Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-29-2021, 07:38 AM   #1
marty in Ohio
Senior Member
 
marty in Ohio's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Posts: 753
Default straight front bumper

My '30 town sedan has a very nice front bumper but it's completely straight. I've had the car for almost 30 years and the bumper has always bothered me. At a swap meet a couple weeks ago someone was selling a bumper with the slight curve to it but the surface was not as good as mine. I got to wondering if mine could be bent to the right curve. Anybody ever done this?
Marty
marty in Ohio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 07:49 AM   #2
Oldbluoval
Senior Member
 
Oldbluoval's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Signal Mtn, TN (SE TN)
Posts: 2,360
Default Re: straight front bumper

Sure, I’d use a press.
However bending anything that’s chromed can jeopardize the chrome. Could crack
Oldbluoval is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 05-29-2021, 07:53 AM   #3
Oldgearz
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Sagle, Idaho
Posts: 359
Default Re: straight front bumper

I used a Harbor Freight press and blocks of wood to carefully recurve mine. Took patience and multiple efforts to get both bars the way I wanted them, but it came out okay.
Oldgearz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 08:29 AM   #4
ronn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJ
Posts: 6,758
Default Re: straight front bumper

sell yours and buy another........
ronn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2021, 06:00 PM   #5
Model A Ron
Senior Member
 
Model A Ron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Troutman, NC
Posts: 717
Default Re: straight front bumper

Quote:
Originally Posted by ronn View Post
sell yours and buy another........
You could very well damage it. I would take the above advice in my opinion.
Model A Ron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2021, 06:58 AM   #6
marty in Ohio
Senior Member
 
marty in Ohio's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Elyria, Ohio
Posts: 753
Default Re: straight front bumper

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Thanks for the thoughts. Now that I think more about it, I've decided that I'm the only one who has noticed that the bumper doesn't have a curve to it. I guess if it "ain't broke don't fix it."
Marty
marty in Ohio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2021, 09:04 AM   #7
shew01
Senior Member
 
shew01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Roanoke, VA USA
Posts: 1,905
Default Re: straight front bumper

Quote:
Originally Posted by marty in Ohio View Post
I guess if it "ain't broke don't fix it."

There is often a lot of value in that statement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
shew01 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2021, 09:30 AM   #8
Will N
Senior Member
 
Will N's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,096
Default Re: straight front bumper

Mi bumper was straight too when I acquired it. I went to take it off to bend it, and as soon as I loosened the clamps, the bumper bars sprung back to a curve.
Will N is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2021, 10:00 AM   #9
The Master Cylinder
Senior Member
 
The Master Cylinder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 875
Default Re: straight front bumper

Quote:
Originally Posted by Will N View Post
Mi bumper was straight too when I acquired it. I went to take it off to bend it, and as soon as I loosened the clamps, the bumper bars sprung back to a curve.
And when you tightened the clamps back up did it stay curved?
__________________
The Master Cylinder

Enjoying life at the beach in SoCal...
The Master Cylinder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2021, 10:11 AM   #10
The Master Cylinder
Senior Member
 
The Master Cylinder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 875
Default Re: straight front bumper

Duplicate.
__________________
The Master Cylinder

Enjoying life at the beach in SoCal...

Last edited by The Master Cylinder; 05-30-2021 at 02:13 PM.
The Master Cylinder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2021, 10:38 AM   #11
Bob Bidonde
Senior Member
 
Bob Bidonde's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 3,432
Default Re: straight front bumper

Take your front bumper to a spring shop and have them arc it for you. Have the shop add curvature until the straight line dimension eye-to-eye is 62-7/8". Caution the shop about protecting the chrome plating.

By the way, I had an accident years ago that severely bent the front bumper on my Coupe, and the plating did not peel, flake or otherwise fail.
For those of you with a post August 1930 car, the dimension is 62". See the Ford Service Bulletin of August 1930, Page 484.
__________________
Bob Bidonde
Bob Bidonde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2021, 06:01 AM   #12
DkFordor
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Denmark, Northern Europe
Posts: 73
Default Re: straight front bumper

Bob, where you able to straighten the bumber after the accident?
I myself have a kink in the old bumpers that we couldn't sort out after a (pretty much minor) accident
DkFordor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2021, 09:37 AM   #13
Will N
Senior Member
 
Will N's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,096
Default Re: straight front bumper

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Master Cylinder View Post
And when you tightened the clamps back up did it stay curved?

Yes sir. The bumper bars are quite springy.
Will N is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2021, 01:21 PM   #14
Kevin in NJ
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: South East NJ
Posts: 3,398
Default Re: straight front bumper

I think you need to look closer at what you have first.

Are they a reproduction?

What do the side an back surfaces look like? Take some pictures and post them.

Loosen them and see what they do. When they are loose try to bend them and see if they bend easy and hold.

Real originals are made of spring stock and will be harder to give a good arch. They will have a 'mill' finish on the back (depending on how it was restored).

Of course it comes down to goals. How do you want your car to look and function? There are many 'right' ways to go depending. Personally I believe a not so pretty original is better then a pretty repro. I think the metal is better and will do a better job as a bumper in any minor bumps.

First start with identifying if these are originals or reproductions.
Kevin in NJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2021, 01:53 PM   #15
Chuck Sea/Tac
Senior Member
 
Chuck Sea/Tac's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Between Seattle & Tacoma
Posts: 2,351
Default Re: straight front bumper

Was the bumper originally straight or curved?
I have a stainless repo, and after a front end collision I straightened it and buffed it, and when I put it back on, it has a curve, which I like. But I’ve often wondered if it supposed to be straight? You certainly see both!
Chuck Sea/Tac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2021, 03:51 PM   #16
JOHN CT
Senior Member
 
JOHN CT's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: In my garage
Posts: 465
Default Re: straight front bumper

I perched a new repop s/s bummer some years ago. And the curve was way too much!! It stuck out and it just didn’t look right. I got some thick rubber mats hung them on a concrete wall put the cari fist gear and adjust them to a nice curve then tightened everything up. So far no problem and they always look good �� But I always wondered if I did the right thing maybe I should have shipped them back
__________________
31 Tudor
66 Bonneville
57 Chevy pickup 27 T roadster pick up
JOHN CT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2021, 01:44 PM   #17
Kevin in NJ
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: South East NJ
Posts: 3,398
Default Re: straight front bumper

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck Sea/Tac View Post
Was the bumper originally straight or curved?
Curved, go look at factory picts.
Kevin in NJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2021, 03:06 PM   #18
Chuck Sea/Tac
Senior Member
 
Chuck Sea/Tac's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Between Seattle & Tacoma
Posts: 2,351
Default Re: straight front bumper

Thanks Kevin: I’m guessing the bumper brackets have a play in the curve!
I just looked in the Ford Model A as Henry built it. Theresa a nice side view of a 31 Vickie. About the same curve as my Tudor.

Last edited by Chuck Sea/Tac; 06-01-2021 at 03:14 PM.
Chuck Sea/Tac is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:06 PM.