Hello,

Getting a little bit of work time on the teener this weekend and got into the back bumper a little. I pulled off the very rusted out top, rubber bumper pad and the bumper was chrome underneath the pad area. (Any reason to keep the rubber bumper top around?) So chipped away at the side as well. The front bumper is a standard black painted bumper and I have it off the car already. The rear here in the pictures seems to be a chrome bumper painted black. Is that strange? Perhaps dented in an accident filled and painted.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Thanks,
Sean

I like my bumper painted with out the rubber top just need to protect the tab from stabbing effectClick to view attachment

Sean,

Assuming that your VIN listed for the Marathon Blue 73 is this car, then in all probability a DAPO repainted the car & bumpers for the lower trim (non-Appearance Group) look in red & black. You'd have to look around for other evidence of serious bodywork from an accident (a magnet on a thin cloth to prevent scratching run over the body will quickly find any putty more than a finishing skim coat).

So if you're planning any body & paint work, & you don't have the COA &/or the original window sticker/etc., then you should get a COA & send in a pic of your 2.0 engine GA case # to PCNA to confirm that it's numbers matching & a factory 2L, as well as transaxle number in case they have it on file (usually don't), then see if it originally had the chrome or black bumpers (either chrome bumper option or Appearance Group), & the original color.

It's usually a loss of value to color change any classic car, including our 914s - this coming from the 2nd owner who did 2 changes myself after I got my 73 2L in 75& 2 by the OO/PO &/or dealer.


Of course it's always the owner's final decision what "floats their boat" - & this coming from somebody who will return mine to L80E Light Ivory, but only after a several year "white desensitization" course of therapy!


As for the "rubber" bumper top - they actually have a small 1/2" +/- lip which overhangs the bumper to protect it from minor dings from cars, shopping carts, etc., as well as sealing the gap between the top of the metal bumper & body crease/inset, as seen in Front Yard mechanic's pic of his, & the corner pic of yours.

Cheers!
Tom
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So I'm just wondering if the electric cable clamped to the muffler on the left, is half of the wiring for a front yard mechanic homemade electro-shock anti-theft device!?
....


Tom
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Not to brag but we do have the highest rate of car thefts in the country