bumper mounts

Do any of you know where I can fond a set of lightER weight bumper mounts to replace these heavy "shock absorber" type mounts? Its for my 78 cordoba. Any help is apreciated

Beleive it or not the shock absorber mounts aren't that heavy, don't get me wrong they've got some heft, I've had mine out and would put them at 10-12 pounds each. The real weight is the bracing behind the bumper, it's made out of 3/16's steel plate and is the full height and width of the bumper. I didn't weigh the bumpers when I had them off but after moving thyem a few times I'd guesstimate them to be 70-80 pounds each. I think that by the time you made something strong enough to support that, it would be a wash. Cut out as much of the bracing as you dare and you'll dump a ton of weight. Then you could probably fabricate some lightweight mounts and drop some more.

The bumpers weigh that much?!

Yep! The chrome outer portion is actually pretty light, it's the bracing that adds so much weight. I've been looking for another front bumper to put on a diet, I'll leave the back bumper as is so it'll work as a traction aid at the track.

I'm still going to replace the absorbers as well. These things need lipo wherever possible lol

I think at one time a guy known as Cudazappa made those. You may be able to reach him at Cudazappa@Comcast.net If that isn't a good e-mail you may have to track him down thru MoparStyle or Moparts as he is on both.

Did he custom make them for himself or for re-sale

Have you had the bumper off yet? I've got a couple of pics from when I had mine off if you want an idea of whats going on under there.

That would be awesome! I havnt had the oportunity to remove it yet

Here's the front (duh)
http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz238/chrybb/100_2418-1.jpg
http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz238/chrybb/100_2414.jpg

Let me guess. The bumper bolts to that...

If I had access to a plasma cutter I would have skeletonized em both. Thats still on the table, I just need to meet up w someone who has one. Here's the bumper now...better, but still heavy...
http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz238/chrybb/S5300018a.jpg

I can't tell from the pictures. Did you cut up the bracing behind the bumper too?

Naw, I would've needed a plasma or at least an oxy/acetylene setup for that. Whats in the pics is factory. Embedded in the rub strip is about a gazillion (give or take) 9/16"(!) Bolts that go through the chrome outer bumper and then through that heavy steel bracing behind it. The chrome piece isn't light and neither is the bracing. I imagine the shock absorbing mounts are heavy because they HAVE to be. With the right cutting equipment there's easily 20 or more lbs to be lost there. After a crash diet (thats a PUN!) I wouldn't hesitate to put in some lighter-duty bumper mounts/brackets. As is.....I'm not so sure.

I don't know for certain, but it'd be worth checking out to see if any of the later model cars have the same or at least usable bolt patterns for thier mounts. Later models got lighter bumpers as technology marched on. Some even had aluminiuium bumpers. That would allow lighter mounts too. It's something that I just now thought of. I think I'll look into that myself.

Good pics Jonnyuma, it's one of those things I never though to take. I agree with you on the torch, even with a sawzall it would take a while and burn up a lot of blades trying to get through that bracing. This is why mines still intact too.

Lucky me. I know someone that has a torch! Lol

Well then, you know what to do....now go to it sir.
And take some pics if ya can, I'd like to see how this comes out. I've got my own ideas about where and what to cut/remove/lipo, but I'm (almost) always open to suggestions and/or new ideas.

I won't know till I get the bumper off and look at it. Being a daily driver, I want to do as little damage as possible to structural integrity. Especially with a newborn in the car.

Yes, you can cut out about 100# out of the weight of your car between the inner "core" and the bumper mounts. I'll post pics later when I get home. Only a handful left as it was 3 computers ago...

http://solidbushings.com/project/300/2005/P1000838.JPG

Yes, you can cut out about 100# out of the weight of your car between the inner "core" and the bumper mounts. I'll post pics later when I get home. Only a handful left as it was 3 computers ago...

http://solidbushings.com/project/300/2005/P1000838.JPG

Where can a person get those mounts now?

Where can a person get those mounts now?

I custom made them. I sold a set or 3 way back when...

http://www.solidbushings.com/project/300/2006/P1010163.JPG

Here's the rears almost mounted. I discovered that I needed to notch them on the rear. These were about 7# lighter EACH IIRC

How much if a person could persuade you to make 1 more set perhaps out of aluminum?

http://www.solidbushings.com/project/300/sell%20this%20stuff%20001.jpg

Detail pic 1

http://www.solidbushings.com/project/300/sell%20this%20stuff%20002.jpg

Detail Pic 2

http://www.solidbushings.com/project/300/2005/P1000735.JPG

This is a view of the front bumper. I didn't like the grille in the bumper on the 300. The grille mesh was the standard Cordoba which was different than what they used on the 300. I figured it would look better open and later I could figure out what to do.

http://www.solidbushings.com/project/300/2005/P1000737.JPG

These were the final cuts for the front bumper. I did some of the easier ones on the bandsaw. I finished the rest with a combination of the sawsall and cutoff wheel.

I felt only 3 bolts were neccessary on each piece (4 pieces total). Trimming these saved about 40# per bumper. I could've gotten more deliberate with a hole saw, torch, plasma, etc, but i was approaching diminishing returns there, and also felt that strength could be compromised.

Also note, the aluminum brackets AREN'T gonna collapse on impact in a crash. made from 1/4" plate. But the bumper might... these bumpers are still made of thicker steel than what's on the road today.

I can't make heads or tails of the square steel you used for the final cut outs??

It is a little tough to tell whats going on there. Do I have i right...?
You cut the main bumper (the ugly part behind the chrome "cover") into sections, and then boltrd those to your fabbed mounts?

How much if a person could persuade you to make 1 more set perhaps out of aluminum?

They'd be at LEAST $250/set of 4. But I know right now I just can't, for a variety of reasons. I can't give a straight answer until mid January.

I can't make heads or tails of the square steel you used for the final cut outs??

That isn't square steel. That's what's left of one half of the front inner core for the bumper! Cutting on the black lines would remove the "outside" pieces and that would leave me with a good "bracket" for one side to mount to my bumper. I figured 6 bolts per bumper (4 on top, 2 on bottom, or 2 on top per side, 1 on bottom per side). There's still plenty of heft.

It is a little tough to tell whats going on there. Do I have i right...?
You cut the main bumper (the ugly part behind the chrome "cover") into sections, and then boltrd those to your fabbed mounts?

That's exactly right!

Lol proof that I have yet to pull the bumpers off and take a good look at that

Cool deal. I don't have a bandsaw anymore (a casualty of a recent downsizing/move) but I sure as hell kept my Sawzall (cold dead fingers and all that). I smoked my corded drill on the 6 lightening holes so I was leery about attacking that heavy iron with anything less than fire.
I just may give it a go after reading that. Thanks CZ.

Looks like a person can trip quite a bit of that bracing out with structural harm. Since I'm stuck doing this out side, it will probably be spring time before I get to do anything with it