LUVTruck.com

So, the rear bumper on my 78' is like a diamond plate bumper, but it's painted black. It's very unsightly and I don't like it one bit. Does anyone know if it would actually be LEGAL in the state of Washington for me to take it off and not replace it??

This is what I found about the law on bumpers...
"A motor vehicle must be equipped with a bumper on both the front and rear of the vehicle with the exception of motor vehicles where the original or predominant body configuration, provided by a recognized manufacturer, did not include such bumper or bumpers in the design of the vehicle. For the relevant model year, bumpers must accommodate recognized manufacturer impact absorption systems pursuant to applicable SAE Bumper Standards or equivalent standards"

So I guess what my actual question is, does anyone know if my 78' falls into this category to where I can take it off and leave it off?


Thanks,
Robb Craze©
KingxOfxHearts™

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For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, If I Live, I will kill you. If I Die, You are forgiven. Such is the Rule of Honor.

i agree that bumper just dont look right.

if it was me i would take it off and see what they say, if they pull you over the most likely scenerio is you will get a fix-it ticket.

in which case you just put it back on or find one that fits better.

they may go for a roll pan but im not sure.

luckily i live in new mexico and they just dont seem to care, hell ive caught cops that stop at a stoplight then wait till they think no-one is looking then just run it anyway!

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zyanug
75 luv stepside... Work in progress
76 fleetside 350hp 1968 327cu
"No replacement for displacement!"
___/__l____
[_@l__l__@_]***

Hahaha nice

Yeah I already got a ticket for having a Glass Pack on my exhaust and no muffler and that's the way I bought the truck! But it only cost me $70 to replace it with a regular muffler, I hate how quiet it is now though lol

The last thing I need is another fix-it from The FABULOUS police here (note the sarcasm haha)

Well if you find a rear bumper that'll fit, let me know...even if I have to have it shipped, I just want to get rid of that POS I have on there lol

Robb Craze©
KingxOfxHearts™

_________________
For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, If I Live, I will kill you. If I Die, You are forgiven. Such is the Rule of Honor.

I think ctmandu still has a set of split bumpers. They look nicer than what you have and were available stock so should be legal.

http://forums.luvtruck.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=20751&start=0

Eric Q.

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'75 body with '82 diesel running gear
My build thread.

Bumpers on the LUV's were options from the dealer.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

I wonder what you'd have to do to prove that to the law enforcement officer. I remember a member here complaining that there was a LEO giving him trouble in the Fife, WA area for no rear bumper.

Eric Q.

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'75 body with '82 diesel running gear
My build thread.

I have no clue, but they were a option.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

sold already, but thanks for the plug

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My old but now gone Luv...

I think I found the answer to my own question. In section 14 of the Shop Manual for my '75, the first paragraph reads as follows:

"The Chevrolet-LUV is equipped with a one piece chrome plated front bumper which is mounted with a bracket to the frame. Optional chrome plated rear bumpers are also available."

Ditch the bumper and carry the shop manual and a print out of the RCW that you originally quoted. This won't keep you from being pulled over, but it should keep you from getting a ticket.

Best of luck,
Eric Q.

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'75 body with '82 diesel running gear
My build thread.

When all else fails ask your department of transportation for your state. I bought a new full size truck with out rear bumper. In most states they were a option. I am sure there are a few states that require bumpers. A lot of us do not have rear bumpers.

I think it could be modified where it may not look too bad. It looks like it was on something else then put on your Luv.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.

K so I ACTUALLY found some kind of answer lol
http://books.google.com/books?id=i88DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=Chevy+LUV+bumper+as+option&source=bl&ots=qAwrgxqOGK&sig=UXxtQibEN7rI29W0OdXFsR8H6t0&hl=en&ei=MCW4St-PG4LCsQOY6N0g&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8#v=onepage&q=&f=false

This is a link to a Popular Mechanics article about the Chevy LUV that states there were 3 options for the LUV... a sliding rear window, a STEP BUMPER, and air conditioning (which mine doesn't have haha) as well as the "Mighty Mike" stripping. So, I guess if I ever get pulled over, I'll just pull out the article to show that the bumper was an option haha

Thanks everyone!!

Also, I've been working on my truck so I'll post pictures under the General board for anyone interested!

Robb Craze©
KingxOfxHearts™

_________________
For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, If I Live, I will kill you. If I Die, You are forgiven. Such is the Rule of Honor.

Oh I took the bumper off BTW! haha

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For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, If I Live, I will kill you. If I Die, You are forgiven. Such is the Rule of Honor.

Looks good.

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75 Luv, 350 V8, TH350, Camaro rearend. New 1975 Luv Step side. Stock for now.
Grandmaster of the "Shade Tree" way.. I can't see the yard for all the cars. Come on down and we will sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.