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I was just making this post cause I am wondering if anyone here has done a delete of the firebird rubber bumper inserts. I started doing this myself and if anyone has done this I would like to see some pictures.
It's still a work in progress but left side is getting close and started doing the right just had to leave for work. Here is a little bit of an update picture trying to finish it up just wanted to get an idea of the look by hanging it on the car.
Finished look.
Last edited by masgoku; May 3, 2018 at 01:54 PM.
Reason: Update on progress
I have mixed feelings... On one hand, I'm an OEM kinda enthusiast, on the other hand, bumperettes bug me.
With nothing in the front bumper (fog lights, grill vents, accents of some kind) I think you'll loose definition. Simplicity has it's place, but the correct balance of nothing and something is the difference between a steak on your every day dinner plate, and a steak with perfect grill marks, sides, garnishes, etc at your favorite restaurant.
Take a look at the 83-84 Aero Trans Am front bumper grill block off plates, or the 85-90 T/A front bumper for an example of what I mean.
I realize it's a work-in-progress, but don't forget to fill-and-smooth the license plate area(or heat and re-form that area, if possible, then smooth-it-out). That area was not designed to be recessed. That impression was caused by having a license plate bracket bolted into the cover, deforming it. You probably knew that, but there might be some people who don't.
Like Drew, I, too, have mixed feelings. I've never been a fan of the 82-84 grilles; the solid inserts look better, but still sort of like patchwork. But I don't care for the 85-90 bumperettes either. So I have two spare 85-90 non-gfx bumper covers stored in my garage, with plans to do this very thing... someday, when it becomes important enough.
But it must be done WELL. It can't look filled or patched. The final product should look as if that area was designed as smoothly as a new 85-90 TA bumper cover. But imagining a TA cover with its gfx lopped-off isn't going to give an accurate representation of how it might look. You also have to imagine the smooth, rounded, finished, bottom that the non-gfx bumper cover has.
There are fiberglass parts available to replace the rear bumperettes(for Knight Rider conversions). Unfortunately, no such parts are available to replace the front bumperettes. But even then, without being "blended" into the bumper cover perfectly, those, too, would look like patchwork. So it's the quality of the job that will make all the difference... and why I will be paying a professional to do it.
Yeah I'm gonna fill the license plate area just a lot of time it takes and had a few hours to do some before work. I plan to add a grille or fog lights to accent it better. I am not the biggest fan of the rubber inserts so chose to do this bumper this way was in rough shape so doing repairs anyways and I didn't really want to get a TA bumper and chop it up. I also am not a fan of body kits with different bumpers most are kinda tacky looking and in my experience i would rather do a custom one then fit a bumper I probably wouldn't like. I do plan to post updates on it I plan to get it done in a couple days
I know you posted this over a year ago, but I had a few questions.That looks really good btw. What did you use to fill in the void after removing the black inserts? Did you use a urethane epoxy? I'm thinking about doing this to my 88 as I am in the process of doing bodywork right now and already have the bumpers off the car. Also, how is it holding up? It hasn't started cracking where you filled it, has it?
Until this thread was just revived, I hadn't realized this had been finished... and over a year ago, too.
Nice job, looks good. That's how it should've been designed by Pontiac/GM. And if it had been, then people would be lovin' this. But because it wasn't, most people aren't going to like it.
Wasn't there base model firebirds that had no bumperettes or ground effects sometime in 85-90? I swear I have seen them multiple times before and even in person but can't find them in an image search.
When I bought mine in 1989, I always thought it would be cool to have some sort of driving light kit to replace them. I actually like them personally, more so now then back then.
