Reviews of Blunttech Bumper Conversion Kit

[steve oneill]

I am  thinking of using the Blunttech bumper conversion kit to swap bumpers on my 76 2002. Has any one had any experience with this kit. It looks pretty straight forward.

 

Thanks,  Steve        coupecs@aol.com

[SeaNTurtle]

Bump, as I’m also strongly considering this kit. 

Edited August 16, 2020 by SeaNTurtle

[02Pilot]

I used it. The rear is nice and simple, no complaints. The front uses undersize box tubing and much smaller than stock bolts for whatever reason, which I'm not crazy about. I would like it better if it was a snug slip fit into the stock box section and used the stock bumper bolts. It's a good setup, a little pricey for what it is IMO (but I don't know what the costs are, so that's purely subjective), but definitely easy.

[SeaNTurtle]

Thanks for the reply @Andrej

[steve oneill]

I bought and had my mechanic install front and rear. I am no expert but the metal looks to be of good quality. My mechanic, who can do anything, an old line guy with decades of experience, had to do some serious mods to make everything fit/work. 

 

Perhaps it is my car, the last year, 76, that carries all the changes at the end of the model run.  I can ask him for more details. Perhaps Andrej did not have the same problems.  I do remember my mechanic saying something about the bolts.

 

email me if you want:     coupecs@aol.com

 

Steve

[steve oneill]

PS: Blunttech was easy to work with, replaced some parts that did not work with my set. Sent some drawings.  I chose the license plate lights in the bumper, like the ones on my euro 3.0CSi.  I don't like those protruding lights on either side of the plate. Also went with the short tail bumpers. Like the cleaner look. But that's a matter of taste.

 

My car is Chaminox and there were so many holes, a bit of rust, and stone chips my body guy, with the bumpers off, painted the whole car from the belt line down. No one can tell the difference between below and above. No one.

 

I elected to leave my reflectors on.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Steve

[Highnote1]

I will give my two cents. Back work perfect and use the original beefy hardware. The front hardware is too small in my opinion and I have seen my Rectangular brackets that are used on the car itself actually bowing up from the weight of the bumper. I was surprised at the hardware in the front and thought I was actually installing it wrong.  I was not...the

bolts are much smaller. 

[Teelinger]

Anton, aka bluebeem used to make a bumper conversion kit a few years ago. Not sure if he's still doing it. 

 

 

[elfhearse]

I just did this conversion too on my 76.  I wanted to keep the Euro bumper look so I went with the long bumper version and the BMW impact strips.  You definitely pay the "BMW tax" getting the OEM strips and hardware. (25 M6 T-bolts at close to $10 each ..etc)

*Front bumper was easy with Bluntech suppled directions.  Supplied bolts are longer than needed and I had to get shorter bolts to fit assembled bumper on over mounting arms. (or you could hack-saw the longer supplied bolts)  Installed without any alignment "fiddling".

*Rear bumper was more complex and removal of stock bumper and fender trim revealed numerous holes to fill, paint blemishes and unseen rust on trim strips:

I bought some nylon hole plugs and spray painted them body color (5/16" and 3/16") but they're visible standing close to the car SO probably body work and respray rear fenders in the future.

The rear bumper uses the two short tubes with brackets to mount center section and side wings bolt thru fender.  The side wing bumper tab didn't line up with any holes so I had to drill yet another hole in the fenders to secure sides of bumper.  Also bought some large rubber electrical grommets (5/8" IIRC) at Lowes to span the gap between the bumper wing and fender.  They worked well and compressed when tightening.

Level the side "wing" pcs. first, measure 3X then drill the dreaded additional hole in the fender.  Aligning the side bumper pcs. took the most time.  Tighten them down first then tighten up the two main mounting bolts on the rear bumper.   I used butyl strip tape to seal the inside nuts from moisture.

There is a SIGNIFICANT weight savings to this modification in addition to cosmetic improvement (minus rear fender holes)

I weighed the front diving board at approx. 35 lbs and the Bluntech bumpers weight about 16 lbs. each so you save about 30 lbs. on the conversion.   Overall purchase cost was over $2,200 but I figured that was the money not spent on cancelled trips to Lime Rock, VIR, Watkins Glen etc...

[Bob D.]

@elfhearse thanks for the helpful writeup and pics and wow, the end result looks beautiful IMO.  

[wheelieking]

10 hours ago, elfhearse said:

 

 

 

Just out of curiosity, how did you mount the BMW badge on the trunk lid?  I have a rounded one that has posts, but I don't want to drill holes for them. I'm thinking I should grind the posts off, fill the back, and use some type of badge adhesive...  

[elfhearse]

Quote

Just out of curiosity, how did you mount the BMW badge on the trunk lid?

That is the original badge on trunk.  It has posts that go thru the sheet metal and are held in place by rubber grommets that fit over the pins.

I guess you could grind off the post and use 3M Extreme adhesive 2 sided tape ?

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by elfhearse

[wheelieking]

13 hours ago, elfhearse said:

That is the original badge on trunk.  It has posts that go thru the sheet metal and are held in place by rubber grommets that fit over the pins.

I guess you could grind off the post and use 3M Extreme adhesive 2 sided tape ?

 

Ah, interesting. On my '76 there are no holes so I wonder if they were filled at some point?

 

Thanks! And great overview of replacing the bumpers too.  I can't wait to do that!

 

 

[John_in_VA]

3 hours ago, wheelieking said:

Ah, interesting. On my '76 there are no holes so I wonder if they were filled at some point?

 

The roundel was on the lid on '74-'76 models, so yours were filled or an early lid was substituted.

[chargin]

On 8/17/2020 at 4:51 AM, elfhearse said:

There is a SIGNIFICANT weight savings to this modification in addition to cosmetic improvement (minus rear fender holes)

I weighed the front diving board at approx. 35 lbs and the Bluntech bumpers weight about 16 lbs. each so you save about 30 lbs. on the conversion.   Overall purchase cost was over $2,200 but I figured that was the money not spent on cancelled trips to Lime Rock, VIR, Watkins Glen etc...

 

Great Job!

sealing up the holes was a bonus, my body shop didn't and it bothers me