Bumper Safety Reinforcement Bar: '68-'69 vs '70-'73 Differences?

[knewknew]

Does anyone know the difference between an early reinforcement bar ('68-'69) versus a later one ('70-'73)? Are they swappable?
_________________
1970 Squareback

[Bobnotch]

As far as I know they are swapable. Without looking in the parts book that is.
_________________
Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120

[KTPhil]

Parts book suggests they are different, starting in '70:

311 805 693
Support - Bumper, front
from Ch. No. 318 000 001 to 319 500 000

311 805 693 A
Support - Bumper, front
from Ch. No. 310 2000 001

[knewknew]

The reason for my question is that I am performing an early bumper to late body conversion.

I managed to modify the brackets with some bending/welding and they fit fairly well.
However, the preexisting reinforcement bar is preventing the bumper brackets from fully reaching the mounting points - even when everything is slid way up against the car.

On the '70 reinforcement bumper, I bent the protruding sheet metal tabs where the screw normally attaches to the old bumper - this gave me some extra movement, but not enough.

Are the early style reinforcement bumpers narrower? shorter? They obviously worked on the '68-'69 models, I just don't know if they are compatible with the later body styles and if this would solve my problem.

Thanks!
_________________
1970 Squareback

[Bobnotch]

[Roadbeater]

I looked in my parts stash today, the later ones have longer legs than the early ones.
_________________
69 Fastback