Anyone have pics of 1974-1975 bumper without bumperettes removed?

[Woodsman341]

I am currently bumperless - got a free bumper from a salvage yard that LOOKED like a Dart bumper, but wasn't. Probably a Scamp or Valiant? Anyway...I'm now thinking of going with the '73 bumper, which I think did NOT have bumperettes, because it's probably lighter than the later 5mph bumpers. Now I did find a '74, a couple hours away, but it has those huge, wide bumperettes. Before I make the trip, can someone post pics of the '74-'76 bumpers with the bumperettes removed? I just can't visualize what it would look like.

 

[George Jets]

1974 Dart Swinger
Front bumper without bumperettes.

 

[Woodsman341]

1974 Dart Swinger
Front bumper without bumperettes.


View attachment 1716060636

Okay, great! Did it have them and you took them off? That's what I'm wondering - what holes are left behind if they are taken off?

Thanks!

 

[George Jets]

Yes it had bumperets, removed them. Put chrome bumper round head bolts in their place.

Cartridge bolts from the hardware store can work, can polish up the heads with steel wool and wax them so they don't rust.

☆☆☆☆☆

 

[Woodsman341]

Yes it had bumperets, removed them. Put chrome bumper round head bolts in their place.

Cartridge bolts from the hardware store can work, can polish up the heads with steel wool and wax them so they don't rust.

View attachment 1716060638

☆☆☆☆☆

Excellent. Your car looks good, but that resolution and these old eyes weren't getting along, especially when I didn't know what I was looking for. And I did see, maybe at Dante's, Detroit Muscle, or Classic, that we can still order bumper button bolts, so that should work. Greatly appreciated.

 

[George Jets]

Pulled the bumper back 1 1/2", re-drilled the rear mount hole for fastening the bumper bracket in the frame, to give it a more of a tucked in look.

Believe you will have to shorten the lower front fender Support rods by 1" to fit the new bumper position.

☆☆☆☆☆

 

[72bluNblu]

Any of the later bumpers with the big rubber bumperettes should just have a couple of mounting holes behind the bumperette that can be filled with a carriage bolt. I know the bumper is a little different on a Duster, but on mine the bottom bumperette hole served double duty, it was also the lower bumper bracket mounting hole. The upper hole was just for the bumperette and was larger and round. But a carriage bolt could still be used to fill it, it would just take grabbing the square shoulder or double nutting the bolt from behind to tighten it.

Here's a '74 Dart bumper in stock form. Sorry, I never took the bumperettes off this one as it was a parts car I basically bought for the '73+ brakes and V8 K-frame. It had been clobbered in the back and didn't look bad, but the rear rails were folded up and wrinkled all the way to the spring mounts.

 

[Woodsman341]

Any of the later bumpers with the big rubber bumperettes should just have a couple of mounting holes behind the bumperette that can be filled with a carriage bolt. I know the bumper is a little different on a Duster, but on mine the bottom bumperette hole served double duty, it was also the lower bumper bracket mounting hole. The upper hole was just for the bumperette and was larger and round. But a carriage bolt could still be used to fill it, it would just take grabbing the square shoulder or double nutting the bolt from behind to tighten it.
View attachment 1716060642

View attachment 1716060643

Here's a '74 Dart bumper in stock form. Sorry, I never took the bumperettes off this one as it was a parts car I basically bought for the '73+ brakes and V8 K-frame. It had been clobbered in the back and didn't look bad, but the rear rails were folded up and wrinkled all the way to the spring mounts.
View attachment 1716060644

Thanks, Blu! I appreciate all the photo knowledge I can get.