Technical Anyone ever run early vw beetle bumpers on their 30's custom ?

Looking for bumper solution for my 35 5W. I want to add a bit of flash when I bring it out this summer. I see early Beetle front bumper looks like it could work front & back. At $200/pair I think its worth looking into. There is an aluminum 3 ribbed bumper for $100 which is how I might go as it was no mounting holes allowing custom mounting. Anyone know how wide a VW front bumper is ? I'll take a shot @ $100 if I have to as opposed to $300 .

 

I believe they would be too short. HRP

 

I like nerf bars my self,on a custom I built in 1960,the rear was nerf's with full roll under pan and on the front I used a Corvair=thin with a little "V" to it.
I like the look of your pic. Depends on how wide you need.

 

Where did you find those bumpers? They would look great on my Austin.

 

Buy the aluminum ones without holes, weld on studs and polish. Sano! I mean sanitär!

 

Are they the same as Briz extrusions?

 

You might want to find out how long they are, Wouldn't a Bug be narrower than a '35?

 

A '35 is about 70" wide overall. A Beetle is about 60" wide. The bumpers would be a bit narrower in both cases, moreso perhaps for the VW as it has larger-radius curved shapes. You might be able to design around the difference, e.g. by having the front bumper return under the fenders and the rear bumper return along the body rather than around the fenders, depending on what else you do to the body. I can't tell you if that would work or not. You'd have to see.

 

3 Rib | mysite-1 (brizbumpers.com)
Being as they are in Vancouver Wa we see a lot of the Briz bumpers around here. They come shaped to fit but not drilled and you have to drill them. I've seen some that guys had chromed that look great.
You have to polish the crap out of them all the time or like any other polished aluminum they get to looking dull after a while. It looks like the 3 rib runs about 300 each now.

 

That´s the front bumper, but the rear VW bumper will have a huge curve to it - which might just make it long enough, if flattened out, to fit your Ford. Might be tough to flatten it out nicely though.

 

How about, to gain the needed length, you could cut them in the middle and add in a nice vintage looking tag surround both front and rear.

 

JBugs.com

 

Don't know. Looks pretty close. Can't imagine there are too many sources for this sort extrusion.

 

I like that idea. Any thoughts on what license plate frames I could use/get my hands on ?

 

I was thinking sandwiching it between two 2x6 and evenly squeezing it with C-clamps. I read that the Britz bumpers are soft. Figured these should be too.

 

It is billet, buy three fronts, as they are flatter, cut and weld to length

 

To compare them to the original 37 Desoto bumpers. They are sitting on a full size Ford pickup tailgate.

 

Once you have sen both the Briz bumpers and the originals you can spot the differences. We had a couple big threads on here years ago and the consensus was the Briz bumpers were the equivalant of Hagan headlight frenching kits

 

I moulded the SO Cal one into my bumper. It's aluminium so could be used to widen as well if set right down. But don't forget the almighty HAMB will think it looks like shit so....

 

I just measured the ones on my 1960 Bug...the front is 56", the rear is closer to 58". These are the European spec bumpers without the American market overrider bars. As previously noted, the rear bumper has a lot more curvature than the front.

 

What does that mean ? I have no experience with Hagan Frenching kits.

 

I think that looks great.. Is that a Britz bumper ?

 

Kinda like fake tits, look real until you get closer then you can tell they are fake

 

And the Hagan shit just screams 1990s street rod

 

Nice work

 

Then I guess the real issue is the definition of fake. Only way tits are fake is if they're on a man. Otherwise they are simply custom, modified or souped up

 

Just looked up Hagan kits. I agree, they are not very attractive.

 

The idea of lengthening the VW bumpers by building a license plate insert is great! I'd simply buy some 1/4" aluminum plate, and make a flat plate sized to fit a plate, and then two end pieces welded on perpendicular to the plate. Then weld the two halves of the VW bumper to it, and grind and polish the welds. Most welders wont charge much to weld it if you've got everything ready when you take it to them.

 

You make a good point. I'm blessed to have a nice TIG welder. I can make my own filler. Just need to find a nice pair if frames to finish it off.