Is it fairly common for the front bumper bar of the VX to completely rust off? Once I removed all the cladding, I noticed the left foot or so was missing and the rest was badly rusted. When I grabbed it to see how bad it was..... it fell off in my hand.

What do you guys think about taking it to a fab shop and having them custom bend to 2" OD tubing to be welded back in place?

(Future plan of course. I haven't decided about what to do with the drivetrain - replace engine with used one, upgrade to a 5.7L SBC, beefier rear axle and SAS up front???)

I'm about ready to tear it down to the frame and start fresh....