reproduction cobra front bumper

SADDLE · Aug 4, 2016

Does anyone have any experience with any of the reproduction cobra front bumpers? I'm seeing a few units on eBay and some of the aftermarket mustang sites, but I don't want something that fits like crap. I've been searching for an OEM unit for a few weeks now, but have not had any luck. I'm tired of waiting and getting impatient. I have a few other exterior parts that I'd like to get dropped off at the body shop and installed.

the5.ohh · Aug 4, 2016

I got one from Latemodel. Fit and finish is nice, no complaints.

ttocs · Aug 4, 2016

I would get a damaged original OEM that I could repair before I got a new reproduction part knowing what I know now.

lwarrior1016 · Aug 4, 2016

[MENTION=9133]Tally_4.6[/MENTION] got a few repro bumpers. I think he got his from blue oval. Im not sure though, he might chime in.

Tony · Aug 4, 2016

Seems like the repro's always leave a pretty large gap between the hood and the 2 pieces that meet the hood. At least that's what i see from most but not sure if that's the case with every one of the repro's

ReplicaR · Aug 4, 2016

I've had both. The car currently has OEM on it, and it's true what they say. The fitment is significantly better. Reproduction piece was made from hard ABS plastic, so upon impact, it actually shattered in many different places. OEM is made from polyurethane, and it contours the car a lot better, not to mention that it stands up to flexing better as well. Spend the coin, find the OEM bumper. You'll be happier in process.

ttocs · Aug 4, 2016

seriously you can save a few bucks and have less fitment issues with an old one. Don't be afraid if they have a small hole/tear in them as they are not hard to repair.

Frank.JD.Perez · Aug 4, 2016

ive got oem, i agree with everyone else, im sure you can find one on the cl

Tally_4.6 · Aug 4, 2016

lwarrior1016 said:
Tally_4.6 got a few repro bumpers. I think he got his from blue oval. Im not sure though, he might chime in.

On my second one from Blue oval, no real complaints. Made from urethane and pretty decent quality. Will come on and off as quick as you want it to with no struggle.

The only thing i notice is that it seems to bulge a bit where the fender meets the bumper in front of the wheels, hard to explain. Could be my imagination.

Tony said:
Seems like the repro's always leave a pretty large gap between the hood and the 2 pieces that meet the hood. At least that's what i see from most but not sure if that's the case with every one of the repro's

That's one thing that isn't true of the two i've had, can't speak for others i guess.

DKblue98GT · Aug 5, 2016

I have the Latemodel one on my GT and the original one on my Cobra. The original definitely fits better.

Nighttrain · Aug 11, 2016

SADDLE said:
Does anyone have any experience with any of the reproduction cobra front bumpers? I'm seeing a few units on eBay and some of the aftermarket mustang sites, but I don't want something that fits like crap. I've been searching for an OEM unit for a few weeks now, but have not had any luck. I'm tired of waiting and getting impatient. I have a few other exterior parts that I'd like to get dropped off at the body shop and installed.

Where are you located, i see oem ones pop up on cl all the time

mcglsr2 · Aug 11, 2016

You will be alright with an aftermarket one - there are just some things to look out for. You will find 3 types of repo's out there:

Fiberglass
Plastic (ABS)
Urethane

The one you want is Urethane. It will tend to be a bit more expensive than the other two, however it is the same (or very similar) material used by the OEM. It is somewhat flexible and will bend and contour unlike the other two, which are more rigid and will crack/break if bent.

If you want to find an OEM one, go for it. Fit will of course be good, assuming the OEM mount points are not screwed up on it. If you want an aftermarket one, then you will should stick with only urethane ones. LMR and AM both sell urethane repo's (mine is from LMR).

If the budget it tight, you could of course go with a plastic or fiberglass one, but it will be harder to fit correctly and will not give if you decide to have a kissing contest with a curb.

SADDLE · Aug 12, 2016

mcglsr2 said:
You will be alright with an aftermarket one - there are just some things to look out for. You will find 3 types of repo's out there:

Fiberglass

Plastic (ABS)

Urethane

The one you want is Urethane. It will tend to be a bit more expensive than the other two, however it is the same (or very similar) material used by the OEM. It is somewhat flexible and will bend and contour unlike the other two, which are more rigid and will crack/break if bent.

If you want to find an OEM one, go for it. Fit will of course be good, assuming the OEM mount points are not screwed up on it. If you want an aftermarket one, then you will should stick with only urethane ones. LMR and AM both sell urethane repo's (mine is from LMR).

If the budget it tight, you could of course go with a plastic or fiberglass one, but it will be harder to fit correctly and will not give if you decide to have a kissing contest with a curb.

Thanks for the information. I'm going to go buy a repop now.

mcglsr2 · Aug 12, 2016

SADDLE said:
Thanks for the information. I'm going to go buy a repop now.

Sure thing! I hope it works out well for you :thumbsup:

Nighttrain · Aug 14, 2016

mcglsr2 said:
You will be alright with an aftermarket one - there are just some things to look out for. You will find 3 types of repo's out there:

Fiberglass

Plastic (ABS)

Urethane

The one you want is Urethane. It will tend to be a bit more expensive than the other two, however it is the same (or very similar) material used by the OEM. It is somewhat flexible and will bend and contour unlike the other two, which are more rigid and will crack/break if bent.

If you want to find an OEM one, go for it. Fit will of course be good, assuming the OEM mount points are not screwed up on it. If you want an aftermarket one, then you will should stick with only urethane ones. LMR and AM both sell urethane repo's (mine is from LMR).

If the budget it tight, you could of course go with a plastic or fiberglass one, but it will be harder to fit correctly and will not give if you decide to have a kissing contest with a curb.

While i like AM because they are local to me, LMR is top notch.

mcglsr2 · Aug 23, 2016

Since I got around to installing my aftermarket Cobra bumper, I figured I'd bump this thread for reference.

Pics of it:

That bumper is from LMR, and it's a urethane one. I will say, I am quite happy with the fit. It looks damn good at the fenders. Lines up very well. My only gripe (and it's a small one for me personally, as I don't really care about it) is that the gap between the hood and where the headlight section of the bumper (where it attaches to the top of the headlight support) is a bit big. But it's really not that bad, and the car's body panels, I'm sure, aren't lined up the best any way. So for me, I don't really care.

But otherwise, it fits great, and is very pliable and flexible. Well worth the cost over a plastic/fiberglass one. Honestly, I'd even go as far as saying it fits as well as OEM. I'm pretty sure my OEM bumper had some weird gaps here and there.