I like this idea. I know I have been trying to come up with ideas for a bumper to use on my 52 and I think I may go this route. For the ends though, if you could get access to a pipe bender you could radius the ends of the blackpipe first, then weld in the flat stock. I think it may be far easier to build a "stock appearing" bumper and could end up with a nicer looking end product than trying to modify a stock front bumper.

Heck you might even be able to sell off the stock front you have to finance the material for the rear. I know the ribbed fronts are harder to come by.

 

Bob - I would build new, but the profile is a little off from what your drawing looks like. I know, it really doesn't matter, but I'm funny that way - big things sometimes don't matter, and little things matter a lot!

I'll probably go with cutting the flanges off. The biggest thing in my eyes, is that the curve is not that great a curve. Plus, it's a lot thicker than sheet metal, and isn't affected as much by the "little" changes, that sheet is. The least little stretching in sheet, gives you an oil can, which you can't have, and they can be difficult to deal with. The thicker metal, doesn't have that issue. Plus, even if it does "kink" a little, it will be negligible, and a grinder goes a long way, when you have a lot of steel to work with. The half-rounds aren't a true half-round - they flatten out, before they go into the center section, and that's what I want to save - it's what differentiates the stock bumper from a home-made one. Not that home-made is bad - far from it. But I have more time than brains, I have the spare front that's really rough to begin with, and worth the attempt, in my eyes. Cutting the flange off, is by far the easiest, and our discussions, is what led to that idea. Doh!! The bumper I have isn't even worth trading, so it's not like I'm "ruining" a piece...I try not to do that, of course. Easiest, of course, would be finding a bumper! I thought I had one, one member said he was sending one, pretty mangled up, but he didn't, and a couple emails haven't been answered. I don't know that someone didn't get to him with a better offer, or he just forgot about me. The guy in California wants more than I can afford right now - I can't spend money on "cosmetics" until I have all the mechanical, etc, ready. $20-30 yeah, $200, no. So, until one falls into my hands, I'm stuck doing with what I DO have. Plus, it just gives me an excuse to play with my new welding bench, welder, and plasma cutter! Nothing like tools!!

Thanks to all!!!

R

 

I wouldn't use sheet metal to construct a bumper. I used 1/4" plate for the vertical straight areas, floor plate for the top and I cut 4" pipe for the corners to achieve a uniform round in the corners. My rear bumper is not a light weight bumper by any means. I welded every piece solid.

 

Roger,

How about taking Bob's idea and "working" it a bit. Instead of just using the black pipe as found with a perfect radius you could "smash" it in your press to get more of an oval shape. As far as the ends go, you can typically buy black pipe unthreaded, butt weld pipe fittings in 45degree, short radius 90degree, long radius 90degree,and 180 degree radiuses. (although you probably wouldn't be able to "smash" those)

From what you've been saying you might as well try your hand at straightening what you have. Whats the worst that can happen? it doesn't work? No biggie, that will just put you right back to where you started from...still searching for a nice one.

I say go for it, what have you got to lose?
Bobby

 

Jon,

Black pipe isn't the easiest thing to bend without cracking. You could use IMC electrical conduit. I has a fairly thick wall but it's still able to bend with a hand bender. The only problem is it galvanised so you would have to make sure your grind the outside surface to remove the galvinised coating before welding. Welding galvanised pipe produces some nasty fumes.

 

Here's a pretty good profile view of the rear bumper. Notice there's a notch on the lower passenger side corner that identifies right side up from upside down. I got lucky and got one on a parts truck that I bought for its running boards.

 

If you do get stuck having to weld on galvanized, use lots of ventilation, avoid breathing the smoke, and drink lots of milk afterwards (trick from the old timers) ((its tough to get good wled beads while trying to see through the smoke, holding your breath for too long, and trying not to jump everytime the spatter...and yes there will be tons of spatter, burns tehtar out of your arm))

Bobby

 

Stu,

Great pic! It really shows the flat areas that Roger is talking about. I agree that would be a hard profile to mimic.

Bobby

 

Bob - I think you misunderstood - I was talking about comparing my straightening of the bumper, to straightening sheet metal - a little bend or kink in sheet metal is tough to work out. Not so with thicker steel. I'm just saying that it really is a LOT easier to work thicker steel than sheet metal, just bigger hammers, etc. But, it doesn't "oil can" like sheet does.

Bobby - I wouldn't have quite the control "smashing" pipe, that I think would be necessary. Maybe, but I still think by far the easiest way to make it look plumb-stock, is to start with plumb-stock. And I wouldn't use black pipe - that's basically all the crap steel at the end of runs, that end up in black pipe - brittle, and not as malleable as other steel, and doesn't support as much as conduit, etc.

I know it's ****, but I really like the profile, and the look it gives the truck. It's not a very obvious thing, but I think if you laid a home-made side by side, it would be apparent, no matter how perfect the home-made was. I have a large collection of '51 truck pictures, and to me, there's just something about the bumpers, and their profile. It's a huge step off of the ho-hum '48/'50 one, and something I want to retail. If I didn't want that, I would definitely go with a well-built dock bumper, like Bob's. That's just plain great!! But, a lot more work, etc, than I want to do for a "temporary" bumper, until I can find one. My truck will be a "Sunday-go-to-meetin'" type truck, not a daily. I've already decided to put it together, pretty much like it is, instead of a "resto" or anything close. I don't want to die, with a perfect 1/2 finished truck in the shop, I want to enjoy a less-than-perfect truck whilst I'm still alive!

Thanks for all the hints and tips, guys...

R

 

Wow, crossed messages!

Great pic!! That's what I'm talkin' about!! And believe me, it does matter, when looking at the truck. It catches the light just right, and I know it's a little thing, but something I picked right up on...

I'm jealous!!! I NEED A REAR BUMPER!!!!

Biggest problem seems to be like the radios - most went out the door without them, and the ones that DID have bumpers, have been replaced long ago with angle iron hitches, etc.

R

 

Yup, there was a flurry of activity there for a bit

I think your best bet is to whip up some crude dies and use your press and a combination of small cuts like you were thinking about. Its not going to be easy, but, as you said, you have the luxury of time

Good luck, hopefully a good one will come along before you get to involved
Bobby

 

I gotta tell ya, I like Bobj's idea the best. You can take some 3/16" plate and 20' of 1" pipe,and make you a heck of a good copy of that bumper. From what I see, trying to straighten the one you have seems so difficult to do. I think it could be done, but you will have kinks in the ribs of the bumper trying to straighten it out. I guess it just seems like alot of work and headache for something that will just turn out ok. But that's just my thinkin. .$.02

 

Roger, I know you are getting inundated with suggestions, but here's one more: I happened to be following a 80's era Ford F 150 this AM and noticed it had a rear bumper with a very similar profile to what you are describing. The difference with the newer one is it had a recess in the center for the license plate. I think it would be a lot easier to graft in a straight section in the center from a second bumper than to try to straighten the curved one? Have you checked to see if there is a later bumper you might use, looks like Ford used that profile for a long time.

 

Roger - Believe me I know the feeling. Finding those last few parts that are made of "unobtainium" is maddening. Like the dome light, or a Magic Air heater, you can spend forever looking. In my case, it's finding the exact correct Budd rims. F-3 MHs are the only Fords that ever used them. Maddening.

 

AX - I've been looking at every bumper I pass, with that in mind, believe me!! Haven't seen one "close enough". Like I said, I am being ****, but I'm very adamant on the exact profile. Close ain't gonna cut it, or I'd put a dock bumper on it...

Stu - did you see my post on a reasonable facsimile of a dome light?? I know I'm **** about the bumper, but I will be using this for my dome...

My dome light solution

Check it out...

R