dhp123166 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I have been without a stock bumper on my '76 280z for many years. I have tried all kind of substitutes and finally settled on a piece of leaf spring bolted to the stock mounts. I liked the way it looked how the bumper conformed to the vehicles curves. Its safety was questionable at best. But luckily this was never tested. Last year I came into the possession of a 1975 stock front bumper. I have no illusions about selling this, hell we cannot even give these things away. it's been sitting on the floor of my garage getting in the way etc. Finally after a few days of thinking about it, I said I'm gonna mount that thing again and see what I can come up with. The final result cost $2.16 for a piece of cove base. I like the way it looks and it is probably safer than what I had. Original Bumper + This car = This configuration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 going rock crawling any time soon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazycat5 Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Hello. The current look of your car with bumper offers no true protection anyway. I think that your car looked awesome the way that you had it previously without the bumper. In my opinion you had the best looking front end on this website!! I wish that you would post a good picture of the bumper-less look, because I never saw a clear picture of it. This way other Z members would also be able to see the difference in styles. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 Thanks for the compliment, who knew? The protection it offers is not just physical but legal as well. Police in my area WILL pull me over with no front bumper. It was just fun to work on the car again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 I like the simplicity of the new bumper as well as the fact that it looks like it is integrated into the vehicle body. It looks like a cow catcher on one of them olde tyme steam engines. Or a battering ram ala 5-0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky280zx Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Why would they pull you over for now front bumper? They must really not like you or just be assholes where you live. I always rock mine without a bumper and they look great ive been asked about a bumper once and showed the cop the pictures of it with and without (and told him that THIN little bar going across looked like a bumper to me) and he said WOW looks 1000xs better and that bar "could be a bumper" its in front of the car and goes all the way across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatBlack Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 ^ heh. California is a *bit* different from Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboboost Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I have a 8000 lb warn winch if you want it. It would look perfect mounted on that bumper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted January 5, 2010 Author Share Posted January 5, 2010 I love this bumper! I filled some more of the spaces so it looks like it is coming out of the grille! From the top down it conforms to the curves of the hood! It plain just looks mean! Here's an analogy; it's like the difference between George St. Pierre and Brock Lesnar. They' re both highly competent champions but their style is different. GSP is the finesse, the dancer of MMA and Brock Lesnar is the brute power that will not be denied. I switched from a GSP bumper to a Brock Lesnar bumper! P.S.: If anyone wants that leaf spring bumper I fabbed, I'll sell it for $20.00 + shipping. It attaches to 77-78 280z mounts albeit it is somewhat of a hairball mount and will require some disguising to make it appealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted January 5, 2010 Author Share Posted January 5, 2010 This works on this vehicle where a thin 240 style bumper would not (in more ways than one)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two80z4me Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 [attach]19859[/attach] If you want to complete the "look" I have a perfectly good flat black welded fully steel frame mount grill guard for a 2008 tundra haha just messing around, It looks unique, in a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 If you want to complete the "look" I have a perfectly good flat black welded fully steel frame mount grill guard for a 2008 tundra haha just messing around, It looks unique, in a good way. Thanks for the compliment, as far as the Tundra thing, it's not stock! If my car was sitting an inch lower all around, it would look truly evil (and probably ride that way as well, bouncy- bouncy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
302cobra Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 don't forget that front license plate if you want to be legal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two80z4me Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 yeah, you wouldn't believe how much I get pulled over for not having a front plate. sheesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModernS30 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 yeah, you wouldn't believe how much I get pulled over for not having a front plate. sheesh Just mount it to the little valence that goes over the bumper the thing that the struts sorta support, its a perfect spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I got to say I'm not lovin' it. Just me though. Hey, did you know John Washington makes a fiberglass version of the 280Z bumpers? http://www.reactionresearch.com/pricelist.html (under "Assorted Z Parts") I guess if you like the look without the heft. Also a lot easier to modify than steel. No real protection though. Fool the cops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcdavis Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 My way around that problem was to use the MSA fiberglass front air dam, with a "simulated" bumper. Never got pulled over by the cops for it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhp123166 Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 Yes well, I had a plastic air dam on this car when I first bought it 14 years ago. Plastic breaks, I'll stick with metal. As far as daily driver abuse goes metal is forgiving, plastic, forget it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftover z Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Gotta agree with ya there DHP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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