While the kids are playing along driveway, i look at my 75 and thought of adjusting direction of the fog light. I did pull the front big heavy bumper and ended up looking at my chrome bumper that was hidden for a more than a year.

Should I keep the big bumper since they are still nice and clean and backdate my bumper with non-perfect chrome bumper?

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Backdate.........

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Looks like a million bucks with the chrome.

Lighten the reinforcement while its off and reinstall. BUB's are AWESOME

Backdate, especially with that awesome blue paint!

I drive a 75 with 73 bumpers. The difference in handling was immediate and amazing. The 5 lug fuchs scream for the chrome.

do as you wish..
are you for originality? is the car a rare anything that would detract from the value?
will you ever take it to show? if so it will not classify as original anymore, but do you care?
based on those things, if its not really a rare car, that blue looks awesome with chrome!!!
But some cars look better with the black bumpers - the black 75 that I bought from bill but then sold was going to get back dated, but I will not back date my 75 copper metallic 75 that is a 2.0 appearance group car. 1. I think the bubs look better on it, and 2. it will be worth way more as an unmolested all original AP car in the long run, so this car will not get back dated. - but if I were you, I would probably back date that car if it were mine.

Well... I have never been a fan of the BUB's, so.....

You can make the big bumber way lighter with a bit of grinding.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=89595


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DeBUBify.

I'm not a fan of the big bumpers and I own a 75 914.
I also wasn't sure what direction to go. Another option to consider is to add a flex dam spoiler with the lower rubber piece from 914 rubber. This would also change the look of your car, especially with the color of your car. I recently did it and it looks pretty good.
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Thanks for all the responses fellow teeners!

Coondog, I did follow your thread about backdating your bumper and with new tire size. That is a real nice white with chrome bumper and polished fuch wheels.

Philip W, we did talk before about our 75 copper metallic color. Not sure if my 75 1.8 FI EC code can still be considered stock. Original color copper metallic but it was painted on top of the original color with blue (previous owner painted it to blue because his daughter who supposed to drive it does not want the original color), inner wheel wells has undercoating and shows copper metallic on some pilled undercoating. I believed it is an appearance group since it has center console with 3 gauges and slightly facing driver side. The only thing that was change are the following: 4 lug to 5 lug conversion, after market Momo steering wheel, AC removed (I think dealer installed), color change, stereo has after market CD player, rear bilstein shocks, re-upholstered seat and early side door cover to match seat design. I did plan of backdating this before but when I bought a 71 1.7 megasquirt as a 2nd car with chrome bumper but ended up selling the 71 because I got the 73 1.7. And now the 73 is on pending sale because of financial situation.

Any idea if Hagerty will be concern about backdating the bumper? Can I go back to big rubber bumper in the future (except those metal pieces that will be trim will not be put back) in case I have to sell it for a better price or backdated bumper will have the same price value?

Johannes, thanks for the link regarding lightening the big bumper.

Monmojo, with those flex dam spoiler, is there no effect on the engine cooling since it limits the airflow underneath the car? Did you remove the two rubber tits from your bumper?

thanks again to all!

This is my '75 (2.7L /6) with BUBs. The bumpers are at the chrome shop now getting plated so I will back date this Summer. So - I am a fan of backdating unless the car is all original. There is nothing original about this car except the bumpers!




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You're car looks great. The BBBs only work well with the darker color 914s, IMHO. Yours is dark enough to look good with either, but I think would look great with the chrome.

That said- what's on the back of the car? I can't tell if that's a later style bumper or early. Whatever you do, just make sure the front and rear match.

Rear still has the big bumper too. If I will backdate the bumpers it will be front and back. I have two rear chrome bumper but both not perfect like the front one.

Thanks!

[quote name='Kansas 914' date='May 6 2016, 10:14 AM' post='2341010']
This is my '75 (2.7L /6) with BUBs. The bumpers are at the chrome shop now getting plated so I will back date this Summer. So - I am a fan of backdating unless the car is all original. There is nothing original about this car except the bumpers!



Hi Mike, well do think my 75 with those changes I did is no longer considered stock or far away to be original? I just read recent 75 1.8 white that was sold, not sure how much it was sold but the sale ad was around $8k. Not that I'm saying bad with it, bumper backdated, fuel tank top backdated, passenger and driver side door cover not the same. What I mean, the value was at least $8k in terms of sale. By the way, good you able to drive that 75 (aka Pink they say) all the way to Arizona last weekend! Thanks!

It was a great time with great drives and great people.

You were missed - cheers!

My first attended event with route 66 last year at palm spring has the opposite weather. around 100 degrees F compare to last weekend route 66.

Quote:
Menmojo, with those flex dam spoiler, is there no effect on the engine cooling since it limits the airflow underneath the car? Did you remove the two rubber tits from your bumper?

I haven't noticed any issue at all with engine cooling, although my car is set at stock ride height. There is still a few inches of open air clearance. My bumpers don't have the rubber tits and never did. I think those we only added in 75-76 on a couple of specific states due to regulations of the state. I know they were mandated in California those two years. My car was originally delivered and purchased in Colorado.

I have a75 with BuBs in Palma green and I was also planning to get them backdated when I bought it but after à good sanding they just look fine so I'm not gonna do it. But I'm going to lighten them this summer . Once you get used to them , they look better than the chrome ones. To me, that is.

Backdate!

Backdate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ooops Lawrence responded! have u seen clearly how's the condition of the chrome bumper? is it okay to use it as is for now?

My 2 cents--

In Wisconsin I'm on a Porsche island in a sea of GM and Ford products but I prefer stock bumpers on my '75 forest green 914. And, there's nothing wrong with having extra protection that the rubber bumpers provide.

--Papermaker

I don't see how chrome bumpers would make these photos better.

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I would backdate that car n a hot second !

The 5 lug Fuchs look great too !

Here's another thought. I have heard of people taking the BUB's off with the intention of reinstalling them after everything was cleaned up/restored. They had a major bitch of a time getting the rubber back on the 'hooks' built on to the body...

Oh, and even Porsche / VW wouldn't have put the BUB's on if they weren't forced to...

hhhmmm, last night trying to screw back the bolt inside the bumper with the metal tube washer guide and it took me a while and that is just to make sure I will lost those pieces. So It might really be hard installing back the rubber bumper to the rod hook.
If that will happen, well I may go on with the chrome bumper. hehehe

The extra protection afforded by the BB's was mandated by DOT. By changing the bumpers you increase the risk of injury to the driver and/or passenger.

An injured passenger with a sharp personal injury attorney might discover the car had been modified and made non-DOT compliant.

Probably good odds this would never occur; but not impossible.

Hi Pete, if you remember you are the first 914 owner who have seen my 75 last 2011 when you got the 5 lug fuch wheels. After selling the wheels to you, I ended up looking to replace it and I even went all the way to Monterey to pick up the wheels I have now. Hope meeting you soon along with Corey for a socal drive.

Hi Sir Jim, actually that is my concern also and wondering if hagerty insurance will cancel or change something with my current insurance with them. Currently I have $15k guaranteed coverage and not sure what will happen if I do backdate the bumper. I'm planning of calling them next week.

Ask them. They may be more interested in power train modifications than bumpers.

Again, my two cents--

I've taken the the front and back bumpers off and re-mounted them a couple of times. They slide in past the bolt holes so the rubber sides of the cover can be attached. I used a round pry type tool to move them back out so the bolts line up with the mounts.

I'm not sure that a '74 and earlier bumper is safer than the later ones. Empirical data probably tells the tale if you could find 914 crash info. I don't feel the least bit worried about carrying around the side bracing in the doors either.

I'ts good to hear all of the opinions about the cars!

I've got everything I need to make this a conversion car but I just can't see cutting it up for the oil cooler.

--Papermaker

I could certainly be wrong, but wasn't the DOT bumper mandate to provide unaffected protection up to 5 mph?

I'd think that at a 30-60+ mph head on or immovable object you'd be relying more on the car's inherent crumple factor than a bumper...

These cars just look right with the early bumper. That's the way they were designed. The bubs were added later to meet federal laws. Porsche did the best they could. Even the tits on the '73-74 cars are odd. Same with the impact bumpers on the 911's. I'm not a hater of the later cars, just a lover of the early ones.

Keeping my BUB's on the orange 75.

Last night I decided to do what i really want with the car (chrome bumper) but I would want to make sure what Hagerty Stand or how they will change my coverage and the premium. If no issues with Hagerty, I will order spot weld drill
bit to start removing metal pieces and save it for future plan if installing back the big bumper (if that will still happen).
Installed back the front bumper and it only took me 30 mins (i tape the cylinder washer to hold it and just push in back the bumper). Finally was able to adjust to lower the foglight direction, it was facing towards the driver from opposite direction.

I took all out my hidden chrome bumpers and top rubbers to check if i can get good one to use.


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On the question of back dating your bumpers the posters of 914 World are happy to give you clear and concise guidance in one direction or the other.

If my memory is correct, which often it is not, the first DOT energy impact bumper requirement was for 10 mph. Several years later the requirement was reduced to 5 mph. Those early years resulted in some pretty ugly bumper configurations from many manufacturers.

At the time I thought the BUB's on the 914 weren't so bad compared to some others (MGB and Midget, BMW 2002, Volvo etc.). Of course, I have a 76. Now, I would like to backdate.

Oh... I have had the BUB's off my car a couple of times and getting the two mounting bolts inside the bumpers lined up and threaded can be a real bitch.

Mike, it's not at all difficult. I've got a thread somewhere here that shows how I did it and everything lined up perfectly.

Gonna watch the derby now....

This isn't your thread, but a nicely detailed on on backdating bumpers.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=225743

And then I found yours...
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...9&hl=bumper

There's know such thing as the insurance bumper police. Hagerty only cares that you pay your premium which at $15,000 is to low. Got mine insured for $30,000

They insure to many hot rods made out of fiberglass and shaved bumpers to care that your making a cosmetic change. You could have been done with this project by now.

Mark NAILS it.

[quote name='Larmo63' date='May 7 2016, 09:40 PM' post='2341631']
[quote name='mepstein' post='2341490' date='May 7 2016, 01:05 PM']
These cars just look right with the early bumper. That's the way they were designed. The bubs were added later to meet federal laws. Porsche did the best they could. Even the tits on the '73-74 cars are odd. Same with the impact bumpers on the 911's. I'm not a hater of the later cars, just a lover of the early ones.
[/quote]

Mark NAILS it.


[/quote

Hhhhmmm Sir Lawrence probably planning to buy my big bumpers! hehehe. Well big bumper weight is not an issue with a 6 engine.
Actually someone already sent me a message what's the condition of the rear big bumper.

It baffles me this continues to be a topic after it has been discussed and rehashed so many times for decades on so many threads on here. To me it's simple:
The bubs offer better protection. And some people (in the mass minority) like the look.

The rest of us enjoy the better looks and lighter weight from the less piggy (BLARPHHH) excusem BLARF, OMG, trying but still blarfing BBB, Yeah, if you couldn't tell, I think the BBB pigs suck because they are big ugly heavy disgusting pigs.


Let's make it simple: What do you want from your bumpers? Big disgusting weights at the worst possible places to put extra weight on your sports car? Or the opposite that looks nice to boot?

I think it should be mandatory that every member of this forum actually pick up a late model bumper, just so you realize how ridiculously heavy they are.

I highly doubt the BUBs will protect you in an accident with an SUV. In the event you get "lucky" and get into an accident with a sedan the bumper is still too low to really make a difference. On the flip side, you will shave nearly 100# off the car, the car will look 100x better with the chrome bumpers with those Fuchs and you will love the look of the car even more.

I agree. I'd backdate. As Mepstein says, the cars were designed with the older style bumpers, and I think they did a perfect design job. Of course, keep the BUB in the garage in case these cars eventually soar in value ( ).

Well that one owner big bumper 914 sold on BAT for $25k...