Guest Anonymous Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 is it against the law to have no bumbers? i know i still have to have my front plate but i can just put that in the window.. but the bumpers on my 77 280 are just ugly and a half!!! im not usualy a "law adbiding" (how ever ya spell that) person but the cost for my insuance right now (sence im only 17) is crazy!!! and another ticket i dont think my burger flipping job could pay for it... oh yea i live in WA if that makes any diff... thanx a bunch!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zpeed Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 i know where i live, it stats that you must comply with all regulations that the year of the car was made, and the regulations said that you have have bumpers... and even if they do JACK ALL, well 240z bumpers do jack.. i live in melbourne, australia .. so its all differant... i must say the 280z bumpers look really bad, lucky we didn't get them here.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deMideon Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 I know what you mean... I don't like the look of front bumpers. You could make your own. I am going to put together a set that sticks out about 6 inches from the front and has an 8 inch vertical bar on it, thats it nothing in front of the grill. I forget what they are called but I used to see them on VW bugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kc6wfs Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 I have not been running my front or rear bumper on my Z for months now with no problems from the CHP LAPD or Burbank PD. I think it's one of those uninforceable laws, ie tons of pickup's run with out bumpers. But if you do something real dumb like dragracing on the street and get cought I'm sure it would be one more item listed on the ticket. Also be sure where you park if you pull the front... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAW Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Measure aluminum bumpers from the latest model Fiat X19s (the boxy ones that look like '77 280Z). I started this swap just as a curiosity swap and it's on the back burner, but I've fit it into place and it looks good and saves a lot of weight, probably well over 100lbs. I used the bumper shock stubs I cut off the Fiat and mounted them into the shock tubes (sans shock stubs) so they were effectively totally compressed. The aluminum bumpers are thus closer to the body instead of hanging out there like they could be used for picnic tables. I cut a section out of the plastic side "accordian" pieces to match the amount the new bumpers shorten the car length. One other nice feature about this swap is that the Fiat mounting brackets are fully adjustable and slide in a rail on the inside face of the bumper so that setting them up is easy with very little fabrication. DAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 This probably won't mean that much to you, but according to the California Vehicle Code, the vehicle must retain the bumpers that the factory fitted to it. It goes into a whole bunch of details on what a bumper actually is and the performance of it. Food for thought. BTW, I am not fitting bumpers...to hell with them! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Get the Washiington vehicle code from your DMV and see if you need bumpers. They may not be required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Hi folks, I may be of some assistance here since enforcing the law is and has been my profession for about 12 years now. As far as it being one of those "unenforceable laws" there is no such thing. Cops are people, some of them are traffic nazis and some are laid back. A lot of times rookie officers will get on the road and try to enforce every code in the book, on the other hand veteran officers who have been policing for 10 years or more will let more slide by. For instance, I have stopped people before for something like window tint violation (here in Georgia it has to have at least 32% light transmission) they will go on to say that they must have passed a hundred cops and didn't get stopped. Another way to look at it is this, you probably swam in the ocean a hundred times or more and never been bitten by a shark. That is not to say there were no sharks in the water near you at the time but for whatever reason the shark passed you by. There are all types of laws concerning motor vehicles on the books and all are enforceable. Now having said that, I plan on running the MSA front and rear fiberglass bumpers on my Z when it gets rolling. Eventhough they look like bumpers they really arent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Well, if you look at the 240Z bumpers, they're simply cosmetic pieces also! I don't like the look of ANY rear bumper on the Z, but I don't want to be driving around without one for two reasons: 1) No need to give the police another reason to write me up. 2) I wanted SOME kind of protection from even a slight bump in the parking lot, etc. So I took a 240Z rear bumper center section, added short, tapered ends, cut 3/4" out of the for/aft "depth" and bolted it up close to the rear panel. It's painted body color, so it blends in a bit. Behind it is a 1" (ID) piece of black sewer pipe that's welded to beefy replacement brackets that mimic the OE pieces. So now more shortened, shrunk, painted OE bumper is just what it always should have been - a bumper COVER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 So am I to take it cops are like sharks waiting to bite you in the ... Good info. Something I need to know since I am trying to figure out if I should license (and safety inspect) my Z before or after a V8 swap. My biggest problem is finding definitive information. I talked to a local mechanic (who would probably be the one doing the safety inspection) about required smog equipment following an engine swap. He told me things I know were incorrect. I also will go with the MSA fiberglass bumpers. But I have one advantage in that the fiberglass ones are probably as strong as the stock ones on my 70 Z. Still I would like to know what the laws are. Until then I will rely on what my father in law (retired LAPD, pre-Rodney King vintage) called "passing the attitude test". Lots of "yes sir"'s, "no sir"'s and "get the f* out of here no one told me that i'll get it fixed right away" sirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Originally posted by 77KZA:is it against the law to have no bumbers? oh yea i live in WA if that makes any diff... From the Washington State Legislature site: http://www.leg.wa.gov/wsladm/default.htm RCW 46.37.513 Bumpers. When any motor vehicle was originally equipped with bumpers or any other collision energy absorption or attenuation system, that system shall be maintained in good operational condition, and no person shall remove or disconnect, and no owner shall cause or knowingly permit the removal or disconnection of, any part of that system except temporarily in order to make repairs, replacements, or adjustments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 So does fiberglass qualify under the "replacement" catagory???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 It appears the federal government through national safety legislation has probably re written every state's bumper law. Fiberglass probably does not qualify because they want what they originally required the manufacterors to place on as safety bumpers the first time to pass the "crash test". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Exactly right T-Zee, and Paul R. There is a charge called improper equipment that states that basically if you alter the car in any way than the way it came from the factory then you could be stopped and written up for "improper equipment". Yeah the shark thing is my way of explaining to people when they start complaining about the ticket they just got and wonders why they haven't been stopped before for the same violation. By the way there are some cool cops out there that will appreciate the hard work that all of you have done to your cars. Just ask the guy here in town that has the black 77 Z with the 307ci sbc. I pulled up next to him when he parked his z in a parking lot and got out and talked to him about his ride. I have a friend (police officer) who is doing the Chevy S-10 swap and is putting in a 383 stroker motor. Like I said before cops are people and come from all walks of life and backgrounds. I was in the Army for about four and a half years before becoming a cop. I was a field artileryman, yep a cannon cocker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 Oh one more thing on this subject. In 12 years I have never stopped a vehicle because it didn't have a bumper, not saying it doesn't happen but I have never done it. Sometimes you just have to play the odds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumo Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 So GeorgiaFlash are you going to put on some alternating flashing headlights or a light bar on your Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 hey thanx all for the info!!! but i think im going to just risk it and go for it... if i do get stoped i can just use the i have new ones in the mail excuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kc6wfs Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Ya I would say they are out getting BLACK pouder coated. Georga Flash. thanks for all the info.. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Flash Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 10-4 good buddy, anytime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two40MuscleZ Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Unfortunately, yes in CA they are required. However, in my case the inital violation would commence with something a bit more controversial, i.e. a mover vs. a lesser mechanical cite. Then and only then if the driver becomes agressive, or his demeanor is less then courteous does the "hunt" for obvious other violations occur. It usually doesn't take long for the subject to adjust his attitude. Most vehicles which fit into the class of altered, customs and the like, usually are well maintained mechanically. Certain facets of these "Car Art" creations become overlooked...for good reason. They are still liable for the mechanical cite, however, usually understood for their esthethic eye pleasing apperance and left unchallenged. Personally, it really doesn't provide the degree of protection associated with them. It becomes more of a problem then the solution. Newer vehicles now have them "moulded" into the body patterns, and does even less with respect to protection! However, as long as you have the Rookies who are out to make a name for themselves, or upper brass that has an ax to grind for some reason, that bumper factor will continue to exhist. Stay safe on the streets and watch your back! Comps, Van; aka Gld7PtStar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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