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MadaboutKitcars

This is a read-only archive of the old Madabout Kitcars forum. New posts and replies are no longer possible, but every thread is still here to browse and read.

Bumpers

5 Jun 2017, 9:19pm
I have always thought that there was no car with a more perfect shape than a Dino, but I have never really liked the bumpers that came with the car. I Think the front of the car looks best without any bumpers at all, and the rear bumpers look busy to me with the rubber strips that they come with. Anyway, I decided to use Fiat 124 bumpers on the back of my car. I think they look better, they were cheaper and I was amazed at how well they lined up with the car. I had to make my own rear mounting brackets, but the ones on the side of the car line up perfectly. I haven't decided whether or not I will use front bumpers on my car. Anyway, I thought somebody might like to use the idea if they couldn't afford real Dino ones. Jon
5 Jun 2017, 10:14pm
They look really smart. What sort of price difference would you be looking at for those bumpers compared to replica or real Dino bumpers?

John
6 Jun 2017, 8:34am
JG wrote:
What sort of price difference would you be looking at for those bumpers compared to replica or real Dino bumpers?


I've been looking for parts for my dino replica, including bumpers, so I have some of the relevant information.

I managed to get a set of original bumpers in need of rechroming from ebay for £800. The steel used on them is so thin they are strictly for decorative purposes only, they are absolutely no good for bumping anything!

Of the usual Ferrari parts suppliers in the UK only Eurospares have a listing for bumpers which comes to about £4500 (+ VAT) a set.
A set of new originals from Dino parts in Germany are about £3400 (+VAT) a set.

The Harrington group sell stainless steel replica bumpers for £1434 a set (not sure if that includes VAT).

You can occasionally get a set of the aluminium bumpers on ebay that Deon used to supply for their kits, a pair of rear bumpers sold at the beginning of the year for about £250

I'm not sure of the price of the Fiat 124 rear bumpers but I am sure that it will be less than any of the above!

Neil
6 Jun 2017, 7:12pm
Hi Neil, may I suggest having fibreglass or silicone moods taken of your originals - then replicas can be made in either fibreglass for painting (or metallisation chroming - which doesn't have the longevity of chrome) or as a form for aluminium casting.
Weren't the front bumpers at least varied throughout the life of the Dino? Some stopped short of the front grille while others curled into it?
7 Jun 2017, 4:46am
aluminium raw castings - bumpers

Here is a photo from the 'for sale' section on this forum. It shows the raw aluminium castings for Daytona replica bumpers. These are then highly polished and/or I think they can be chromed.
Daytona_aluminiumBumper_raw_castings.jpg
8 Jun 2017, 9:03am
rossnzwpi wrote:
Hi Neil, may I suggest having fibreglass or silicone moods taken of your originals - then replicas can be made in either fibreglass for painting (or metallisation chroming - which doesn't have the longevity of chrome) or as a form for aluminium casting.


Hi Ross
The original bumpers were made in two halves and welded together. They have a lip running lengthwise which is used to fasten the rubber strip. This would make producing a mould very complex.

http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums/ah117/NeilF355/real%20rear%20bumper_zpsdngxl3em.jpg

(Sorry that it's a link and not a photo, after 45 minutes of trying to insert the picture from photobucket I've lost the will to live!)

It may be why the likes of Deon produced these plain bumpers which would be much easier to make.

http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums/ah117/NeilF355/S1810005_zpsahi2eqnz.jpg


rossnzwpi wrote:
Weren't the front bumpers at least varied throughout the life of the Dino? Some stopped short of the front grille while others curled into it?


Yes, although I must admit I prefer the one's I have which stop short of the grill.
9 Jun 2017, 5:49am
bumpers

Hi

I was lucky enough to get a set of group harrington bumpers via fleabay.I had seen them on there and had messaged the person advertising them. He contacted me,the deal was done and I believe I received one of the very first sets produced. This was several years ago and I paid £875 including postage which was tracked as they came from china!! Fantastically made in stainless steel they really look the part.
I'd looked at real ones but didn't like the price tag. Second hand ones nearly always needed rechroming and that's an expense these days too. I didn't like the alley deon ones as they looked too chunky and the fibreglass ones looked crap!!
I was in the process of making my own copied from a set of real ones when the harrington came up, and when they arrived they were if anything they looked better made than the originals!

ian