bumper filler panel

hey guys,
my 72 has the metal bumper filler panel between front bumper and lower grill. i recently purchased a goodmark plastic filler panel.

my question is: when installing the "repop" plastic filler, do i simply remove the metal one, or place the repop one on top the metal one???

thanks in advance
steve

The pastic unit attaches on top of the metal unit. The metal piece is for extra support.

Make sure you paint the plastic piece before you isntall it.
While I prefer the silver look, rather than painting it the color of the car...the silver plastic will fade and yellow over time. You need to paint it first.

thanks for the reply.
i kinda figured it was there for support.
as far as painting it-ideally i would.
this car will be in primer until i figure it is mechanically sound.
then i will paint it. ive got body pretty straight, and minimal rust. the only bondo on the car is above the right q panel lip due to dents not rust.

now doing drivetrain.

take care and thanks again.
steve

Have fun with that! After removing what seemed like a thousand bolts pointing in several directions, I left mine off and moved the bumper up to fill the gap. Lost 13lbs. too!
http://images22.fotki.com/v837/photos/4/42437/132535/IMG_1601-vi.jpg

For sure!
You've gotta take off the bumper and about a zillion bolts...and loosen at least one fender to get it in IIRC!!!

13lbs!!!
Jeez, I figured the plastic piece and metal filler only weighed about 4...did you do modifications to the bumper brackets, too?

Jeez, I figured the plastic piece and metal filler only weighed about 4...did you do modifications to the bumper brackets, too?

I left off part of the bumper bracketry (been a long time, don't remember which)and it's held on with only half as many bolts. And some grille hardware was left off, and a couple aluminum brackets replaced it.

hmmm.... maybe I should do this. It would save me from having to buy a filler panel:D

hmmm.... maybe I should do this. It would save me from having to buy a filler panel:D

A filler panel is only like $35 including tax, and in my opinion, it looks a lot better with one.

do you have to have both the plastic and the metal?

do you have to have both the plastic and the metal?

Theoretically it would keep the filler panel up, but I believe that there is a gap between the metal and plastic. When i put mine on, there were bolts that held the plastic to the sides and to the grill. Anyway, on my 71, I'm not planning on running the metal support.

well if I dont need the metal ill just buy th plastic then.

Have fun with that! After removing what seemed like a thousand bolts pointing in several directions, I left mine off and moved the bumper up to fill the gap. Lost 13lbs. too!
http://images22.fotki.com/v837/photos/4/42437/132535/IMG_1601-vi.jpg

hey bowtie,
ive read a lot of your posts in the past- i think i do recall one regarding weight reduction. as far as your bumper brackets-i wonder if you left off the diagonal/angled brackets, and left the inner ones? geez, id love to potentially lose 13lbs especially if i run these iron vortecs.
im building a street/strip car.
i may have to pull up that thread i think you posted on all the things you did for weight loss-single placed screw for the quarter windows, etc. that was a good thread.
what is your car weight prior to all the mods and after them?

btw- i like those tubular control arms. you got discs on that set up as well?

steve

I think my 72 has the plastic filler panel riveted to the metal piece underneath and they came as a unit. I had the front end apart and it went in before the fenders, so changing it would be a bit of work. Like Bscman says, it will fade and yellow in time, but my original was silver too. If it's a restoration, maybe you could paint it silver?

right now i have just the plastic filler panel and no metal but also no front bumper. the bezels are painted black, the filler is painted black, and i have a black ss grill on it. the whole car will be black eventually and i may black out the eyebrow moldings as well. i plan on making some aluminum brackets for my fiberglass front bumper, and then putting that on close to the grill and losing the filler panel. i like the look without the filler. Any nova guy will notice right away but it looks fairly normal to the untrained eye. Plus I always prefer the stripped down look so missing pieces look good to me. just my opinion though.

heres a picture
http://img2.putfile.com/main/10/29815180060.jpg

IF you look at the filler panel in Chevy72nova's picture you can see the two bolt holes where the plastic filler attaches to the steel piece. The steel piece is what gives the plastic it's support...not sure how well just the plastic would hold up at speed.

And remember...as plastic ages it becomes more and more brittle.

-Brett
Just thinkin out loud...

I recently purchased a filler for my 69 ..now the original is still on ..cracked in the middle . When I take it off is there a metal support under the plastic . Was the filler originally painted the same color a s the car ? I want to get it painted what ever was original...

I recently purchased a filler for my 69 ..now the original is still on ..cracked in the middle . When I take it off is there a metal support under the plastic . Was the filler originally painted the same color a s the car ? I want to get it painted what ever was original...

Yes there is a metal support underneath. However, once you remove all the bolts and screws holding the plastic in place, the plastic will come off by itself. As I recall, there are 3 bolts on each end, about 5 screws holding the back to the grill, and 2 bolts holding the plastic to the metal support in the front.

Originally it would have been silver. However I prefer it when they're painted the body color.

yep, the metal under that panel was kinda rotted so i took it out. i can hear the plastic rattle around a little while im driving which is kind of annoying. Thats part of the reason im going to remove it when i put the bumper on. This is also the only plastic filler i have that isnt cracked or shattered. They are kind of a tough piece to find used. Sounds like they are cheap enough to get repop ones though. I think some companies may make them in fiberglass also?

yep, the metal under that panel was kinda rotted so i took it out. i can hear the plastic rattle around a little while im driving which is kind of annoying. Thats part of the reason im going to remove it when i put the bumper on. This is also the only plastic filler i have that isnt cracked or shattered. They are kind of a tough piece to find used. Sounds like they are cheap enough to get repop ones though. I think some companies may make them in fiberglass also?


They make plastic or fiberglass. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but from what i remember, the plastic one is $30 and the fiberglass is $40-$50.

You can get an OEM piece at the Chevy dealer still.....the plastic filler panel, I don't know about the metal support, and it will run you around 50 bucks. When I bought mine I got a spare also.....the Cincinatti warehouse had like 25 of them on the shelf!