Bumper Filler

[xXxHawkxXx]

I will soon be getting a new paintjob, and the place will fix all of the shopping cart dents and things of that nature. But, my filler on my front bumper is cracked, so my problem is that I dont know where to get some new filler so I can put it in so the idiots can paint it.

Does anyone know where to get new filler? I dont want to go dumpster diving to get old filler, cause it will just crack soon too.

[PeteA216]

I got mine from junk yard. They are still very rubbery and flexable, just as was my cracked one. There has to be a reason why it cracked, it wouldn't do it just from being old because it's pretty much freely sitting there and can expand and contact all it wants without being exposed to any tension as a dash pad is. Mine cracked because there was a missing body mount in the back of my car and the drastic movement between the body and bumper caused it to crack in the winter when I used to drive it then.

['97ventureowner]

I agree. I doubt you would find any NOS filler panels, (maybe, and I mean it in the extremist extent you might come across some on eBay, or even Hemmings Motor News. But since that is highly unlikely, I'd check the salvage yards for that part.

[silicon212]

Those are all made of urethane, which tends to crack after about 15-18 years. It happened with the header panel on my '75 Grand Am, and has happened with two different strips on my '88 (although the one on there now only has one big crack while the other one was crumbling).

[deesandvees]

I've seen them on eBay everytime I browse through parts for 80's caprices. What year is yours?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BUMPE...spagenameZWDVW

[PeteA216]

Those are all made of urethane, which tends to crack after about 15-18 years. It happened with the header panel on my '75 Grand Am, and has happened with two different strips on my '88 (although the one on there now only has one big crack while the other one was crumbling).

See mine was still perfectly flexable like a piece of rubber (until it got to be sub-zero degrees out), as were the ones I got from the junk yard. While searching through the yard I did come across some that felt like hard plastic (probably just from aging) and did actually crack when I messed with them. Thats why I decided to remove ones that still felt rubbery and flexable. Literally you could take one in your hand, roll it up and it will come right back to it's shape. Maybe they were replaced at one point on the car I took them from.

Anyway, I followed the link above, and ebay seems to be good for finding brand new aftermarket bumper fillers, just search for "caprice bumper filler" find your year and your good. But In terms of body trim and things like that I've found that sometimes they don't fit quite right compared to OEM.

[bobss396]

I ran into them online at a Chevy parts site, if I find the link I'll post it. They weren't exactly giving them away either.

Bob

[bobss396]

I found the link, good luck.

http://www.actionsalvage.com/bodyfillers.htm

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by bobss396

I ran into them online at a Chevy parts site, if I find the link I'll post it. They weren't exactly giving them away either.

Bob

The only problem with that link is the filler they advertise comes in 5 pieces, the original is one piece!

[PeteA216]

This all depends on what year he has... Pre-1986 has two small pieces that filled the corners of the bumper and the length of the bumper on top was covered by a lip on the bottom of the tail lights. Then in '86-ish on there was one big piece that spanned the entire bumper and came down the sides to fill in the corners.

[xXxHawkxXx]

Originally Posted by PeteA216

This all depends on what year he has... Pre-1986 has two small pieces that filled the corners of the bumper and the length of the bumper on top was covered by a lip on the bottom of the tail lights. Then in '86-ish on there was one big piece that spanned the entire bumper and came down the sides to fill in the corners.

I have an 1988 so it is just one piece. The only thing with the ebay ones is that I will have to shell out big time for the shipping on something that oddly shaped.