'39 Rear Bumper Arms on '40?

[Fred A]

I have a freshly chromed '40-'41 "pickup" rear bumper. Many of us have been shocked by the price of chrome. Not forever, but do I have a fit using '39 rear bumper arms with my coupe body? This may not be the last of the compromises I may have to face with this car. Thanks: Fred A

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Fred A

I have a freshly chromed '40-'41 "pickup" rear bumper. Many of us have been shocked by the price of chrome. Not forever, but do I have a fit using '39 rear bumper arms with my coupe body? This may not be the last of the compromises I may have to face with this car. Thanks: Fred A

Fred, ya lost me...
You have a rear bumper from a pickup you want to install on a coupe? Good luck with that if that's what you are planning to do. Plus, the flattened bumper of the PU will (in my opinion) look like dog poop on a passenger car.

1939 / 40 rear bumper arms are identical for all (39/40) passenger cars.

[Fred A]

Perhaps what I have is not a pickup bumper. It is not a flattie, shaped and smooth like a '40, but has the wide spread on the inner arms and oddly has a square bolt hole in the middle. Must be blinded by the chrome. My concerns were focused on the body outlets, but otherwise screams a rechromed Ford. Not an outrageous assumption (the pickup part), and the '46 chassis and price list book separately listing the 91A and the 01A rear arms. There was some oddity listing them for both Standard and DeLuxe followed by "except 91 and 01"? Could be an example of Green Book logic. Back to the books not green! Thanks: Fred A

[Fred A]

Dusted off the 1941 Chassis book and looks like the 29" spread on the inner bolts and guards. Must be my lie'n eyes?

[Fred A]

Got me going. In the shed (actually the chicken house) dragged out my dad's 39 bumpers and arms and got the wide spread on both the inners, 29". I hear the dinner bell! Fred A

[deuce_roadster]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

That same bumper was used on the rear of the station wagon, i looked for 25 years for the one for my wagon, much flatter and hole spacing different. It was optional on pickup trucks and most didn't get one when new. And yes, the bumper irons are different then the passenger car.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Fred A

There was some oddity listing them for both Standard and DeLuxe followed by "except 91 and 01"? Could be an example of Green Book logic. Back to the books not green! Thanks: Fred A

I BELIEVE that there is a difference between 1940 STANDARD and DeLuxe FRONT bumper arms, with the DeLuxe grill sticking-out farther than the Standard nose, hence....DeLuxe having LONGER arms (FRONT)! DD DD

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Fred A

Perhaps what I have is not a pickup bumper. It is not a flattie, shaped and smooth like a '40, but has the wide spread on the inner arms and oddly has a square bolt hole in the middle. Must be blinded by the chrome. My concerns were focused on the body outlets, but otherwise screams a rechromed Ford. Not an outrageous assumption (the pickup part), and the '46 chassis and price list book separately listing the 91A and the 01A rear arms. There was some oddity listing them for both Standard and DeLuxe followed by "except 91 and 01"? Could be an example of Green Book logic. Back to the books not green! Thanks: Fred A

Fred, The front arms are different from 39 - 40. And the front arms 40 standard vs. 40 deluxe are different.

That square hole in the middle of you bumper bar was surely added by someone in the past.

[Fred A]

Let me deflect. I'm only concerned with the possibility of using subject bumper on the rear. This bumper is bored to the earlier bolt pattern with the 29" spread on the inner pattern that we would often expect a bumper guard on a passenger car, Not the common 24". The profile of the bumper in question is normal passenger car 1940, complete with the two narrow ribs on the reverse. Do I walk to work, or bring my lunch(?) logic does not apply. I have some bumper irons, port or starboard, that I long assumed were '39 and planning to work from there. As with classic mysteries, there may be a "red herring" that has thrown me off. If ever solved, I'll present the solution to the board. Thanks for the consideration. Fred A

[deuce_roadster]

Fred, I don't know about pickup rear irons but 40 wagon rear irons have carriage bolts holding the 2 pieces (inner and outer on each side) together, probably from the factory to make installing easier. The bumper you describe sounds like a 40 bumper, 41s I have seen have 2 ribs on the back but they are much wider spaced then the 40s. I have NOS 40 front irons and the V8 (std) ones have -A after the part numbers stamped on them and the deluxe ones have -B and are clearly different.

[Fred A]

I have the whole picture for the front arms. Not Ideal, my "good enough" front bumper bar is the '41 style with the wider rib spacing. One of my previous forties had short rear arms that were short and the bar tips barely cleared the fenders. Certainly repop arms, lacking the deeply stamped factory marks. On my latest question, I'm still on the case. Thanks: Fred A

[Fred A]

Originally Posted by Kube

1939 / 40 rear bumper arms are identical for all (39/40) passenger cars.

That was the sticking point for me. My '39 bumpers are a measured 29" between the inner arms. All my '40 bumpers measure 24", putting question on the "identical". Since 3/4 of what I think I know about old fords came through listening to Kube, 40larry, and others on the board. That's where I pause. No such bumper appears in the three chassis parts that I use. Accepted.. Still thinking that the '39 inner arms are not identical to the '40 and will call some local sources for a clean example. There is still room for some dimensional problem or that '39 right and left are not the same since they have the port/starboard part numbers? I may be the only one that cares and may be willfully violating the rules of a restoration. In a world awash in '40 parts like nice bumpers, the Frankenbumper may never hit the road. Thanks: Fred A