The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop AD bumper stumper

I recently bought a great used bumper for the front of my 1950 half ton. It's scratched but solid and will look great until the day comes that I can paint and rechrome. Anyway, the bumper fits the front brackets just fine and matches what's left of the existing font bumper perfectly. Therefore, I know it is correct. However, when I compare it to my rear bumper, I find that the rear bumper is shorter and doesn't have as much curvature. I had always thought the front and rear bumper were the same part. I had assumed the the rear bumper was original since it was a one owner truck and everything else on the truck is original. Well, the rear bumper HAS had some modifications done to it at some point in its history. There is a homemade trailer hitch welded to the frame and to the top of the bumper. So it has had some tinkering but it still doesn't explain the shorter size. Is it possible that this rear bumper came off another vehicle with a similar bumper style. The bolt pattern matches and at a quick glance, you would think it was a correct bumper. Only after comparing it to my new bumper, did I notice the discrpency. Sorry for the long explaination but would appreciate any insight.

The shorter rear bumper IS the correct one, you are lucky. These were an option on some years of trucks.

cosmo,
Thanks for the info. It makes me wonder why there was an option for a shorter bumper - Any idea?

I think that you will find that the bumper itself was an option. I also think that the rear bumper was different than the fron one.

Yep, the front and rear bumpers were different, with different part numbers (Front - 3700438, Rear - 3700469). As you noted, the rear bumper is "flatter" with less curvature than the front. Can't recall if the rear was a option on all models of trucks. I'll look at my RPO list when I get home tonight and check.

By the way, if you don't own one yourself, here's an online copy of the 1929-1954 Master Parts Catalog . Great reference.

I guess my confusion came from reading somewhere that the bumpers were the same. Thanks for the input on this topic and I'm excited to find out what I did. I do however have to do some cutting and grinding to get rid of the homemade hitch!

A rear bumper was standard on 47-50 models. Became optional on 51's and was deleted entirely sometime during the 51 year. Reappeared in 53 as an option.

Well, that explains why the rear bumper on my 52 3100 looks like it was homemade. That was the year you couldn't even get one as an option.
Thanks for the info.