[ZLP955]

In one of the CRG threads that I posted above, James (firstgenaddict) showed some excellent photos of how he worked the ends of a repro VE3 to gap it neatly to the body of the Lemans Blue car he restored.
From my research on this, the repros always need work to fit satisfactorily, and there is some variation between units from the same manufacturer; some are slightly longer than others and 'overhang' unless shortened - that's a lot more work.
The cheap repro inner brackets are junk, they do not have the correct bend, and should be avoided. I've spoken to several owners who have used the HBC inner brackets; their opinion is that apart from the weld nuts, in shape they are almost impossible to distinguish from GM brackets, and so seem to work equally well with GM and repro bumpers.
Used GM bumpers I've followed over the last 3 or 4 years range from ~$800 for one that has splits and rust, to $1500-2500 for a very nice ready to bolt up example. GM brackets can be $300-500 for a nice undamaged set.