Technical Re-shaping a chrome bumper

I have a '49 Plymouth bumper I want to use on a project, but the curve is not quite right.
Both end curves need to be flattened out quite a bit. Is there any way to do this without ruining the bumper? Could I heat the edges and bend it maybe?

 

If your talking about ruining the Chrome, the answer is no, you cannot cut, weld, bend without ruining the Chrome. will it ruin the bumper, only if you are planning on putting it back on the stock rig it came off of!

 

Reshaping a bumper is done often when guys are building the '32 Ford sedan delivery's but I believe with the deuce bumpers and your Plymouth bumper they will have to be rechromed. HRP

 

pics would help us answer the question.

 

We just answered it!

 

Really ?

 

Yes, I know it will have to be re-chromed. Was hoping to avoid cutting and welding as that takes a lot of finish work to get chrome ready. Might be the only way though?

I can take a pic, but I thought every old car guy knew what a '49 Plymouth bumper looked like...LOL

 

I have "moved" a few Chrome bumpers around a bit without re-Chroming but when you use the words "needs to be flattened out quite a bit" that changes everything in my eye's as far as what you will end up with and how you will get there...........................

 

If I were to try bending it, would heating the "legs" of the channel be the best way...or?
I'm most concerned about screwing up the ribbed(vertical) part...

 

have done this without welding but it involved using a large industrial shrinker/stretcher
I have also heated and cooled the ribs and or edges to change the contours as well
if you need to stretch the edges to make less of a radius, you can also hammer the***** out of those edges which will stretch them

 

Good ideas, thanks!

Here's a couple pics of what I need to do. The red line is the approximate bend I need. It needs to be unbent mostly around the bolt hole area.

 

will probably need to be cut and welded
finishing for re-chrome is not that difficult due to its thickness
you could try hammering the snot out of the edges top and bottom to see if that will stretch that radius
this will require some metal finishing as well

 

Thanks for the photos.
Changing the curve wouldn't be that difficult. If I were doing it I would have a plating company strip all plating to bare metal and then cut slits from the edge of the "legs" to the corner of the ribbed center section stopping short of the ribs. Determining the number and spacing of the slits will require some experimentation as you go. Bend the ribbed section to the curve you want. The slits will open up allowing the ribbed section to bend.
Weld/fill the slits and metal finish as needed.
............................EDITIED............strip plating.....................EDITIED................................

 

I would put it back on the car and get it caught on the garage door jamb while backing out. I could have my wife come over, she's pretty good at it.

 

Ya you guys are right I think you will have to make cuts on the top and bottom and heat it in order to make a nice smooth bend other wise it will not stretch enough even if you hammered the***** out of it you would prob not be success full my opinion is to make a cut every inch with a wizzer heat the ends and bend it with a dead blow or lead hammer you can use a towel and a bag of sand to soften the blow so you don't make hammer marks then weld the cuts back up grind flush then use a body file to smooth the metal out then sand with 80 grit then 180 then 320 then final sand with 600 it should be ok to Crome. I would imagine about six to ten hours of work to do it right. If you try to just heat it and bend it even in a gig with a press I still do not think it will go well and you my ruin the bumper caroming is not that expensive when you do most of the work your self. Look into keystone for crome they are cheap and fast you can send it in the mail it's the same company that dose keystone aftermarket parts all that***** but they do a pretty nice job for the money. They are not perfect but cheap. The nicer you make it the better it will come out. Have fun bending

 

It looks to me that the bumper would be close to the red line contour if it were widened, not necessarily reshaped. I may be mistaken...but it would be worth trying that with some patterns from tin, wood, or cardboard. Widening the bumper inboard of the curve could be done either by adding a piece(s) or using another bumper and cutting two "long sides" with only one seam in the middle.

Ray

 

Ray, that is Plan B....I also have a rear bumper, it has a different curve at the ends, but the center is similar. Hate to cut it up though as they are getting harder to find....

 

How about cutting the bumper in the middle and moving the ends apart, then filling the gap with a bumper guard and license plate?

 

I have reshaped 2 49 Plymouth bumpers, they were both stainless steel. I cut welded and polished them.

 

Wow, those look fantastic! What car did they end up on?
I didn't know they were ever made in stainless.......mine are just plated.

 

Yes, I too want to know about the 'stainless' bumpers. I have had several '49 Plymouths, still have one now, and they all had steel bumpers that were chrome plated.

By the way, the bumpers DO look great. I think I have seen them on your car in a thread some time ago.

Ray

 

Bumpers really look nice Bob, goes to show pic's do help! Hope the OP has a clear direction to go now...................

 

Before you heat, hammer, or cut it up, bolt it to something and try a porta power

 

Kevin, I actually want to use this on my '51 Ford COE, which has wider fenders than the F-1.
Looking at it more, it's not going to be wide enough by just re-shaping it. Will have to use both bumpers to make it. Then re-chrome.
Would it be best to have all of the old chrome removed before I start cutting and welding?

 

I bought them off e-bay and planned to paint them. When I noticed there was no rust on the back side, wire brushed and decided they were stainless. I am building a 46 Lincoln Continental Coupe, guess I would call it a custom. When I find the pics with them on I'll post.

 

I edited my post #13 to include the suggestion to have a plating company strip all the plating first.

 

I found the photos with the bumpers installed.
PS: I bought these off of 2 separate sellers so I thought all of them were stainless.

 

I think I would try bolting them on something and pushing the ends with a port a power, just go slow. We widened a front bumper off of a 54 Plymouth to fit a 54 Chrysler (about 4" wider) and we were able to get it out of the end curves without damage to the chrome. Gene

 

No you will not achieve the contour by applying brut force with a porta power.
After dechroming you have to stretch the legs (see pics) to change contour
make sure to stretch evenly on both legs top and bottom not to twist the bumper....

Mario