Are all 57 Chevy rear bumper tips the same?I have a sedan with a station wagon center and having trouble getting the tips to fit nice.I thought maybe station wagon may be differant.
Are your bumper ends aftermarket ? If so, get in touch with the supplier.....But as far as I am aware, the ends are all the same. 4TTRUK
Bumper ends are original,fit not good and can not figure out the problem.May have to start over with several old and slice and dice.One way or another i will make it work.
There were three different versions that i know of for the '57 rear bumper ends, but the differences were cosmetic and should not affect fit...
Can you post some photos of the installed bumper ends ? That'll give us some idea of the non-fit problem. Happy Roddin' 4TTRUK
Check your bumper brackets. That seems to be the place to start then work to the outside. We have done several 57 bumpers and they have all been tough. Even the ones taken from the same car then plated and remounted. Shims some grinding maybe some redrilling may be nessescary. Getting the area under the tail lights may take some time and several tries. Good luck just take your time and go slow.
After a little investigation i found that the center of a wagon bumper is about 1.25 inches longer than the center of a sedan or hardtop.There lies the problem.Station wagon bodies are about an inch wider.I measured both and this is what i came up with.So to get a proper fit i will start over with a center and shorten both sides about .5 inches,and yes i also have heard of 3 differant ends,but do not know the differance yet.
I've had this problem with my 150 2dsd and have asked many times about this issue. This S.W. difference would explain a lot! Mine is at least 1.25 too wide.
Have also ran into 3 styles when doing the 150, here's a S/W rear bumper on a '57 150 that would have fit better had we known about the 1 1/4" diff. before plating....................................
Thanks Brigrat and 5w coupe.Sorry you are in the same boat i am in.I talked to my plater and he has a s/w bumper center that i can modify to fit.May cost a few bucks but the fit i have is not happening,bugs me every time i look at it.
Well after some more checking i found that the centers are the same.A mis measurement was found.I was at my plater and we stood a s/w and a sedan side by side and they were the same,so it appears i was mistaken.How ever,my bumper ends do not fit to suit me and i am starting over to make it right.
My customer and I spent a day and a half trying to fit his rear bumper and ends. It involved some unseen surgery to get it this far, even though I was not happy with the fit he was and that's where it ended. You will forever be checking out '57 rear bumper fitment on others rides.....................
Hey bangngears, Please explain, are you saying that the s/w center is NOT different from sedan? Are you sure about which they are? I know I should let this die but I gotta say I've been around the block a few times on this one and I was really hoping that there was finally an explanation here. The only thing certain (to me) is that my bumper doesn't fit the way it should. I thought originally that mine must be a repro center. Called Danchuk and they acted like they'd never heard of this issue before. I also heard a theory that when originals get straightened, they get flattened out and lose their arch which adds slightly to the length. So I hunted up a factory center and I haven't tried it on the car yet but it doesn't measure 1-1/4 inches shorter either. I just keep waiting for someone to explain what causes these differences. I guess It's nice to know I'm not the only one with a rear bumper problem.
On my last post i clarified the issue about center length.I measured mine and called a buddy to measure his.He misread the tape and gave me a wrong measurement.The error wasnt discovered for a day or so.The centers are the same,but i have a lousey fit and i am in the process of re doing my bumper and ends with used parts.I will slice and dice the rear center to shorten it and modify the ends for a tighter,more pleasing fit.Sorry for the error on the center measurement.Apparently the fit on 57 bumper ends has been going on since rolling off the assembly line.I stood a s/w center and a sedan on end side by side and they were within an eighth of an inch.So you are in the same boat i am in,not happy with the fit.
on mine I found that the parts had pulled apart., I dont know how to describe it but the (tabs)? that bend over for the bolts that hold the pieces together had to be beat down. horrible description, I know
Bangngears, Thanks for clarifying again. So for now, I'm going to say that all oem centers are the same and that these fit/ length issues are some combination of all of the above factors. Including manyolcars perfectly clear description of the multiple tabs being pulled or bent preventing the ends to fit tight and straight. Funny but when Jimmy Shine did the '57 Gasser project for the tv show, they ran into the same problem and quickly remedied it by cutting and re-welding the center. I want to make a suggestion for anyone planning to go this route. Get your plater to strip the chrome 1st before you cut and weld. It makes for a better (and much safer) job. Chromium is very toxic when welded and my plater strips stuff at no charge cause he knows I'll be back when its time for plating. Thanks again guys-
Maybe you guys aren't quite looking at this right.....maybe the fit and manufacture of the bumpers from the supplier or suppliers aren't the same dimmension........circa 1957
mine don't fit front or rear, or the hood rockets. all oem. i have a buddy with a 41k mile original paint 4 door. his look just like mine. body gaps are terrible, nothing like we are used to now. i think thats how they were made.
The width 'should not' be any different between sedan, hardtop or wagon/delivery. I have seen lots of wagon bumpers put on sedans and hardtops with no problems as far as width is concerned. Getting the damn thing centered properly with good gaps and spacing is where the problem lies. After 55 years of bumps, taps, and hits brackets get bent, ends might look good but could still be off enough to screw things up, and who's to say the rear 1/4's are perfectly aligned and straight. Lots of fitting and swearing to get it right.
Have done a few as well--fit is always an issue and there are 3 designs of bumper ends as mentioned--had mine all rechromed and one side fits great, the other like it was from when new-not os good-had same issues on neighbors Nomad--got em close but not perfect for sure. Don't think they fit well from factory as mentioned. The fit on my 57 Fuely is now far better than orig--when I got it 36 yrs ago it had never been apart and the fit/gaps were not great anywhere-better now with lots of work.
I shortened the center piece on each end approximatly 3/8 of an inch and made new end pieces that are a little deeper than the original ends in case i need room for adjustment.I am on the right track and i am seeing a much better fit already.I have held up the left side at least 20 times and keep cutting,grinding and fitting until i get it.Holding it in place with vice grips for now,so it will change again when i start bolting it in place.
Here are two different types of bumper ends, I have better pic's somewhere. The Dr's side is first gen, with a small peak on the top and the paint divider stamped. The Pass side is the (3rd) last design with no peak on the top and no stamped paint divider. The second design had the peak but no paint divider.
The only 57 I ever seen with the bumper lining up perfectly was because they cut it and rewelded it back together. They never fit right at the bumper end to tail light housing gap. I gave up trying...
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