[Heisenbergselcamino]

I got an original bumper and guards for my el Camino but the drivers side guard won’t fit and has a big gap. I’m trying to figure out if It’s the bumper or guards causing the problem. Someone mentioned bumpers can be bent then restraightened and that could possibly be the problem. The only thing I noticed on my bumper that is odd is the edges are not smooth and are wavy. My other elco bumper is not like this, it is smooth. Is this a sign my bumper was bent and was restraightened before

 

[B52bombardier1]

Most of the straightened and re-chromed bumpers that I've seen have hammer marks on the backside.

Rick

 

[JKCamino]

My magic eight ball says “it might be so”

I also thought it might be funny if it said “duh”

 

[Heisenbergselcamino]

Most of the straightened and re-chromed bumpers that I've seen have hammer marks on the backside.

Rick

I don’t think it was rechecked

Most of the straightened and re-chromed bumpers that I've seen have hammer marks on the backside.

Rick

no hammer marks on backside and appears to be original chrome. Was off a Malibu with original paint and no apparent collision damage

 

[Heisenbergselcamino]

My magic eight ball says “it might be so”

I also thought it might be funny if it said “duh”

The waviness is the same on both sides of the bumper I thought maybe it just came like that from factory since it’s the same on both sides. If not then I guess it was hit on both edges and then restraightened before. I just doubt that because the car I took it from was a Malibu with original paint all straight body and all original interior. Even the steering wheel was in great shape and looked low mileage which I took for myself. But I guess you can never really tell. I guess I will buy new guards first since those are cheaper, if there is still a gap then the problem is the bumper, and I will need to find and buy another bumper🤦‍♂️

 

[Wrencher]

One easy way to tell if it's a re-chrome is that they are thinner (the chrome shops have to grind off the old chrome) and they usually leave the washers that they weld onto the backside to support the bumper when they dip it. I have never seen a "wavy" bumper that wasn't damaged at some point.

Hans

 

[Heisenbergselcamino]

One easy way to tell if it's a re-chrome is that they are thinner (the chrome shops have to grind off the old chrome) and they usually leave the washers that they weld onto the backside to support the bumper when they dip it. I have never seen a "wavy" bumper that wasn't damaged at some point.

Hans

The bumper is off a Malibu but it’s the same part number for el Camino. It came with all the original internals, centerbrace etc, the bolts were rusted in and I had to cut them out Indicating it’s never been taken apart at least not in a long time. It also had the original impact strip in mint condition. I looked at some other pics of malibus and noticed some have this waviness around the edges as well. Take this picture from OD showtime for example, this is a Malibu he has and it has the waves on the edges as well. I think some just came like this. That seems more likely than all these bumpers were hit on both sides and then restriaghtened. It’s also only on the malibus that I find others with wavy edges like mine, and it’s always the year 1983 Malibu whenever I find one with the wavy edges and that’s what my bumper came from, I think it’s a factory error all things considered

Also this bumper has never been rechromed. And that’s obvious in person, it’s the original 40 year old chrome and the backside has no peen marks or anything out of the ordinary, when I was asking if it has been straightened I was referring to method that do not require rechrome like chain straighten because I can tell it’s clearly never been rechromed