MGB roadster: losing the rubber bumpers advice needed.
Discussion
Hi all,
Considering my first classic investment. I am looking round at MGB's, and a particularly nice 79 car has appeared local to my area with rubber bumpers. I would ideally like a car with a sebring style front end (skipping the wide arches as I have a look in mind). I would much rather take the front end off a rubber car, rather than removing a set of chrome bumpers for my project, this is to both keep cost down, and preserve a car with chrome bumpers.
So my question is, what options do I have available to remove the front bumper off a RB car and install a Sebring valance? I see Moss Europe supplies a fibreglass valance, but not sure on the fit of these, some say it its a straight fit, some say otherwise. Has anyone here tried this themselves and can offer some advice?
Thanks for reading
Dan
Considering my first classic investment. I am looking round at MGB's, and a particularly nice 79 car has appeared local to my area with rubber bumpers. I would ideally like a car with a sebring style front end (skipping the wide arches as I have a look in mind). I would much rather take the front end off a rubber car, rather than removing a set of chrome bumpers for my project, this is to both keep cost down, and preserve a car with chrome bumpers.
So my question is, what options do I have available to remove the front bumper off a RB car and install a Sebring valance? I see Moss Europe supplies a fibreglass valance, but not sure on the fit of these, some say it its a straight fit, some say otherwise. Has anyone here tried this themselves and can offer some advice?
Thanks for reading
Dan
Fairly common, but you'd need to remove the top of the chassis rails that the bumper bolts too back to the radiator. Also the cones below the tail lights needs to be added in and welded.
Don't forget that RB cars sit much higher than chrome cars, so you'd need to lower it. Rear is easier than the front as the cross member has raised castle sections to pick it up. If you just lower the coils it will ride pretty rough.
Don't forget that RB cars sit much higher than chrome cars, so you'd need to lower it. Rear is easier than the front as the cross member has raised castle sections to pick it up. If you just lower the coils it will ride pretty rough.
Hi Dan
The fit of many fibre glass panels is rarely straight forward as they may not have been stored or shipped with adequate support - however with a bit of work a good appearance can be achieved. A bigger problem is the fact that the rubber bumpers conceal a big heavy steel girder - and the "B" suspension was redesigned to accommodate that and the USA ride height spec. Therefore just taking off the rubber bumper(s) will leave the car sitting too high. There are good sources of detailed explanations of how to do this fairly common modification "on - line".
Good Luck and keep us updated if you can.
The fit of many fibre glass panels is rarely straight forward as they may not have been stored or shipped with adequate support - however with a bit of work a good appearance can be achieved. A bigger problem is the fact that the rubber bumpers conceal a big heavy steel girder - and the "B" suspension was redesigned to accommodate that and the USA ride height spec. Therefore just taking off the rubber bumper(s) will leave the car sitting too high. There are good sources of detailed explanations of how to do this fairly common modification "on - line".
Good Luck and keep us updated if you can.
You would be far better off starting with a chrome car. The Sebring front and rear valance can be added to a chrome car without any body mods as they were a period mod. Indeed the rear valance especially is designed to smooth the body off once the bumpers are removed so the removal of bumpers for weight reduction spawned the kit rather than the kit necessitating removing the bumpers. It's easily reversible.
To fit them to a rubber car necessitates cutting about the shell and adding infills under the rear lights. Basically you need to do the chrome bumper conversion to a rubber bumper car and all the additional mods that entails. Far too many good rubber bumper cars have been irreversibly cut up and bastardised already to make poor imitations of chrome bumper cars. Either buy it and enjoy the rubber bumper car as it is, they are lovely cars in their own right or buy a chrome car to start with the price difference just doesn't justify the work.
To fit them to a rubber car necessitates cutting about the shell and adding infills under the rear lights. Basically you need to do the chrome bumper conversion to a rubber bumper car and all the additional mods that entails. Far too many good rubber bumper cars have been irreversibly cut up and bastardised already to make poor imitations of chrome bumper cars. Either buy it and enjoy the rubber bumper car as it is, they are lovely cars in their own right or buy a chrome car to start with the price difference just doesn't justify the work.
In the middle of doing this myself. In short, nothing fits. The fiberglass valences don't fit, the reproduction grill doesn't fit, the bonnet then won't fit on top of it, don't even think about parabolic springs as they don't fit so badly it's not funny. Lots and lots of bodywork required. And then finding someone to respray the thing is an epic ballache.
Car projects are fun
Car projects are fun
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