It's a pretty simple and straightforward process to hold a new part up against an original (especially when the original doesn't have a lot of bumps, dings, and wear and tear--and is something as sturdy as a bumper) and conclude accurately that the reproduction part is a very good, very close match to the original or not. In this case, it was off considerably. I have used lots of reproduction parts in my restorations, and I am extremely grateful for the companies and individuals who make and supply them (especially some of the more intricate sheet metal parts)--otherwise some restorations would be impossible, or nearly so. But like all products, some are well done and others are not. Many (maybe even most) fit very well; but I have encountered others (beyond this particular case) that were considerably inaccurate and subsequently cause lots of unanticipated problems. It was my mistaken assumption that a reproduction bumper for an AD truck (which, unlike many others years/models, is pretty simple) would bolt on without much trouble; it didn't, because the reproduction part did not have the same curvature and hole-spacing as the original. So, to avoid a lot of headaches in the future, as I said, I will check for accuracy and fitment first, before trying to fit the part--something I should have figured out a long time ago.
