When It Comes Time for Bumper Fillers – Don’t Go NOS

GNX ownership should be enjoyable.  While these cars are appreciating considerably as investments, we must not lose sight of the thrill of driving and displaying them, as well as sharing our journeys with fellow enthusiasts and newcomers to the exhilarating world of turbocharged Buicks.  However, if you haven’t yet experienced that sinking feeling of your car’s front or rear bumper fillers irreversibly fading, dematerializing, or cracking (perhaps during a gentle wash, polish, or even a refueling), it’s unfortunate but likely that you eventually will.  The factory materials simply become brittle and break down over time, even on low mileage cars that may spend most of their time in climate-controlled settings.

Mike Barnard, founder and owner of SpoolFool Productions, is an enthusiast with a passion for this marque and keeping each example functional and beautiful.  Combining his entrepreneurial spirit with his sense of adventure and fun, Mike has jumped headfirst into the aftermarket world, quickly becoming a leader in filling the need for replacement components for both the GNX and its Buick brethren – including these all-important bumper fillers for our cherished cars.

For most purists, the first (and usually correct) inclination is to locate New Old Stock (NOS) components, especially for valuable investment-grade vehicles.  Unfortunately, when it comes to bumper fillers, those NOS pieces are not only extraordinarily expensive, but they also suffer from the ravages of time and material breakdown, even while hibernating unused in those dusty GM boxes for nearly 40 years.  We have documented countless examples of failures of properly prepared and painted NOS fillers, sometimes within days or weeks of installation.

Bottom line:  Going NOS is NOT the optimal solution.  When it comes time to replace yours, we exclusively recommend SpoolFool bumper fillers.  Made in the U.S.A., they are properly crafted to be straight, true, and of exceptional quality, fit, and finish.  Moreover, they are gel-coated gloss black for an excellent near-show-quality appearance right out of the box.  These non-urethane fillers will not suffer the ravages of time, and can be painted easily without exotic surface preparation.

SpoolFool bumper fillers have also been specifically accepted by concours judges at Buick Club of America national meets.

For the last 25 years, SpoolFool has been enthusiastically supporting the Buick community across the country through shows, events, sponsorships, and perhaps most importantly:  By supplying much-needed high quality parts when only the finest will do.  And we should know; the Registry is a paying, satisfied customer of SpoolFool products – and we feel that fellow owners will benefit from our experience.

So, when you finally get that sinking feeling watching your fillers fail, we encourage you to contact Mike directly (or visit the SpoolFool website) to find out more about these replacements as well as other high-quality components to make your ownership journey more enjoyable and your investment looking its best.

Please contact us if you know of a vendor with a strong track record of excellence in serving GNX and turbo Buick owners.