Alpine Bumpers - How should they be....?

[DanR]

Got an inquiry from a friend asking about the Sunbeam Alpine Bumpers on "How should they be Mounted" and what kind of spacing ??

Hi Dan – I’m trying to figure out which direction to go with my bumpers. They need to be massaged to get into correct form before chroming but I don’t have any access to correct dimensions here in the hinterlands.....

I’ve searched the forum a bit and found a few helpful tidbits. I’m wondering if you might be able to (when you have a chance) take a few measurements on your cars that could help us get ours fitted. I think things like vertical distance from the lip of the bumper to valence (both front and back) and the tip to tip measurement of the bumper as well as the horizontal distance from the tip of the bumper to the fender (both front and back) would be very helpful.

I believe the tip to tip distance is 57 ¾” but I’d like to confirm that.

I’m considering the stainless steel bumper alternative as well…since my car will be anything but concours. I don’t care specifically about originality but from what I can gather on the forum and other places, the quality of the stainless repros isn’t that hot. Maybe you have some thoughts on that also.

As always, thanks for your help.

 

[Bill Eisinger]

I'm the culprit for the question to Dan. The bumpers I have are not the greatest and we're trying to figure out what is "straight". If anyone has a good bumper off a car I'd appreciate knowing the tip to tip measurement as well the lip to lip distance on the backside of the bumper so we can figure out if we need to open or tighten the roll of the bumper...maybe in a couple of places...the center and perhaps 12" to either side of that.

 

[SoCal'beaming]

Bill ... I taped the end of my tape measure to one side of the bumper and came up with a distance of 57 3/4" and 4" (roll) measured in the center of the bumper. The bumper ends have a very slight inward curve so without someone holding the tape for me the distance might be 1/4" less. (57 1/2")

Hope this helps ... maybe someone can verify the first measurement as well. The bumper measured was off the car and very straight. The stainless ones I've seen and they don't carry the same color cast(blue) as the stock chrome(yellow/gold) ones do and are lighter and more flexible then stock.

........ David

 

[Jimjordan2]

And, just in case the ends are bent in, or out, the dimension between the Over-rider holes is 35 5/8 +-
Don't know why that would be needed, but there it is.

And being lightweight (as the SS are) doesn't make that bad. Neither one will sustain much of a bump. But the SS ones could be easily bent by leaning, or foot-resting. Not that we would do that.

 

[belmateo]

I just looked it up the Workshop Manual that I have trying to find the answer to that question and it only mentions the body width. That is stated as 153-157 cm. approx (60-1/2")

 

[DaveSeries1]

Don't know if you guys are still looking for an exact measurement of the bumper, but I have a NOS bumper for a S1 still wrapped in the brown paper and the measurements are 58" from inside tip to inside tip. 4" across for the roll. I'm sure these are exact and hope they help. Dave

 

[DanR]

That is nice of you! Dave. It will help solve some questions I'm sure!

Beings they are new, what is the manufacturer?

 

[DaveSeries1]

Far as I know, It's an original Rootes Group. The brown corrugated paper is really old and dried out. Came with a load of parts I got when I purchased my S1. Just one bumper. The guy I bought it from, had a field full of British cars in various conditions. Mostly junk with bushes growing out of them. I bought my S1, and all his Sunbeam parts back in May.

 

[ALC 68A]

From observations, there seem to be two bumper styles where the ends curve round the corners if the car. Some don't extend quite as far and have a blunter rounded end. Others have a slightly longer tapering end. My S3 has the tapered type, so were these fitted to earlier cars and the blunter ones to later cars?

 

[phyrman]

The earlier bumpers had smaller bolt holes where the over riders went. Later ones are bigger and one can use standard bumper bolts if no over riders are utilized.

 

[DanR]

so were these fitted to earlier cars

All of my Alpines are SIV's and SV's .... they are fitted with the tapered as you describe.

 

[65beam]

The earlier bumpers had smaller bolt holes where the over riders went. Later ones are bigger and one can use standard bumper bolts if no over riders are utilized.

Original bumper bolts had a curvature to the head that followed the contour of the bumper. After market don't have the curvature.

 

[PawPaw]

Are there any difference between front and rear bumpers. Going to have to build a form so I can straighten the ones on by series 1. No major dent or ceases, Just a little out of square so to speak. I'm sure they follow the curvature of body?
PawPaw

 

[Bill Blue]

Are there any difference between front and rear bumpers. Going to have to build a form so I can straighten the ones on by series 1. No major dent or ceases, Just a little out of square so to speak. I'm sure they follow the curvature of body?
PawPaw

Yes! Front and rear are identical. Also, they are not straight. Many a good Alpine bumper has been ruined when the plater straightened them. As can be seen from the previous comments, Alpine bumpers (like everything "Alpine") have considerable variation. Prolly the best any one guy can do is mount them so they are pleasing to the eye and follow the contours of the car. If yours are a dab too long or too short, who will know?
Bill

 

[PawPaw]

Thanks. I was talking about the gap between bumper and body is not even. You have given me in info I need.