The big enemy of chrome is the climate, you have to maintain the chrome finish. You might think that if you choose a bumper with the best possible chrome quality, it won't rust in the years to come, but unfortunately the reality is different, you will also have to maintain this type of bumper. Of course, there's a big difference between an A or B grade bumper, not only is the chrome layer much better but the steel is thicker.
Do you want to be sure that in a few years your bumpers will still be exactly as they were when you fitted them, without having to pay too much attention to maintenance? Install the stainless steel bumpers, in this case you have the full warranty of a stainless steel part. The price is a little higher, but that's not bad compared to the best possible quality chrome steel bumpers. The higher purchase value is more than offset by the increase in value of your Volkswagen Beetle.
The European models up to 1967 are made of stainless steel and are 100% identical to the original, and are the only ones to have an extra layer of chrome, so the shine is also identical to the original.
American bumpers up to 1967 are made of polished stainless steel, but the mounting hardware is galvanized steel, replacing it with stainless steel is preferred. The bumpers and bumper guards are marked S, T, + and -.
S represents the rear bumper and T represents the front bumper. Example: on the 20+ mark of the front bumper, you mount the bumper guard with the 20+ T mark. On the other side, mount the bumper guard with the 20- T mark.
The bumpers after 1967 are made of polished stainless steel but do not yet have black tape to cover the unused holes, among other things. Use black plastic tape as applied in the factory by Volkswagen.
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