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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 51 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 51 | About ready to paint a new front bumper for my 58. Can someone tell me if the bumper bolts were painted on these when new or were the bolts stainless?
Thanks for your help. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,001 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,001 | I believe the bolts were painted. Many use stainless and leave unpainted, including me. I wanted the truck restoration done done done, so I skipped the painting of the bolts step. Looks ok,and most would not know the difference. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | painted bumpers got painted bolts, chrome bumpers got SS capped bolts
Bill | | | | | Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 51 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 51 | | | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 413 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 413 | I dont think Ive ever seen a painted bumper with painted bolts from the factory
I do know that the 60's thru 80's trucks with a painted bumper came from the factory with chrome bolts.
Unless 50's on back were different?
Last edited by JeffL; 08/30/2014 11:17 PM.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 | What I have been noticing on pristine pre-60s trucks is that most fasteners were not painted. Some exceptions are sub-assemblies pre-assembled prior to paint.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
On pristine "pre-60s" Task Force (and, maybe Blue Chip) trucks.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,393 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,393 | I am glad this was asked and answered. I am using common locally purchased carriage bolts on my painted bumpers. Now that I know they should be painted, I'll not worry about rust runs appearing at some point. I can just clean and paint them.
Drew
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 | On pristine "pre-60s" Task Force (and, maybe Blue Chip) trucks. What is Blue Chip?
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | Blue Chip is the name for GMC trucks during Chevrolet Task Force years. My comment was in regards to which pre-1960 trucks had painted bumper bolts. Chevrolet Advance-Design (and GMC New Design) 47-55 trucks are also pre-60 and they did not have painted bumper bolts. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,393 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,393 | Tim, You got me. Duh. Thought you meant '47-'55 AD had painted
bumper bolts. It's a daily driver. Might paint them anyway.
Drew
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 122 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 122 | My comment was in regards to which pre-1960 trucks had painted bumper bolts. Chevrolet Advance-Design (and GMC New Design) 47-55 trucks are also pre-60 and they did not have painted bumper bolts. Does this also apply to trucks with painted bumpers? That is, did the '53 models (with grey bumpers) still use the stainless-clad bumper bolts? | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
I do not know for certain, but I assume that 1952-55st painted bumpers used bright (stainless-clad) unpainted bumper bolts.
The Master Parts book shows only one type of bumper bolt for those years. We can speculate that the assembly plant would not have had a bin of bright bumper bolts and a bin of anvil gray painted bumper bolts (or, white, on 1955-1st painted bumpers)?
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,518 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2013 Posts: 1,518 | Since I too have a 53 and this question has been one on my list for my restoration too. I am 75% sure the bolt heads were natural, it would of taken an extra step in the manufacturing process to paint them. I'm thinking the assembly line back then was into getting those trucks put together as cheaply as possible. Only other thing that could make me change my thoughts on this is if the bumper and brackets were assembled in advance and then painted in which case the brackets would have gray overspray on them. Were the bumpers and brackets assembled then installed on the vehicle? I'm thinking so. This could be the case. Why we are at it, were the back sides of the bumpers painted too?
Last edited by sstock; 09/01/2014 3:37 PM.
1953 Chevrolet 3100261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY GalleryVideo of the 261 running1964 GMC 1000305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 4,263 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 4,263 | | | |
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