OEM bumpers

[74on40s]

I have a 1983 gmc crew cab truck that i picked up in march and i just finished building. 22" of lift and 49" super swamper iroks ( yeah its a little overkill ) now im down to lowering the bumpers a little to get it cop friendly around town.

Now my question is, a local old timer told me that from the mid 80's back, bumpers were an option from factory. Now if this is true and i can find it on paper then i don't have to worry about my bumpers being at a legal height which would look mildley dumb....

Can anyone help me on this, it would be so nice not to have to lower them.

Thanks,
     Steve

[beastie_3]

Even if the truck came from the factory without bumpers, if your state has a bumper law, you must have bumpers.

They care about bumpers, but not headlight height or lo mud flaps?


It is similar to the front license plate law. not all cars come with a front license plate bracket, but you must have the plate mounted in the correct position, if your state issues two plates.

[74on40s]

Not according to the state inspection book. If the vehicle did not come equipped with ( said parts ) from factory it is not needed for inspection. Yes there is a bumper law, but what im trying to find is the OE parts list from the early 80's gm dealers. As if they were an option in the early 80's then there still an option now 

The cops really don't know that much about the state laws. They know bumper height and tires sticking out, well mainly just bumper height. But they don't know the law like they should. I just won a court case over bumper height because the cop didn't read the laws himself lol.

Im not out raising heck in the truck, that would just be asking for more attention and trouble. Im just trying to find a loop hole in the system, thats all.

[VileZambonie]

There was a rear bumper option yes but I think you'll find that most states require a bumper be installed to legally operate it. Ever heard the ole I fought the law and the law won? I would just try to be as compliant as possible but you're gunna stick out like a sore thumb with that rig. Lookin pretty cool BTW

[fitz]

They care about bumpers, but not headlight height or lo mud flaps?

It's kind of funny how every state does things a little different.
In Ma they measure the trucks height from the bottom lip of the doors (a little tougher to modify than the bumper).
Also in Ma you would need proof that your actual truck came from the factory without a bumper on it (such as the option code tag stating bumper delete). You wouldn't get by just showing that some Chevy trucks came without bumpers.

[74on40s]

They care about bumpers, but not headlight height or lo mud flaps?

It's kind of funny how every state does things a little different.
In Ma they measure the trucks height from the bottom lip of the doors (a little tougher to modify than the bumper).
Also in Ma you would need proof that your actual truck came from the factory without a bumper on it (such as the option code tag stating bumper delete). You wouldn't get by just showing that some Chevy trucks came without bumpers.

wow, bottom lip of the door would suck lol. I guess i shouldn't complain too much about having to weld hoops to my bumpers.

[fitz]

I think they finally got tired of guys dropping down the bumper and running plow lights under it to beat the law.
The law reads that you can alter the suspension by 2".
That goes for lift kits or lowering kits.
My truck ran a 12" lift with 44"s on it. As long as you didn't attract attention to yourself you were O.K.
I now run a 6" lift with 35"s.
What type of paint did you use on your truck. It looks like  Military CARC, but I've seen some decent jobs done with spray bomb camo paint, it looks good from here.   

[74on40s]

u nailed it....carc military paint straight from the motor pool...i have friends who have friends who owed some favors kinda thing... The real kicker is I used a " wagner power sprayer " from lowes. Mix the paint 1 to 1 with mineral spirits and went to town. Turned out awesome, not a single run in the paint either lol. And the best part is when my buddy got me paint, he got me 5 gallons of it so if i scratch it i have plenty to touch up the truck with.

Thanks for the compliments.

[Canadian 4X4]

That is a sick Looking truck dude.

[NevadaNeal]

I love living in Nevada. I am sorry for all you guys that live in states were the politicians are goose stepping their way to hades. We have lift laws here. but the majority of 4 wheel enthusiasts live in the rural area's, so the state stays off our backs 

I remember when i was a kid growing up in the central valley of California the dealers sold fleet trucks. The fleet trucks came pretty stripped down and allot were based on demand.
I'm not sure about Gm since my father used ford products,but i remember the trucks not having bumpers and tailgates. He bought trucks Through a Peterbuilt dealer, not sure weather that made any difference.

[Captkaos]

Rear bumpers were an option, good luck getting them to ignore it though.

[zieg85]

u nailed it....carc military paint straight from the motor pool...i have friends who have friends who owed some favors kinda thing... The real kicker is I used a " wagner power sprayer " from lowes. Mix the paint 1 to 1 with mineral spirits and went to town. Turned out awesome, not a single run in the paint either lol. And the best part is when my buddy got me paint, he got me 5 gallons of it so if i scratch it i have plenty to touch up the truck with.

Thanks for the compliments.

Moisture cure CARC won't last long if you don't have nitrogen or argon to purge the air out of the bucket before you have a good seal.  Just giving you a heads up.