Black grille with plain chrome bumper here. The PO felt the need to paint over the chrome bumper.

 

How about pads w/no bumper guards? (haven't been there in the 6 years I've had the truck)

 

Were the bumper guards even an option by themselves from factory? As far as I know, to get bumper guards you had to order the protection group, which also included the bumper pads. At least that's what the 80 and 81 brochures seem to say.

I voted for the 80-81 chrome grille, 82-86 chrome grille, and chrome bumper with guard and pads. Even though my truck has the 82-86 grille now, I'm considering going back to the 80-81 grille for originality. But I'm really split on that because the 82-86 chrome grille looks soooooo good.

I have a set of bumper guards from a 73-77 that I mocked up on the truck for a little while. I tried to find someone who had a set of 80-86 bumper guards to trade with, but couldn't find anyone to deal with. Also tried to sell them, and got nowhere with that. May eventually just make a template for the 80-86 bumper and then transfer it onto the 73-77 bumper guards and then cut them to the right fit and just use them on my F100.

 

Yes you could order them separate.

The bumper guards were also included with the factory fog lamp option, without the pads.

 

Well there ya go. Good to know!