1962 Chevrolet 1-piece (Cali) front bumper

[62BT409]

(1) Newly Chromed and straightened Front Bumper
(2) License Panel, Bel Air, Biscayne & Impala
(3) Complete Front Bumper bracket assembly
(4) Complete bumper bolt kit - I think about 128 piece

At this point I have $686.00 into all of the parts. This is a rare piece...only used in California...so know what it is before asking a lot of questions, please. Email me for more pictures.

[olredalert]

-----Jim,,,Would a California built one piece bumper 62 have a one piece bumper on the rear as well???........Bill S

[mockingbird812]

Curious why this was CA only. thanks!

[TXZS]

[ QUOTE ]
-----Jim,,,Would a California built one piece bumper 62 have a one piece bumper on the rear as well???........Bill S

[/ QUOTE ] Don't know about '62, but '57 Chevrolets for California had one-piece front bumper, but the standard three-piece rear bumper and the same X-brace in the frame that convertibles had. I always assumed this was to comply with California safety requirements which were more stringent than what the General produced for other states. The same regs were probably still in effect in 1962.

[al8apex]

55 & 56 were the same way, PLUS the frames were different on the California built cars (all more desirable IMHO)

[markjohnson]

Yes, there was also a one-piece bumper for the rear also. My '62 Bel Air "Bubbletop" was a Los Angelas-built car that was originally equipped with one-piece bumpers. When I went to see my '62 for the first time and the garage was opened, I immediately noticed them! The bumper brackets are very specific to them also so never buy just the bumpers by themsleves unless the brackets are included. As far as why they were produced, the story I heard was that there were so many freeway pile-ups on the over-populated West Coast, that they were mandated for less debris after a crash. Now I don't know if that's true or not so please don't crucify me(this means you, Verne!) if that's wrong!

[al8apex]

Here is some info on the seamless frames:

http://www.carsinc.net/mr.bowtie/16248/?page=2

and a quote regarding the bumpers:

" ... the state of CA. mandated 1 piece bumpers on these cars due to their own standards of safety. they believed that a 1 piece bumper was safer than the 3 piece in a crash."

[Verne_Frantz]

Mark, No problem from me. I doubt that there is anyone who can say for certain "why" California specified one-piece bumpers. The quote above is from an unspecified source. What-ever the reason, they did it. It's simply part of the history of these cars. Whether it was for safety or road debris really doesn't matter to me other than curiosity.
For what its worth, there are no service replacement numbers for those one-piece bumpers. I believe the edict was that any car "delivered to California" must have them. It was definitely not only cars built in California because I have documented several cars with one-piece bumpers (orig) that were built at other plants out of state. So, having those bumpers is no guarantee that the car was "built" in California; only that it was "sold" new in California. And 1962 was the last year for the one-piece.

Verne

[al8apex]

Verne, the quote from above is from the link provided above as well, they also state that the one piece bumpers went through 1964 ...

"This'll give you something else to look for: I've seen one-piece bumpers on California cars from 55 to 64 (the full-size cars). They're nicer looking than the two or three piece bumpers, because they have no visible seams. "

I am not an expert on early 60's Chevies, so I couldn't tell you if 64 is fact or fiction ...

Here is some info on the 57 one piece bumper from a Hemmings article:

"Most front bumpers were three-piece units, but even in 1957, California law prohibited this, and all new 1957 Chevys delivered there had a one-piece bumper."

linkie: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/se...p;client=safari

[Verne_Frantz]

Perhaps '64 was the last year the one-piece bumpers appeared on some models in Ca. but '62 was the last year for Chevys.
Verne