mounting brackets and bumpers are unique as you've discovered.

The four studs on the back side of the 73 bumpers are not the same location or spacing as the earlier bumpers. 73's do have both the pair of holes in the body that the 70-72's had to mount their simpler earlier brackets, as well as the ones for the 73 brackets, so you can use earlier bumpers, but not the other way around with out some fabricating to make things match up.

Did I make that clear? ish?

[siteunseen]

Yes, clear enough for me. 

 

That's what is sorta goofy, it's got the narrow bumper and the the early mounting brackets but they left those big 2.5 MPH brackets on the car.  I think if he took those off and put the early brackets all the way back it would look like a '72.  The early brackets are in the front mounting hole only, I guess so it would clear the older brackets?

 

How's that for clear?  I'm on my first cup of coffee and my medication hasn't started working yet. 

[SteveJ]

I know someone who swapped in the early bumpers on a 73.

https://fiddlingwithzcars.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/installing-the-front-bumper/

[Matthew Abate]

Wait, so the only difference between the '72 and '73 mounting brackets is the cylender welded to the front?

I was going to wait until much later to research this, but since you guys are talking about it now, I'll interject. The guy who sold me my car cut those cylinders off in order to fit a towing bar to the car (and bent them out of shape in the process of dragging it 1,000 miles to my house). Can I theoretically just bolt a '72 bumper on and call it done?

/M

Edited October 28, 2015 by Matthew

[SteveJ]

The 73 has the mounting points for the 70-72 bumper brackets. You just need to get the early brackets and remove the 73 brackets and bumper. The holes on the fenders line up, and I would advise attaching the bumper there first, while supporting the front. It's a bear to get the bolts lined up on the sides once it is attached in the front.