I have a 55 F100 which is going full custom. I'm getting the sheetmetal all gapped now and am running into a conundrum. I do not like the look of the 53-56 F100 bumper, even with snugger brackets.
Here are some alternatives I've considered... maybe someone has experimented... I can't find anything in this forum, however. Anyone know if these are feasible?

• I think the F1 aftermarket stainless bumpers look great, but as far as I can tell by eyeballing the pics the curve is much tighter.
  • Realistic to use a press to reduce the curve on the F1 bumper?
  • Perhaps use an F1 gravel pan to increase the curve on the F100? Might look a little off, not sure.
• I like the big job bumpers
  • Are they WAY too wide? Too hard to find?
• I like the F100 panel rear bumpers
  • Flip it around and use it for a front?
  • Curve appears close...?
  • Can these even be found anymore?

I am ok with fabricating brackets, or some modification to a bumper... my last resort is to build something that hugs the front of the truck, but I would lose the curve I like in the bumpers mentioned above as I don't know that I can get that compound curve in thick steel... Obviously I can match the curve of the front of hte truck, but I'm referring to the curve from top to bottom of bumper... make sense?

Thanks-
- Jon

 

Since you're building a full custom, perhaps something totally custom might work for you. These guys custom make their own ribbed bumpers to any shape, and they resemble the old DeSoto units which were very popular on lead sleds and customs in the 50's.

WWW.BRIZBUMPERS.COM CUSTOM MADE BUMPERS

 

Or you could do away with the bumpers completely, go with a roll pan etc or nerf bars. You could have something unique fabbed up then

 

Briz bumpers were a consideration, though I prefer the smooth look. I had a Briz bumper on a VW bug years ago
Considered doing away with the bumpers, and in fact decided to do so in the rear as I sketched out a rollpan design I really like, but I prefer a bumper in the front...
I'm considering buying a 20 ton press, building hardwood forms, and trying to relax the curve on an F1 bumper. What's the worst that could happen... they're only like 300 bones :P

 

chevy truck front bumper `56 era, look really good on these trucks

 

That just might work... I'll search for some pics, and if no luck I'll sketch it out tonight.
Definitely worth considering...
Thanks!

 

check Charlieled`s gallery i believe he has put one of these bumpers on.

 

That's not too shabby... worth considering. Plenty of thickness there front to back to trim slightly if needed to fit tightly... can't see the corners in his pic. Probably a lot less painful than trying to reduce the curve on an SS F1 bumper

 

Here's a pic of one of our club members 56 with a 56 Chevy bumper...mine is similar but sits a little closer to the valence...

 

Midfifty sells the rear bumper for the panels and made it a little shorter for a snugger fit. Not sure if they would fit up to the front, I'd check the fit for you but the rear bumper was removed from my panel before I got it.

 

I looked at the info on the panel rear bumper... that's a possible option. Maybe I can get Mid-Fifty to verify the fit on the front of an F100 for me.
Optionally that picture with the Chevy bumper looks really nice... the nice rounded bumper goes really well with the F100's body lines and fits pretty nicely. I like it more every time I look at the picture. Thanks fellas!

 

A word of caution for those who think that the Chevy bumper "fits pretty nicely" on the F100s...the fit is dependent on your fabrication skills, it is not a bolt-on mod. I removed about 5 inches from each tip and in some sections of the upper edge as much as 3/4 inch to make the bumper match the lower fender shape and the valence. Another member in our club just bolted the bumper on to his truck and couldn't figure out why it didn't fit...just thought that I would clarify this point for anyone wanting to put this bumper on their truck as well.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I can get a '56 bumper at Dreamer's street rods in Everett, WA for 152 bucks, and avoid shipping costs, but modifying it makes a big difference as that will require having it rechromed... about $350 additional.
I'm not afraid of the modification work required... well worth the effort as it's gorgeous.

 

I have been buying painted original bumpers here in San Diego for anywhere from $10 to $25. Now that the aftermarket is supplying chrome bumpers for less money than the chrome shops will plate the OEM bumpers, guys are swapping out the painted OEMs for the chrome aftermarkets and selling the old bumpers cheap. I weld the original GM brackets to the back of the bumper and weld up all the bolt holes to give the bumper a cleaner look. The Chevy brackets are the exact width of the F100 frame and will slide into the frame rails with minor modification. Here is a pic of my truck during the mockup stage, the bumper was not bolted on so the alignment may appear to be a little off but you can get the general idea of the fit.

 

Time to comb Craigslist and the swapmeets...
Thanks so much for the info/pics CharlieLed

- Jon