The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Aftermarket parts

Has anyone ever bought the repro bumper bullets that are available for the 55-59 GMC's I know they can't be for all those years due to extra bolt holes in earlier ones (55-56) , but I was wondering of the gauge, chrome and quality of fit of the bullets as well as aftermarket bumpers. Are the bumpers heavy wall like the originals? What about repro door handles? will the original lock cylinders fit them?

I bought an after market bumper and it's fine for an every day driver. I don't know who it came from. A guy bought it for a project he never built. As far as the bullets or bumper guards, I think they used the 57 for a pattern on the ones I have seen pictures of. I don't know any of the bumper guards in after market that are correct for 55-56. The door handles I have seen, the old locks fit in them, but you can tell they are reproductions if you look close.

Most repop parts I've purchased are not as good quality wise as original parts. Most are made in china. I can't speak toward your specific question but I'd make sure whoever you buy from has a good returns policy just in case.

Yep you're right..the bullets are a 57 style and that model does not use the center cross bar which bolts to the bullet. That is a concern with aftermarket parts as a lot are made in china. When you call these places that sell things, even well known ones, they are just sales people and have no idea whatsoever what the part is made like..real great.

Point to consider.
We're trying to keep a classic truck or car up and running. An American classic. But when I did my rebuild, almost every, and I mean nearly EVERY part had been manufactured out of the U.S. Not hard to figure, when you consider just about all the tooling has been sold to foriegn countries. Not once have I gotten a part that has been made to the standards of the original. Best I can do is live with that fact, and shop best I can for the best quality part I can find. If someone finds good quality parts, then they should be telling everyone they know about who, what, and where. The how much shouldn't have to figure into it. But the reality of it is that most of us only have so much to spend on our projects, and sometimes the cheaper part has to do the job. Sucks, huh?

I Dont like buying the repro parts if i dont have to. I figure i'll have the same money or less wrapped up in reworking my original parts unless they are totally wasted

Buy orig bullets, fix them and rechrome. What year do you need? Never seen aftermarket bumpers that have correct holes for GMC. They all say Chevy/GMC but they are Chevy in my experience. Once again, buy orig and fix and rechrome you will be much happier. I have seen many of these pieces for sale duing my GMC rebuild and have some left over myself. If you are just building a driver you can find usable, as is, pieces, then rechrome as money is available. Let me know what you need and in what condition you want. Ebay is your main source. Always recycle if you can.