1937 DeSoto bumpers?

[mr moto]

What kit (I'm thinking old AMT Trophy Series) has '37 DeSoto bumpers in it as a custom option? I'm talking about the ribbed bumpers that were popular on customs in the 50's. Like these:

I could swear I have some in my stash already but I can't find them and don't remember what kit I saw them in.

THANKS!

[RancheroSteve]

The Revell '49 Mercury has a nice set.

Edit: Or maybe I shoulda said "something similar".

Edited October 20, 2024 by RancheroSteve

[Mark]

Some issues of the AMT '40 Ford coupe and sedan delivery have a set.  They're on the thick side. 

Most of the recent Round 2 reissues do not have them.  The Three Stooges issue sedan delivery does have them.  If you see an Ertl or RC2 issue kit and it has the "flipper" wheel covers, it will also have the ribbed bumpers.

The Monogram '40 Ford pickup had a fantastic set of them, but only the first issue with all of the customizing parts.  Later issues don't have them.

The '49 Merc pictured has what looks like the Roy Brizio "Briz bumpers": aftermarket extruded aluminum units.  They'd cut the extruded units to length and shape the curvature of them for many applications: customs, VW Beetles, and so on.  Those were briefly popular but I'm not sure those are being made anymore.

[mr moto]

Thanks! Looks like I have my answer. Last year I built a '40 sedan delivery. If I can find where the leftover parts are that should be it.

[RancheroSteve]

8 hours ago, Mark said:

The '49 Merc pictured has what looks like the Roy Brizio "Briz bumpers": aftermarket extruded aluminum units.  They'd cut the extruded units to length and shape the curvature of them for many applications: customs, VW Beetles, and so on.  Those were briefly popular but I'm not sure those are being made anymore.

Mark - thanks, I suspect you are correct on this. These are the bumpers I was planning to use on my Pierson Brothers '36 Ford - they look pretty close to what's on the real car (I thought):

I think they're the ones that came in the '49 Merc kit, but now I'm wondering. Oh well . . .

FWIW, the Revell '48 Ford custom also has something similar, but they have fewer ribs.

 

 

[Mark]

Those do look like the Merc pieces.

Another option in some cases is to grab a piece of sheet plastic and a steel ruler, and scribe a set.  The trick is to scribe the things consistently without breaking through, so you can bend them without the ribs separating.  You'd make them extra long then trim to length after forming them to shape.  The tendency is to bear down harder at the center when scribing, so you've got to avoid that.  I did a set like that for a (stalled) "easyrod" (one of those early Nineties Thunderbirds with a fiberglass shoebox Ford front clip).  The bumpers came out pretty decent, I should throw that thing together even if it's about as ugly as the 1:1 versions turned out.

Another way to make a bumper might be to build it up over a wooden form (balsa would even work).  Form a piece of really thin sheet plastic over it (no more than .020") then add the ribs with Evergreen half round stock.  Again, you'd go extra long, you can glue the ends to the form because those parts will get trimmed off later.  The bent Evergreen strip sandwiched with the bent sheet plastic backing piece should hold whatever shape it is formed against.  I haven't done a set this way, it's just an idea at this point.

[mr moto]

The bumpers on the Revell Merc look like "DeSoto style" bumpers but not actual '37 DeSoto's.

[RancheroSteve]

Well okay, so now I have ordered a partial AMT '40 Delivery for the more correct bumpers. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. 

On 10/19/2024 at 10:04 AM, Mark said:

 

The Monogram '40 Ford pickup had a fantastic set of them, but only the first issue with all of the customizing parts.  Later issues don't have them.

 

I'm almost surprised someone in the aftermarket hasn't cast these. 

[rattle can man]

I'm positive some other kit had them. I put some ribbed bumpers on '32 before I had ever bought a Revell Merc or '40 pick-up.  They were straight. not curved.

[Tom Geiger]