1948 Cadillac Sedan Bumper Guard Removal - Leaving A Custom Cadillac Unguarded

Immediately after the patch is attached, the levels and shapes of the sections being joined are rechecked for trueness. Now, according to McClelland’s straightedge, just below what was the high spot is a low spot looking for a place to happen.

For the hammer-on-dolly work needed to shrink not stretch the aforementioned high spot, McClelland uses a soft brass hammer. But, as we’ve said before, elements like brass and copper will almost certainly contaminate the forthcoming welds. So, a wire wheel is employed to remove any captive fragments of brass.

Now it’s back to the ol’ grind. Once again beginning with a 2-inch Roloc abrasive disc, the sparks begin to fly, as the welds get dressed.

Now onto a few holes remaining in the bumper’s centersection where a license plate bracket once attached. First, the holes are drilled to ensure that they’re truly round. Then the unwanted holes are countersunk on both sides as necessary for soon-to-be patches to achieve full penetration when welded in. And as we’ve seen before, the copper must be ground away before any welding success can be expected.

Backed up by an appropriately shaped dolly, a fabricated plug assumes its position. It only takes a few gentle taps before it fits in snug and holds itself in place without clamps or magnets. These small-by-comparison patches will receive no less attention than the larger ones have. Again, the straightedge is used to confirm that we’re ready to weld.

Leading up to each weld as we’ve seen, McClelland prefers to spend his time on proper fit and setup, rather than fixing problems that occur as a result of rushing through.

At first a 2-inch Roloc disc is used to dress down only the highest spots of the new weld—much like what we’ve seen done on the larger patches. Then, while wielding a flat bastard file, McClelland explains that ideally, these welds should be just one tad higher than the metal they join. That way they’re easily ground and filed flush.

Now doesn’t that look better without misaligned seams and unsightly indentations? With nothing left to hide, this ol’ bumper is no longer dependent upon the visual distraction of the guards.

At this point, there are just under 30 hours invested. Next McClelland will fine-tune the still-sharp edges, thus leaving the smoothed-and-improved bumper unguarded and ready for the next lengthy process at the chrome shop.