I'm looking to do some kustom work on my ranchero. The car runs a desoto grill and I'm going mold the ends of grill cavity around the grill to give it a finished look. I would like to keep with traditional customizing as the car has a late 50s early 60s look. I just don't know what custom bumper treatment would give it a real custom look. Any ideas for the front and back ?? Thanks Sent from my SM-T510 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It is hard to see in your pics be does the back insert behind the grill line up with the side fender edge? There are a few ‘57 done with Desoto and 54 Chevy grilles. I would just be careful just rolling the gravel pan down flat below the grill after the lower surrounding is added. It give it too much of a shark chin look. Also kind like a lower face. I have some magazines stashed I will have take some photos for ref. Maybe use satin black behind the grill to make the chrome pop. And blend away the radiator and sides. something you can try is removing the license plate and the guards. That would clean it up a bit. Run the plate on your dash- you know!
I think like this would work. The bumper looks smoother ? Sent from my SM-T510 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I am going to suggest two bumpers . First a 1955/1959 Chevy truck rear bumper because of the dip in the center to match the front. Second if you want a real custom treatment would be a 1957 DeSoto rear bumper .
I know its a bad photo, but can anybody tell me what front bumper that is in the photo. Its looks thinner, definitely not the stock 57 which is to wide in my opinion. Any photos of the desoto bumper on a ranchero. Sent from my SM-T510 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
@Tuck Ranchero with a 57 desoto bumper. He has one on the back too (added after these pics), This is a natural for an early Ranchero, It simply doesn't get any better....
Take a look at this post from years ago. I posted a bunch of other 1957 Fords with custom grilles. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/custom-grill-options-fairlane.253566/
No doubt the desoto bumper is cool. I would like to keep my 55 desoto grill. Perhaps swap the 57 bumper for a 55-56. Has anybody done this? Sent from my SM-T510 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Split the stock bumper. Get the ends off a second 57 ford bumper and weld em on where you cut the skinny part out. Make a center pan from another nose piece (above the grille). Do the same thing on the back.
Yes that looks great. I also looked at 55 pontiac bumpers for that split look Sent from my SM-T510 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'd do like "shoptruck" did... Just pull the bullets & front tag... You could flip the front bumper and drop it down an inch or two... I always liked that look. I think there was a '57 wagon in the late 90's early 2000's that had the bumper flipped perfectly with a tube grill I think-
I'm with CrazySteve on this..rolled pans. If you must have bumpers, you could use a nerf type in conjunction with the rolled pans. Cool car!
This idea was done on a famous Ford vic & in my view is a fine look. The now hard to come by''53 Studebaker lower pan with a blade bumper like, '59 Chev, or maybe '67 Camaro, '63 Stingray. Don't forget the expanded mesh in the grille opening.