So back story, I find a bunch of cars in the woods, most are toast but some salvage parts are lying around. I find this really cool rear bumper that has stock exhaust cut outs in it...kind of oval, pancake looking cut outs. The bumper has the general shape of a ‘54 Chevy or Ford front bumper. I thought it was coolest bumper so I held onto it for years but never got around to using it, so I gave it to another HAMBER. Now that I have my ‘54 Chevy, I wish I still had it. So my question, any ideas what it may have been or do you have any photos of bumpers with the factory exhaust treatments? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
...........Are you looking for "stock" bumpers with exhaust exits or "custom" ones? Your request is a bit fuzzy there......The first thing that came to mind were the '56 Ford Fairlane 500 bumpers. Maybe that's what you retrieved from the woods?
What a shame to think that such a beautiful car was just rotting in the woods! The hunt now begins for a '56 Fairlane rear bumper!
I'll bet you find one pretty easiIly. Not nearly as much interest in mid 50's fords . A shame cause I think they look even better than Chevys
I grew up and lived in Athens, Ohio, for my first 38 years. There was an abandoned junkyard north of town that had a few of these, one was on a Sunliner. I scrounged a couple of them, as I had a '55 Crown at the time, but that was in the mid '70's and they have surely rusted into the ground by now.
The problem back when these were new was that the tips would rot off pretty quickly. And even if they didn't, the exhaust fumes would corrode/discolor the chrome on the bumper. It was an interesting styling exercise, but wasn't around long on any make. I know on the Fords, the bumper exit usually disappeared at the first tailpipe replacement. The '55-56 Fords were notorious for rotting the tailpipes within just a few years, particularly with dual exhaust. Moving the mufflers towards the back of the car will help considerably. And this is a place where stainless pipe is a worth-while investment...
Knowing this now makes me even more bummed I got rid of the one I had! It was in solid shape and the chrome was still pretty solid Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I always thought that was one of those better ideas that really wasn't better. They looked good, until you got a smutty bumper from a too rich carb, or like already stated, started rusting out. The style on efabman's pic would probably be a little better as the exhaust exits a little farther from the bumper.
The through-the-bumper outlets were standard on all '56 V8 Fairlane models; hardtops, crowns, 'verts, sedans. Not available on the lower-line models. One year only too, so that was an idea that didn't catch on... To gauge their non-popularity, by '60 you couldn't even buy the correct tailpipes for these from a parts store, the restorers had to have them custom-made.
I remember my neighbors always cleaning those exhaust tips. I guess they were trying to prevent the bumpers from coloring or rusting out but it didn't work.. They usually just had the tail pipes come out under the bumper when exhaust pipes needed changed which was every few years back then..
Back some 30 years ago I picked up a few sets of overriders with outlet underneath. Still got two rough pair. Never seen 'em anywhere else.
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