Chrome or Painted

[NZSIXTY9]

Hey guys. Looking for some opinions because im having trouble deciding. Im changing up the look of my truck a little, super stoaked with how its looking so far, but im up in the air wether or not to go painted or keep bumpers chrome?

to be honest im digging the painted, just interested to see what others think???

Bumper will be 72' , just using the spare 69' bumper to give me an idea

[GR8-68]

I am a painted kind of bumper guy. But the chrome looks good on yours also. But mpo I think the painted looks best

[WIDESIDE72]

IMO it depends in trim level. Plain jane trucks look right to me with the painted bumper they came with from the factory. Nice truck!

[dazza]

with the '72...

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[special-K]

Painted one month alternated with chrome the next . I'm in the same boat as you. They both look "right". But, I will vote painted 1- because you seem to be leaning that way, 2- because your truck does have the base Custom/10 look with no trim, 3- because the white and Grapefruit look so harmonious together, and 4- dare to be different. Chrome is an easy and obvious way to sharpen up a vehicle. But, white can be, too. Painted bumpers is a truck thing. All cars came with chrome until bean counters figured all the money they could save on 5mph bumpers that are just covers over a sub-structure (next came plastic).

Year ago I had a CST Blazer rigged up for mud whompin'. It was Woodland Green (505) with white spokes when I bought it. I decided to de-chrome it and go further with the dark green/white theme. I put changed bumpers, added a push bar, and ordered a Bestop all in white. Looked great muddy or clean with virtually no chrome, except the grille, door handles, and mirrors which are all minor givens that are just there same as all '71s.

[dazza]

Bestop - a name I haven't heard of in a long time, I think I had one on my Jeep.

[LongBox]

Personally, I think chrome is the way to go, even for a plain truck.

[Sicklajoie]

Chrome looks good on yours

[Baddflash]

I vote for the painted bumper, I think I suits that truck better.

[raggedjim]

I like the painted, it fits and matches the steelies.

Great truck, Rg

[ElKotze]

Your roof and your rims are white and the white bumpers just tie everything together. Plus: white bumpers are just way cool !!

[NZSIXTY9]

Cheers for the feedback guys.

Special-k , you make 4 very valid points there haha. Daring to be different is one, purely because the trucks always had the chrome bumper so itl be different to me.. and there is a growing c10 population down here in nz, and id say seeing painted bumpers are pretty few and far between.

Thanks for the photoshop Dazza, I need to figure out how to do that! looks a hell of a lot easier than commiting then not liking the look haha

[Already Gone]

I like chrome period. Here are pics of my truck with the white ( as i bought it ) bumper and after I had it chromed !!

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

I like chrome period. Here are pics of my truck with the white ( as i bought it ) bumper and after I had it chromed !!

Yeah, see? You don't have the white and the truck has all the trim. A trimmed truck with a white bumper looks wrong. You also put wheel covers over the white wheels. You made that truck look 10x better.

I like to go case by case for what is best for what truck. I take many things into consideration, but all specific to "that" one truck. now go out and get tour narrow whitewalls that belong with wheel covers (Opinions are like a... Everybody has one)

Here's the old Blazer 30+ years ago ('84). The white and dark green make a stark contrast:


Here is another one ('89) with chrome with the gold and had a tan top to blend with gold and match interior:


One was an on/off road "pretty" driver while the other was an off/on road beast

[dflarsen77]

If you had windshield trim and side moulding, I'd say stick with the chrome, but otherwise, I think painted looks great with the 71-72 grilles. Especially with your white top and wheels, the white pops in the photoshop pic from Dazza.

[Boog]

On that particular truck I think painted is good. I remember when in the day chrome bumpers and trim came on a upper trim level vehicle. Painted bumpers were for the base models. Then the designers came up with the "monochromatic" schemes and called it sporty and charged more for the painted bumpers and trim.
I think it also depends on the body colors of the vehicle whether painted or chromed bumpers look better.
I am considering silver painted bumpers for a medium blue C/10 stepside with silver rally wheels. It doesn't have to be permanent. Bumpers can be changed to chrome at any time.