Hot Rods Bumpers or no bumpers ?

Very nice. HRP

 

WOW!

 

Style may be the most important thing to some but I have been rear ended 3 times so I will always have a rear bumper, we give up enough safety items in our old metal. I am old enough I don't heal as fast as I used to.

 

Getting rear ended 3 times, I hope you have installed brighter bulb's in those taillight lens. HRP

 

Your 36 has “the look” like no other IMO,timeless,beautiful car. Well done sir.

 

Actually all 3 times were in late model vehicles, including twice with a late model pickup with about a square foot of lights.

 

Like everything else it depends on the car!


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That 36 is absolutely stunning!

 

Absolutely beautiful, please post a few more images. HRP

 

I had then chromed, as well as over-riders, so I might as well use them. Plus if removed, there are scallops in front fenders for bar brackets.

 

I think both of these quotes are spot on.

Bumpers can really "dork up" a hot rod.

 

None on my Model A.

 

It can go either way, IMO my Roadster No, my 32 full fender No but bumpers look good on a fendered 32, Kustoms, either way, nerf bars look good if done right, It's all good just an individual taste/style. a few pics of my cars.

 

Thank you

 

Thank You

 

Thank You

 

I've seen 2 rear end collisions (both at the same cruise in at a custard stand in a 45 mph speed limit zone) into old iron, both times a teenager on their phone, never touch the brake and both late model small suv's was totaled and the old iron drove it home, damaged yes, both senior drivers/owners had sore necks, one had a bumper, low 50's chevy pu, looked like fairly minor damage and a 40 coupe, no rear bumper, him I know and it was fixed for $3500. I was amazed at the damage to the late models, But neither kid was hurt, just shook up. Will say I was very much in my rear view mirror and careful in general when I went to this cruise and anywhere.

 

I don't dislike bumpers, I just don't have them on most of my cars. I do often have a rear bumper, or nerf bars, just not a front bumper. Don't have front or rear on my current car, and just welded up the openings in my front fenders for brackets. I put a new tail panel on it during rust repair, and it had no bracket openings. So I never ct them in, and figured I'd close the front prior to painting the car next spring.

 

Def depends on the ride.

 

I have poor depth perception so I'd be crazy not to have bumpers. Both the Stude and Chevy are lowered, the Chevy has an 48 Chevy front bumper/overider and a trailer axle rear bumper, the Stude has the stock bumpers but....it's low and I am afraid that I will tear up the air intake under the bumper at some point

 

In my head, I thought nerf bumpers could look good on this car. The instant one got propped on the back it was apparent that it was not right. My imagination was wrong... way wrong.

After an hour of thinking and some texts to some pals, this is what we came up with.

 

my avatar had a rear bumper no front bumper but the front openings for the bumper braces were filled in. Currently undergoing body work/paint with New front fenders and rears that will have both front and rear stock chrome '40 bumpers in the very near future!
I like the look of no bumpers but front grills for 40's are nearly $2K so I won't take a chance some civilian will back into my "old Car" when I am in a parking lot!

 

I totally agree with your logic geo. The above photo of my coupe has been photoshopped. I have bumpers!

 

Wow that's a hard call. It looks great with and without the front bumper. The thing is its protected with the bumper..

 

bumpers

 

Yes, no, and sometimes
Yes on the front, looks unfinished without, no on the rear, have a nice roll pan, sometimes the front is in the hotel room while the pushbar is on!!

 

1929 Model A Ford coupe
VERSUS
Joe Pisano Model A Gas Coupe

Hello,

Talk about envy… my brother did not have a car of any kind at age 14, so he told everyone he wanted to buy a car at age 15. My dad, thinking he would not have enough money said ok, if you can afford it. We all chuckled at the idea of a 15 year old kid buying a car. Come to find out that his friend that lived nearby was a year older and at age 16 had a nice 1934 5 window Ford Coupe. It had a variety of Oldsmobile motors and a 3 speed LaSalle transmissions. It was pure teenage envy during this time. So, when my brother was 15, he actually had saved/earned enough money to buy the 1951 Pale Yellow Oldsmobile 2 door sedan.
1956 Late 1957

But, what happened to this cool 1951 Oldsmobile Sedan? His eyes were still on that 1934 coupe and every time he rode in it, he wanted a faster coupe or sedan to be at least equal to his friend’s 34. So, he told me to go with him to see a Model A coupe that we had seen several blocks away. It was hidden under a canvas tarp, so not too many people knew what was under it. We had seen it many times on the road and on the way to/from our junior high school.

Jnaki

He bought the Model A coupe to my delight. Model A for him and his cool yellow Olds sedan would be mine in a few years. I was happy. We towed the Model A home and started to get it cleaned up to see if we could get it to start up and run. He already knew that a 283 SBC with dual quads was going in, but wanted to sell the stock 4 cylinder motor and trans/driveline as a running set up. So, we got it to run. Our first drive around the block was
pretty cool. grinding the gears, trying to accelerate with the 4 cylinder, etc.

But as teenage adventures go, it did not last too long as my brother had already knew of a another friend that wanted to buy the Model A coupe. Money was to be made, so he sold it as fast as possible. Why? The gas coupe build was now history… But, within a week, a new, black 1958 348/280 HP Impala was sitting in our driveway as his next real car. The Model A was gone and so was our first hot rod build. Besides, when both of us sat in the seats in our around the block drive, it was a little cramped for two big teenagers. But, the excitement of the old Model A that we got running far surpassed the discomfort in seating.

In late 1959, after the tumultuous A/Stock car racing every week and winning some class trophies, he knew the writing was on the wall with his 58 Impala versus the new, more powerful Chevy and Fords showing up weekly at Lion’s Dragstrip. So, his thoughts went back to building a Gas Coupe for competition. He now had the competitive bug and it would not stop.

We went to Riverside Raceway to see a huge Westcoast drag race meet. The race cars in attendance were one for the books. As we walked around the early morning, we saw a red 1929 Model A coupe sitting in the pits. It was the end results of what ours would have looked like back a few years. I could see the envy in his face as we looked over this cool looking Model A coupe. A/Gas meant a big motor, perhaps supercharged, etc. It just oozed hot rod. Bumpers, what bumpers?
1959 Riverside Raceway
It was set up almost the way we liked and it immediately drew our attention to another build. This time, we already had a fast sedan to race at Lion’s Dragstrip and locally in town. But, a street legal gas coupe idea never went away my brother’s brain. So, we talked about it all the way home and into the next few weeks.

I could see the race of races at Lion’s Dragstrip in my mind: The black 5 Window 1934 Ford coupe versus the red Model A coupe in the next lane over. Olds Power versus SBC Power, coupe versus coupe, friend versus friend…etc. Then, after the total Model A build, there would be two hot cars in our garage/yard. So, my future teenage years were running through my head. A Red Model A or Black 58 Impala for daily driving to high school and the Bixby Knolls hot rod scene.

Well, that scenario did not happen as planned. A lighter weight 1940 Willys came into the picture and the whole scene changed for our first hot rod build and history.

But, following the history of the original Model A coupe we saw at Riverside, it became fast and faster in various changes to its looks and of course, power.

1961 Winternationals:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/favorite-picture-that-says-“hotrod”.1143842/page-9#post-13602202

Bumpers were required for license and registration from the So Cal DMV. But, the rules were relaxed for the front bumper to be included into the Gas Coupe and Sedan Classes.
Not as safe as we like, but without, it looked quite racy for street or the dragstrip. Also, without bumpers, it is not too practical for every day driving and parking.

 

I like no bumper until somebody gets way too close...

 

None on the A Homemade nerf bar's on the beater Bird