We had commando bumpers till 1985 in Canada. All of the Canadian 240 turbos had them painted black. I have a couple of black sets of them in my shed because I like the old school look without the lower plastic trim along the bottom of the doors that goes with the later type bumpers.

Good point. Last week's Car Talk puzzler was an easy one for me because I had known a rare person who felt the Checker Marathon was under-appreciated as a passenger car. This goes back to when Checker was still (barely) in business and had begun to sell outside of the fleet market -- they also had a car that changed little over the decades.

But the 5mph bumper law that changed the shape of 240's, affected Checker with what I would describe as commando bumpers. They looked very much like a piece of highway guard rail, unadorned by any rubber.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

A bicycle can't stand alone because it is two-tired.

My first Volvo was an '81 244 M46 that had the commando bumpers.
In my area, people like to ride your rear.

I had people rear-end me three times with that car; the damage to their car was extensive.

One time the tow truck had to lift my car off of the other car to separate them. I only had to fix my muffler/tailpipe. Her car was totaled. She was a typical teenager, talking on her cell phone. When her dad came to pick her up; I told him what she was doing during the accident. Oops!

All three times the other car's front end was driven into the engine. I had no wrinkling in the trunk and my bumper shocks even sprang back out fully/evenly.

I should have put kill markers on my driver's door.

Chevy Citation: Brake check on a drunk; led away in handcuffs. I was young/stupid/lucky.
Saturn Coupe: Teenager talking on her cell phone
Toyota Camry: Old lady driving at night who shouldn't have been driving at all.

BTW: I now leave extra room between me and the car in front of me. It has saved me from numerous chances of rear-end accidents. Although sometimes people come even closer because I am so far from the next car.

Would those be like the 74-75 164 and the 74 140s?
And do they have to have the decoration hanging from them like the picture?
¿Freezing rain?
--
George Downs, Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

I consider them to be better than the post '85(?) ones. The rubber stands up better to impact than the plastic ones and the aluminum continues around the whole bumper.

The plastic trim on the newer bumpers is fragile, especially in cold weather.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb but electronic ignition and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

I think they mercifully discontinued the commando bumpers after the 82 model year. I think at the price of scrap aluminum, you could retire to the Bahamas if you owned 10 of them.