Mixing and matching parts from various cars is a cornerstone of customizing. Enthusiasts often swap grilles, side trim, taillights, and other parts from different origins to create the desired styling on their custom cruisers. Occasionally, these transplanted components simply bolt into place with little effort, but more often than not, some modification is necessary to make such pieces look like they belong.
When Tom Kowalski commissioned Phoenix's Hot Rods by Dean to craft him a chopped custom '51 Merc, he requested some tried-and-true traditional ingredients, like '54 Merc taillights and '53 DeSoto grille teeth. Tom also wanted the Merc to wear the heavier, shapelier bumpers from the same '53 DeSoto that donated its grin. While both bumpers required some reshaping to fit the Merc properly, the rear needed the most significant alterations. In addition to being narrowed to fit the Merc's posterior, the bumper's wraparound ends were reshaped to better fit the contours of the quarter-panels. In fact, the crew at Dean's shop used parts from two rear bumpers to create the desired effect on the ends.
The accompanying photos offer some insight on how bodyman Brad Saari and shop foreman Ron McCorkle pulled off this tidy bit of bumper alteration, and may provide some ideas for your own bumper-swapping surgery. We think you'll agree that the finished piece fits great and looks like it belongs on the Merc, just as any custom component should.
You most likely noticed the...
You most likely noticed the chopped top and frenched '54 Mercury taillights on Tom Kowalski's tasty '51 Merc, but did you pay any attention to the bumper? Probably not. You might be surprised at how much work it took to make the '53 DeSoto piece look like it belongs.
The stock DeSoto bumper was...
The stock DeSoto bumper was not only too wide for the Merc, but the ends didn't wrap around the quarter-panels as tightly as desired, particularly after the quarters were narrowed to accept frenched '54 Merc taillights.
Cutting off the bumper ends...
Cutting off the bumper ends allowed Brad and Ron to narrow the center section and fit it up nice and tight against the body.
The bumper was hung by a strip...
The bumper was hung by a strip of metal tack welded to each end of the bumper and the body. Custom bumper brackets were eventually fabricated.
With two bumpers at their...
With two bumpers at their disposal, Brad and Ron had four wraparound end pieces with which to work. One right-side piece became the inner section on the left side, and vice versa.
The inner sections were then...
The inner sections were then trimmed to fit the contours of the bumper's center section. Once welded together, the ends began to take shape. Note that the bumper-bolt holes had also been welded up at this point.
Any type of bumper surgery...
Any type of bumper surgery like this requires skilled welding and metal finishing if the parts are to be plated. You can't chrome over Bondo!
Brad and Ron used modified...
Brad and Ron used modified DeSoto bumper guards and a narrowed Merc "bridge" to create a license surround. Note the center line drawn on the decklid, bridge, and bumper to keep everything properly aligned.
Another nice finishing touch...
Another nice finishing touch was made on the bumper guards. Pieces from the two extra DeSoto guards were used to cap off the guards' back sides, which originally had a rather abrupt cutoff. Attention to detail like this doesn't always get noticed, but definitely makes a difference.