How much skill do you need to convert a 1974 or 1976 big bumper to a small bumper? I know everyone says to make sure to get the brackets, nuts and bolts off donor car. Anything else?
Skill level needed is like 2. If you can drill straight holes,Spot weld, notch metal. And unbolt parts then your set. I notched the stoneguard..... much cleaner looking in my book. Some people bad mouth that method and call it lazy..... But thats B.S it takes the same amount of work to notch.
Thanks for the encouragement. Now I need to - choose which car (the 74 or 76) , get it home, and find a donor car.
But it's not the correct way, if your going to do it, do it right. Why take short cuts, if your going to go to all that work in the first place... The only issue you'll really have to deal with, is how the rear bumper mounts, 74-77's don't have the bracket that's welded to the tail light panel, and the floor, for proper support if someone plows into you. Mustang brackets will work, but they should be welded in. It's also nice to weld insert into the front frame rails for the bumper brackets, not like some people that drill all the way through the frame rail, and use long bolts....
If your building a concourse car then no its not the correct way. But 90% are not. Its not a shortcut in anyway you still have to make it fit and do the same amount of work as you do to notch the fenders.
How can going back to something that was original be a modification? The big bumper was a modification from the original.
It's simple, the correct way, would be the way it was done at the factory....Ford notched the fenders, so to to it the way Ford did it, would be the correct way...
Ford didn't make a modification. They made a design change to accomodate the fedral goverment, therefor it is a modification! to convert big bumpers to small
