Art & Inspiration How many times did Mr John Law scold you for no bumper?

Myself it was only 2 times of the 4 vehicles that were lacking. What was interesting was the scolding that implied that I was endangering the general public while we impeded the flow of traffic.

 

..Ran a 63 Impala without front bumper....we dont need no stinkin bumpers.....Never got reprimanded....

 

In the 1960's it was considered "cool" to not run a front bumper as it made your ride a wanna-be gasser. Many 1955 Chevrolets ran around with no front bumper.

 

I got stopped several years ago in central Illinois for no front plate. At the time, I had no front bumper, but nothing was ever said about the bumper. Trooper let me go with a warning. Found out later that his ex-wife ran off with some hotrod guy, and ever since, he's had a "hard on" for modified old cars.

 

First car, My avatar back in 1964, I took the front bumper off for the "Look", in Wisconsin there was bumper law and I would receive a 72 hour ticket, meaning you had to put it back on and go to police station, inspected, ticket goes away. This same type ticket for hood removal, headlight height, loud mufflers, anything hanging on mirror, front plate, etc. etc. I went up to the police station so many times that finally an officer there asked me very nicely to stop the infractions as they had plenty to do besides car inspections all from same cop nicknamed "Herbie". The officer took the time to explain the why, Herbie's teenage daughter was killed in a street racing accident and he was hard on us kid's because of this, made it his mission to try to control us car kids, all the 72 hour tickets were from him, the other cops did not bother you over this type stuff. After hearing the story and I was tired of bolting stuff back on I did not give Herbie as many opportunities to pull me over, 2 things happened, I traded the car off and he left the force ? retired? transferred ? and the never saw him again. I had many cars with infractions and did get a few loud pipes 72 hour tickets, speeding tickets, street racing adventures and at 20 I had an oppertunity to receive jail time, did not, the break of a lifetime from a Judge for my stupidity behind the wheel, I stopped driving like a Dumb Ass and changed direction for my need for speed, went open wheel racing for the next 21 years, a great time in my life, the Memories, Priceless.

 

When I got my channeled 5W out in 1980 I got stopped one time by Orland Park’s Traffic Enforcement Officer. That was his title, but in reality he was the oldest guy on the force then and they gave him a soft touch to ride out until his retirement.
I got stopped for no front plate but showed it to him, it was right in the car. Then it was does this thing have a horn? Yes Officer, Beep! Ah ha! Where’s your vehicle sticker? Right here in this envelope, it will be on this weekend. I have an appointment at the glass shop sir, which I honestly did have. The car had a 1958 sticker from a town in Indiana on it. Signals, parking brake, wiper, I had it covered.
He never mentioned no fenders but eventually he zeroed in on no front bumper. He let me off with a verbal warning , basically get a bumper on that thing.



The photo is from the first time around the block, March, 1980. Working at GM I knew a lot of fellow hot rodders, one was a foreman that got me four 180* bends of 3/4” hydraulic tubing that I used to fashion nerf bars for front and rear. The car got a grille shell and was eventually painted but when Officer Friendly retired the nerfs came off, I never liked them. Plenty of miles all over the Mid-West but never another problem.

 

Never. Got busted for street racing, burn outs, and was scolded for the blower and belt sticking out the hood of my 69 Nova, the officer said that if the belt came off it could hit somebody. I made a small guard for it. Oh yea, open headers did not sit well with the local cops.

 

Never got into trouble for no front bumper. They always went for loud pipes, speeding, no license
plate light, reckless driving....all deserved but it didn't stop me from having fun...

 

Only had it happen once, and that was back in 1969 when I was in the military and headed home for the weekend. Hot footing it down the freeway in my '55 Chev gasser, when a Washington State patrolman stopped me for going over the posted speed. When he came up to the car I was still in my fatigues, and he seemed to change his demeaner, but began telling me all the things that were unsafe on my '55. Stuff like no bumpers, cracked windshield, one wiper, etc., etc.
He took my license and sat down in his patrol car. Came back with a warning ticket, and told me to get things fixed before I came back into the state. Of course I was broke and strapped for time, so I built up a push bar in back, and frame horn spreader tube in front. Put a 2nd wiper on it, and said to heck with the rest. Never got stopped again, so the rest of the list remained undone.

Now with Oregon's hotrod laws bumpers are not an issue if your cars have "special interest" or "antique" plates/registration. Neither of my cars have bumpers, and I just get thumbs up from police I see.

 

Both my own cars,in highschool 1960to62 ,had more things for Johnny Law to ticket me for then just missing bumpers,if he wanted to! Here in Miami Fla. One was my open 28"A" roadster an other my custom "J". Lot of hard work was done to both ,by me,nether were much good when I had got them.
Most of the Coppers liked kids an cars,so was not a prob most of the time.
But there was this one cop who,seemed to make it a thing>;To be a Richard{DICK},the part of town he was a signed too,was part of the "in the know info" at our hang out's traded.
I was in the wrong part of town;I got a ticket for dim tail lights* from Richard,one night, when I did have new custom nerf bars< ya,he would of sited bumpers if he could of. I did go to court,with photo of tail lights on,and passed,no prob but my time.

 

Would the current generation even know about bumpers? Seems like modern cars just have painted plastic body parts and crumple zones.

 

Never in my hot rods but I had the front bumper off my Mercury Bobcat wagon and it was in the back of the car with the front plate fastened to it as I was working on one of the front fenders when a pair of Stat Patrolmen pulled me over. Basically the "Where is your front plate?" answer "on the bumper", Then "where is the bumper?" Answer = "in the back". Yuppers, there it was with the plate firmly attached.. Then I showed them where I was working on the fender and end of story.
I ran my 55 Buick for a couple of years with the bumper off and a piece of pipe for a bumper. I never got pulled over for no front bumper but had all too many speeding tickets with that one. The only good thing was every state patrolman in the area knew the car and knew I was the only one who normally drove it. My girlfriend borrowed it one day and got pulled over just to see if she had permission to drive the car and then the patrolman came to where I worked and asked me about her driving it scaring the daylights out of me. He was just making sure it wasn't stolen.


Before I put the pipe bumper on it I think. 55 Special with an engine out of a Super in it.

 

Bumper?

I had a 11:1 377-inch SBC with a big cam, dual quads on a cross-ram, a 4-speed, and 2.56:1 rear gears.

The only reason that I did not lose my license for longer is that the early-tech radar gun topped out before I did.

 

It is more of a probable cause thing around here. If you out screwing around with no bumpers, front plate, running with the parking lights on, use of off road lights, loud stereos, loud exhaust, etc. It gives the man a valid reason to pull you over and check ya for booze and pot. Major mellow mangler.

 

Just reminded me of one the best laughs I've had.
Riding with my new 3rd wife one evening, I was showing her how her car's wipers could be brought out of the park position, so on freezing morns the defrosters would hit them. She responded with IT'S NOT A TOY!

 

Never got stopped for no bumper but there used to be a cop who would bother us at the "hangout" and measure how high the headlights were.........................

Paul in CT

 

Only in my 20's. They give me thumbs up now.

 

60's NJ the no front bumper was cool. My 56 ford was cool....Annual state inspection required a bumper...The small town cops used it for an excuse to pull you over...

 

Not for front bumper, but for no fenders. My wife and I were up in Rhode Island in our Deuce roadster and we were looking for a bed and breakfast that we had reservations for. We were doing about 30 mph, well below the speed limit and passed a police car that was parked on a side street. About a mile down the road, here he comes, lights and siren. We sat for about 5 minutes while he ran my plate and finally approached my car. Typical small town cop, about 20 something years old, smokey the bear hat, mirrored sun glasses with a big attitude. Mind you my wife and I were in our mid 60's and this kid starts to lecture me about how unsafe un-fendered cars are and aren't allowed in Rhode Island. Finally he said that because I had out of state plates, he could not issue a citation or a repair ticket, I was free to go. Our roadster has been in 21 states and the only issue we have ever had was in Rhode Island, it must be a size thing.

 

You're probably right...EVERYTHING must be small in R.I....ha ha

 

High School '55 Chevy removed front bumper & front panels up to turn signals for the racer look. '55 was totaled and replaced with '57 Chevy. one weekend Parents left to go visiting out of town. waited about 1/2 hour to make sure they were far gone. just removed bumper and Parents pull up oops! Mom forgot something. getting reprimanded by Parents far worse than any Cop!

 

Hey Gimpy,
Let me guess, you meant to say 4.56 rear.

 

Never ...........................

 

I forget..

 

My dad told me the first thing everyone did was pull the front bumper off their basically stock 55-57 Chevy, then had to go to Fonda Wednesday night. (NASCAR Drags)

With no front bumper they had to run Gas class not stock.

 

I thing @gimpyshotrods was more interested in the LSR. His problem was he wanted to set it on the street.

 

Nope.

2.56:1

 

I did once get arrested for going 105 in a 5.

 

ouch Ouch

 

Never. Did get stopped once because the front bumper on my 34 was too low. Jacked up 4 wheel drive trucks caused the state to enact a bumper height law.