Identifying original front bumper or not?

[sfanale]

Hi all,

I have a 1969 280sl and I am looking to make some repairs on my front end.  The chrome bumpers are now rusting from underneath the plating and starting to bubble and peel off, so I want to fix the issue.  However, as far the rechrome vs new issue, I am trying to determine if my bumpers are the original pieces or if they have been replaced sometime in the past. 

I read through the technical manual, (http://www.sl113.org/wiki/ChassisBody/Chrome) but I didn't see anything relating to such an issue.  So do you experts know of anyway to identify a reproduction front bumper from an original?

Thanks for the help,

Sal

[Jordan]

Sal, original bumpers were painted on the inside.  It was a light beige colour.  Don't know the colour code.  Mine also had a date stamp, which could have easily worn off.  If the inside of your bumpers are painted they are probably original.  The originals also had a thicker gauge of metal from some repo's.  I understand some repo's are now being made with the same gauge of steel so that is not conclusive.  Hope that helps. 

I can tell you that buying new repo bumpers will definitely be cheaper than rechroming.  It's only worth rechroming in my opinion if you know for a fact they are original and want to keep it that way.

[DaveB]

Original front bumpers have the part numbers stamped into the welded brackets.

[sfanale]

I can tell you that buying new repo bumpers will definitely be cheaper than rechroming.  It's only worth rechroming in my opinion if you know for a fact they are original and want to keep it that way.

that's the plan.  Thanks for the help

[ctm14]

Sal,

  Great to meet you at GreenFlash.  If the backside of your bumpers are not painted off white look for the bracket stampings.  They could be original parts that had been re-chromed previously and that would have removed the paint.

Chris

[sfanale]

Nice to have met you as well Chris!  I am sure we will get together again soon!  AND I crawled under the car to check the inside of the bumper...all I see is surface rust, no paint, so I am assuming its reproduction work.  I will just look into buying new bumpers.

[Jonny B]

Sal, before you go the new bumper route, have a PM with 66 and Blue (here in SoCal) he has had some chrome work done, and may point you in a reasonable direction, if the bumpers are worth saving.