Rick Hexemer and I have been discussing the big optional bumper guards and have come to an impass: Rick was trying to narrow cars down in vintage pictures that have front bumper guards by the "B" on the trim tag..

I told him that I thought many Camaros came with just front bumper guards and that it was a non trim tag option if just the fronts came so therefore the tag wouldn't help unless the car had the rear bumper guards as well.

We got to wondering why the "B" needed to be on the trim tag for that option group when the guards seem only to be a bolt on item? I thought they had to drill-punch the rear tailpanel for the big guards but the guards don't attach like the standard little sabre tooth guards..

I believe my C-1 car came with front guards only as I have the original front valance and its drilled for them and the bumper has clamp scars...Also the original rear bumper had the little sabre tooth guards and the proper hole for them. I believe if the car got the big guards it did not get the little sabre teeth. But it doesn't have the "B" so I assume it did not have rear guards

So the question: What is it that the Fisher Boys did that warranted a "B" on the trim tag when that exterior guard group was ordered?

My original front valance... smushed by the guards at one time

An example of rear guards not being fastened like sabre teeth off the bottom of the valance but off the bumper itself and from behind.. Is that a special hole? I cannot confirm this car had these originally so take that into consideration. I wonder if an original car with rear guards would still have the two holes drilled into the pinch weld at the bottom of the tail panel

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So the question: What is it that the Fisher Boys did that warranted a "B" on the trim tag when that exterior guard group was ordered?

Check your Assembly Manual, section V32, sheet A1, View "A"; that 13/32" dia. hole, used for the bolt (item 3 & 4 in the main illustration), had to be drilled in the tail panel on V32 units.

I suspect that rather than Chevrolet drilling a hole in a painted panel, which would rust, the plants deviated locally and had Fisher Body drill the hole in the Body Shop so it would get proper corrosion protection and paint, and Fisher needed a tag code to identify units requiring the hole to be drilled.

This is only speculation, but it makes sense to me as a production guy.

Damn! Never thought to look in the manual because I had Fisher on the brain I'll check that out tonight and dig up an old guard to look at.

Still wanna see a car with original factory rear guards to see if Fisher omitted the task of the lower holes

anyone?

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Still wanna see a car with original factory rear guards to see if Fisher omitted the task of the lower holes

anyone?

I think you'll find that the bottom holes for the standard rear guard lower bracket were pierced in the raw panel when it was stamped; there's no way Fisher Body would have specified a 100% drilling operation, 2 per car, for a standard condition.

I would also think that the holes would be pre-punched. But,here is an info sheet that came with a set of NOS rear lower guards. It explains how to install them. Andy V

And,here is the drawing showing how to locate the holes:

It looks like the bumper need to be drilled,too! Kind of like they were an after-thought. Unless these instructions were meant for very early-on in production. Andy V

My black 67 coupe has, had factory guards on both ends. Will that work?

Andy,

I've got a set of these too. I heard they were released because early 67s did not have them installed. I can't find anything to verify that though. If you look at the AIM, UPC 14, Sheet B1 is the bumper install and it has no reference to the guards. Sheet B2 shows the guards with a release date of 10/17. There are no revisions noted on that sheet. Sheet B1 shows release on 3-1 and has revisions on 7-8-66 and 11-23-66. The bumper and brackets on that sheet have part numbers of 388XXXX series. The guards are numbered 39166XX. A much later number series. So to me, it adds up that the guards were an after thought. Another point of interest, the sheet in the set you show has two part numbers for the guards, 3916607-8 and notes a right and left side distinguished by "The high flange on the guard assemble(sp) is positioned to the outboard side". The production sheet notes only part number 3916607. I know the production units do not show a "high flange". I have not gone to dig mine out to see if there truly is a right and left side in that kit?

Concerning the V32 large rear gaurds, I have an 07B build with a 5B trim tag that has the holes in the bottom of the valance to attach the standard guards.

Keith C.

Keith,

Yes,that "high flange",has bothered me for some time. Both of them in my set are right-hand guards. 3916607 There is not really a lot of difference,unles you are really looking for it. I found a used one that has the high flange on the left,but it was in bad shape. When I moved my rear bumper that is in storage a while back,I noticed that both of the original guards appear to be right-hand ones,too! I thought it was a production mistake,but now I'm not so sure about that. '67's !!!! I was going to start a thread about that someday,but it fit's here. Andy V

I don't recall the specifics, but the first several thousand 67's built didn't get the standard rear guards due to an Engineering releasing error, and neither the bumper nor the rear lower panel had the holes for them; they were shipped without the guards, and the "kit" to install them (including the instruction sheets shown above) was shipped directly to each dealer that got cars without them. That's why the A.I.M. date is so late.

Andy,

You got me curious enough to dig out my NOS set and some used ones. I could not see a noticable difference between the two new ones. I looked at several used ones and found one a little different than the others. I measured all of them and they were within 1/16 inch difference part to part and side to side. So if they are truly different, it is very minor. I even trial fit them on a bumber and did not see anything doing that.

You note both of yours are 3916607 parts. That is the production part number used for both sides. In the part numbering scheme, right side parts end in even numbers, left side are odd numbers. I have not seen that written anywhere, but oservation of opposite side part numbers consistantly take that order.

I don't know if there is anything of significance here, but it is interesting to explore part evolution.

Keith C.

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I think you'll find that the bottom holes for the standard rear guard lower bracket were pierced in the raw panel when it was stamped; there's no way Fisher Body would have specified a 100% drilling operation, 2 per car, for a standard condition.

John. I agree as every time I go to install the bottom bolts they push in hard because two panels meet and the holes are pre punched and never line up perfectly! So I bet that the tail panel and the backet panel behind it were puched before welding

Heres a Festival car known to never have large bumper guards. all holes accounted for.

P.S. notice the flat spot on the sheet metal where the flat stock for the lower bracket goes? Interesting touch.. maybe to keep dirt from accumulating? I wonder if the really early cars that did not get these guards have this flat spot

I have a few front and rear guards, i will look at them tomorrow and see what numbers are on them

Can you also tell from the rear bumper if it was set up for bumper guards? i have the bumper i took off of the car and classic talked me into a repo bumper, does the bumpers have part numbers for ones with and without the holes for the guards?

What do you mean by high flange?is that in reference to one side of the guard being a little longer than the other side

The big optional guards would definitely occupy the area where the small standard sabre tooth guards would be so the curiosity now is in seeing a picture of a tail panel from a car with FACTORY installed guards that has the "B" code on the trim tag.. This will show the obvious needed mounting hole for this lower bracket pictured and would also stand to prove that the hole at the bottom of the tailpanle for the sabre tooth guards was prepunched before assembly and would therefor exist but be unused.

Can't wait

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Originally posted by 67camaropacecar:
Can you also tell from the rear bumper if it was set up for bumper guards? i have the bumper i took off of the car and classic talked me into a repo bumper, does the bumpers have part numbers for ones with and without the holes for the guards?

I can't imagine that a repro bumper manufacturer would remove the punches and die buttons from the pierce-die set to create a bumper less those holes in order to duplicate a bumper that was a "mistake" and got drilled later anyway by a dealer installing the standard guards, only seen on extremely early cars.

I spent a lot of time with rear bumpers and never noticed any significant difference. There might have been earlier 67 bumpers ( 1966 ) but they are not the norm and I've never had one. All repro bumpers are puched for all possibilities for 67 through 68 and by the way if you find one that actually bolts up correctly above the license plate please let me know the brand name

I have 2 sets of rear and 1/2 of a front set and i can not find a part number on any of these, this does not include the ones on the car. Where do i look for the part number?

They don't have any... Post a pic of them

I have the pic on my cell phone but do not know how to post them, i guess i will have to have my grandson do it