I looked at pics of trucks, but 51-52 sometime have a ribbed front bumper like the rear. I picked up a smooth front with the license plate bracket on it and my friend said it's not correct for a 51-52

so did only the 48-50 have smooth?

 

48-50 had the smooth bumper with the license bracket offset to the passenger side. 51-52 had a ribbed bumper with the license brackets centered in the middle. This is for F1-3 trucks. Larger trucks all had the same, larger (taller) smooth bumper, with the license brackets as above.

 

Plate brackets were 2 tabs, correct?

 

51-2's were, yes. 48-50 had a long, one piece bracket.

 

Thank you. My 52 had the 2 tabs the blueF1 pictures looks about like old Speck, if it make it an F3 and add MH underpinnings.

 

Thanks for the info. I just never noticed. The one I have is smooth with the license plate bracket off to the pass side. Now I know it's a 48-50

 

Kevin, the conversation about those bumpers goes really sideways when the issue of rear bumpers comes up and you realize the 48-50 trucks didn't really have a rear bumper from the factory, and Ford just started declaring it would have been smooth in some catalogs beginning in the early 60's. So that starts the debate on which is more original--a ribbed bumper the farmer purchased from the dealer later in the 50's or that smooth bumper that appeared in the catalogs in the early 60's? My truck has a ribbed (51-52 style) rear bumper, and I'm keeping it.

 

My 52 F1 had one smooth chrome aftermarket offshore ( is that PC? ) bumpers which I didn't like cause they are basically tinfoil so a few years ago I was at the Portland swap meet and I came across a mint pair of original 51-2 black painted bumpers. They were sitting on the ground under a table of tri 5 chev parts.I got them both $25 for the front $15 for the rear. That's why I check every booth. Talk about luck. My other score at this event was a complete rechromed multi piece bullseye stock hood ornament for my 53 Buick super which was for $80.Would have been $225 to rechrome mine It was sitting in a guys mustang parts booth and was the last booth before we headed out the gate to go home.

 

$40 for mint pair of bumpers! What a good deal. That made your day.