5 mph bumpers: Replace with something different/older?

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Gigantor

Gigantor

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Have you ever heard or seen a car that scrapped the 5mph bumpers in favor of something more streamlined and tucked closer to the body like previous years?

My 75 Dart Swinger is gorgeous... but how much sweeter could she look with different bumpers?

Too much to ask for? Your thoughts?
 
Remove the rubber-plastic piece between the body and bumper.Then grind the bumper bracket holes into slots and move the bumpers in.Then if you have the bumper guards take them off and fill the holes in with bumper bolts.It is amazing how much better the 73-76's look when this is done.

Jim
 
Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about! Thank you!
Any photo examples of one of these done?
 
cut the bumpers / narrow them , have them re-chromed or paint them, suck them up to the body described above, remove rubber bumpers if you want to. Did it on my volare roadrunner. Looks ten times better. My volare had like shock absorbers for bumper mounts. I compressed them in a press to the appropriate length to suck the bumper up to the body for a more smooth look.
 
Sport 360 said:
Anyone have pictures with the bumpers moved in ??
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I did mine about 1993. I was just a kid. Did the pseudo stripe from vague memory of a dodge I saw one time. I only have one picture of the car. I had just put the front bumper on and had not narrowed the rear bumper.
 

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Here is my rear bumper. It came with the big rubber bumpers but not the shock absorbers.All the holes were filled and the bolts heads shaved, then I narrowed it to bring the ends in tight to the body.
Andrew
 

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That looks really good.

Thanks everyone for sharing responses and pics. I'm leaning towards a way to do this without cutting the bumpers. The welding doesn't scare me, the cost of new chrome does and they are too nice to paint right now.

I like the first suggestion, but until I get the plastic shrouding taken off I'm not sure if I have the shock absorber style bumper mounts or not. I'm assuming since it is a 75 that it does... need to find someone with a press I can borrow!

Again, thank you.
 
You may be able to secure them bumper shocks between a couple cinder blocks put a board over the bumper receptacle part and gently whack them with a sledge to bring them in. The shocks are from my experience not providing much impedance to compression. I vaguely remember drilling a hole in the rear of the shock to release the 9 trillion pounds of compressed hydrogen contained inside. Kidding.

I believe I did drill a little relief hole in the rear of the shock though. Safety goggles and gloves are always a good idea when playing with a sledge or a shock with gas in it. Now that I am older, and have almost blinded my self about 40 times, I like goggles.

Keep us posted on your bumpers!
 
Yeah, getting metal drilled out of my eye is an experience I don't want to repeat. Ever. I've got safety glasses everywhere.
 
Should have the shock mounts if it is a 75. Just drill a hole in them to take the gas out. Push the bumper in. May take some force due to rust/grime. Then when you get it where you want it weld the hole you drilled up to lock the bumper in to place.
 
I bought AAR fiberglass bumpers took the safety stuff off and moved them in just like earlier Dusters, mine is a 74.
 

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Wow. 412, did you narrow them or just suck them towards the body? They look narrowed to me.. Are the bumpers 74 or for an earlier year? :)
 
Rice Nuker said:
Wow. 412, did you narrow them or just suck them towards the body? They look narrowed to me.. Are the bumpers 74 or for an earlier year? :)
Click to expand...
they are from AAR fiberglass and I dont think they have different versions, so if I remember right they are for all dusters, darts etc. the guy that did the body work on the car took the rear bumper absorbers off and he fabricated a bracket to attache the bumper too on the front I think it just bolted on the same way as the original bumper but he drilled a hole bled the pressure out and then welded them colapsed, burntorange70 had mentioned, It wont work for the rear bumper though as it will protude to far out to do it that way. thanks for the compliments.
 
Here is mine. I need to get these re chromed you can see where the 5 MPH bumpers used to be.
 

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Thank you guys for sharing your pics and tips and tricks... This is one project I want to tackle soon.
 
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