I've been giving thought to replacing my rubber bumpers with chrome on my 74 MGB. Advise?

I have a 74 MGB with rubber bumpers and I have been thinking about putting chrome bumpers on it and lowering it. Has anybody done this? Would it be worth doing or should I just keep it stock? Any advise?

Hi Allan and welcome to the best MGB Forum on the internet. The experts with over a thousand years of MGB experience will pipe in shortly but I can tell you that yes you can change to chrome bumpers but it cost a bunch of $$$.

Welcome again :) :)

I have owned both and prefer the look of chrome...but beauty is in the eye of the beholder so it's a personnal choice.

It can be done but it's more work then you think.

Just listen to the experts here...thier tip are worth your membership the first time around.

Why distroy something original. Yours is a 74.5 not as rare as the gt but Unique first rubber bumpers. Lots of changes to be made to accomplish this and many wish they could go back to original.

Allen
I investigated this option and decided that for the amount of money involved, plus my time - the change wasn't worth it. Others have done it, the results are nice and the car looks "right" with chrome bumpers.

But that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream!

Mike

Just my opinion, but for what it's worth I would sell it and buy one with chrome if that's what you like. I just don't think it's worth the investment in time and money when there are enough nice chrome bumpered cars out there if you look long enough. Just my $ .02.

Allen, there are two main reasons to switch...

1) appearance.

2) weight. Those big rubber bumpers are like pendulum weights, hung out at the very ends of the car. Removal will improve handling, acceleration and even fuel mileage, by giving the engine and suspension less work to do.

I wouldnt worry too much about rarity. Over 120,000 rubber bumper B's were built.

Weighing effort and cost against benefit, the only way I would do it is if I wanted a late shell for an engine swap (lower cost, wider engine bay, forward radiator). Other than that, the swap is a lot of work for honestly, a mostly aesthetic change.

But lowering it to CB height is well worth while. MUCH better handling.

Only 5274 1974 and a halfs were sent to North America. Sell or trade this one for a chrome bumper version.
DW

I did the conversion for about 350.00. There's a good amount of info available if you take the time to search. You need to do some welding but it is a heck of alot simpler than changing a windshield. If you are serious send me a PM and I can walk you through it.

74 and 75 rubber bumper cars in CA are old enough to modify without emission issues. That gives it some value over other rubber bumper cars in CA.

I would leave it as is.

Keep the Rubber Bumpers. If you like the Chrome bumpers better then you are better off buying a CB car. The 74.5 are a little unique cause it has the earlier running gear.

i know i'll be flamed but i would suggest the moss chrome bumper conversion kit, adding a rear sway bar but not lowering it.

see this site.
http://www.asvl47.dsl.pipex.com/mgb_chrome/
I did it to my car. It was quite easy. At the time all I had was an electric drill, a hack saw and some body filler.
Huge improvement in looks and handling.
Those rubber bumpers weigh 25 kg each, by the way.
After I fitted the new chrome grill the ego and self congratulation was unbearable I'm told.
Under the rear lights there is a standard repair part ($20 each) that you need to weld on and paint. I farmed this bit out for about $200. An easy standard collision repair for a paint shop.
I put on a tow bar, and got the repair place to weld in some captive nuts, but in retrospect I would have done better to bolt something to the rubber bumper attachment points. Easier and stronger I think. Live and learn. You can buy the adapter plates, or make them, they are just flat plates with three holes drilled in them.
The bumpers were about $250 each and the chrome grill $330. You do not need to replace the front valance, any differences are hidden under the chrome bumper.
For the front irons, just drill two holes as low as possible and all the way through. Needn't bother with captive plates etc if you don't want to. I gaffer taped the bumper in place (with the irons already attached) and used the irons as a drill guide.
I lowered the ride a while later. Just fitted lower uprated springs ($110, readily available) and a 3/4 inch antisway bar at the front. The key to improving MGB handling is to stiffen up the front and leave the back soft. At the back I used one inch blocks and redrilled the spring hanger hole back where chrome bumpers had it. You can also buy reversed eye springs. These superior quality springs have the top leaf turned over so th eye is down, not up. Or you could even fit some composite springs like I'm about to do.
http://www.mgbmga.com/tech/mgb14d.htm

I made my own brackets (kind of fun to do) and welded up the holes up front where the lights go. I made my own rear dress pieces using a couple of pieces of sheet metal and a shrinker/stretcher from Eastwood tool. I used Triumph spitfire turn signal housings and lenses. Came out nice. Cost was that of the bumpers, overriders and the odds and ends of metal I bent up for the mounts. There are several posts on the 'net about this, and some neat pix. It looks ok if you dont even add the finishers in the back. (I was too chicken/conformist to leave mine that way). The funny part about the front fender repair (fill the holes in the stock fender where the wires come through for the bumper lights)) is that most of the repair metal is cut right back out to make the right sized hole for the signal light housing. I think it was about 1/2 inch strip that was really needed alongside the light mount.

I would like to have a 74 CB car. The final CB car. I have a 74.5 RB car. 1st of the RB cars. I agree with alot of the others. If you want a CB car, find one and buy it.

Mick M.

Ar, but the rubber bumper cars have all the V8 bulkhead, engine mount and steering changes.

Absolutely do it, and if you need some assistance, I can help.

You're not gonna be doing any harm by changing a RB to a CB, heck, they were SUPPOSED to be that way anyway. So, you don't have to worry 50 years from now when it's on the auction block, there won't be any guy saying you knocked off $50 grand by changing to CB. They'll say, wow, this car has been changed to CB with a PERIOD KIT! It'll actually be worth MORE!! hahahahaha

I'm in SoCal too. Huntington Beach!

$400 bucks? Wow, can't beat that.

I have a '78 RB It is what it is Leave it alone

I have a 79 and there are days where I just want to paint the rubber the same color as the car. I've seen some cars that look pretty cool like that. Depending upon the color I go, that might be my choice. But I'm leaning Silver so keeping it black would be fine.