Re: [Amc-list] AMX bumper question for experts only!

["Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

First of all thank you for specifically asking one or all four of us you
mentioned. I feel like I'm some sort of official "expert" now rather than
just another guy trying to figure out AMCs.

The white 70 Javelin was backed into in the late 1970s in Sioux Falls, SD by
a 15 yr old kid who just got his license. He put his car in gear without
using the brake and had way to much throttle in use at the time. Cars back
then didn't require foot on brake for transmission in gear sequence. I was
standing across the  street outside a store and witnessed the whole thing.
So anyway the Javelin needed a new front bumper and grille. I have recently
acquired additional undamaged parts (brackets never bent, the ones for the
grille), as the original bracket were never accurately straightened by the
body shop.
I now have three rear bumpers and two front bumpers for 70 Javelin/AMX.
The bumper on the car now, has been straightened and was replated in the
late 70s. It has several, and I mean several "thump marks" on the inside of
the bumper that are not visible from the face. These thump marks are
straight lines about two or three inches long and are in series across the
inside. It does not fit the White 70 Javelin perfect, but it is not two
inches off..........
For a bumper to be that far off, I would say, the front of the car is way
out of whack, the re-chromer did not do his homework when straightening the
replacement bumper, or you have the wrong bumper....
Now, the 70 has a very large very unique bumper, it only fits on 70s or
earlier Javelin/AMX that have had 70 front grille, headlight brows, fender
extensions and so on transplanted to it. I'm not 100% sure but at least 90%
sure that 68 and 69 are the same. The statement, "No two AMX bumpers are
alike" is pure B.S. All of them, year for year, and model for model, are
exactly alike, down to a small tolerance. Or, at least were when the part
was stamped at the factory. I would venture to guess that all 68 and 69
bumpers were made from the same stamping die and machine. All the rear
bumpers from 68 to 74 were identical, when they were stamped. AMC did not
use multiple stamping dies to make 40,000 front bumpers, nor even 140,000
rear bumpers. The dies may have been repaired if damaged during production,
but they would have been repaired to original specification.

I would also be very shocked if each and every replater has all sorts of
"blocks" for all sorts of cars. That just doesn't sound feasible. I would
say that a good replater can tell when the bumper is pretty much back to
original shape or at least close enough that fitment shouldn't be too far
off. To be two inches off at the top sounds pretty hard to believe. Now if
the bumper didn't fit right because the angle across the front when looking
straight down at the bumper was off, I would believe that. But to be off two
inches at the top, I would think the bumper would be so misshapen that it
would be obvious that it was wrong.
Just my opinion, and it doesn't mean squat...............
Armand


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bikerfox" <bikerfox@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 11:32 PM
Subject: [Amc-list] AMX bumper question for experts only!


> This question is primarily for Joe, Frank, Nick, or Armand, but feel free
to reply if you have experience in the task below:
>
> A '68 AMX accident-free front bumper was recently acquired from an
allegedly reputable AMC source and was sent out for re-chroming--the old
bumper was unusable and was trashed (trust me, it was unusable).  The newly
acquired bumper was guaranteed uninvolved in an accident or bent.  The newly
plated bumper came back and didn't fit the front of the vehicle by two
inches (I believe it was the top of the bumper that was the issue)!  Again,
the bumper seller claimed the bumper was in "excellent used condition." I
was told by the bumper seller that the plating shop didn't do its duty in
"blocking" the bumper before replating and checking the fitment of the
bumper prior.  The bumper seller also claims that plating shops have "forms"
or "molds" that bumpers can fit into and thus the plating shop can check the
straightness of the bumper before replating.  The bumper seller claims that
no two AMX bumpers are alike and if switching one AMX bumper to another AMX,
this "blocking" procedur
>  e must always be done to ensure good fitment.  The body shop claims that
the bumper seller gave them a bumper that was off by two inches due to a
bumper accident, although upon intial inspection before replating, the
bumper appeared to be accident-free, with no apparent "witness marks.."  The
body shop has never heard of "blocking" a bumper before replating and didn't
test fit the new bumper prior to replating.  The plating shop is closed for
the weekend.  What are the facts/fallacies of this situation? Who's to
blame? Who's right?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bumperless Steve
>
> -- 
> I am using the free version of SPAMfighter.
> We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam.
> SPAMfighter has removed 1374 of my spam emails to date.
> Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len
>
> The Professional version does not have this message
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
http://splatter.wps.com/pipermail/amc-list/attachments/20090220/830ccf0c/attachment.htm
> _______________________________________________
> Amc-list mailing list
> Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list
>
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.11.2/1963 - Release Date: 2/20/09
7:22 PM
>
>

_______________________________________________
Amc-list mailing list
Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list