A New Bumper

I have taken the old rusty bumper off the 1964 Chevy, and given it a coat of paint. It was 100% rust, but very solid. The bumper probably weighed 60 pounds, but there were no rust-holes going through. As I was grinding it down with my wire wheel, it appears to have been painted many years ago. Years of neglect caused 100% coverage in surface rust....

I cleaned it down to bare metal, primed, and painted white.

I found it interesting that old trucks such as this did not have rear bumpers as standard equipment. Bumpers were an option in this era. Furthermore, bumpers were not chrome, but painted from the manufacturer. In the case of this old truck, the bumper was an advertisement from the Chevy Dealership. That is, if a truck was manufactured without the option of the rear bumper, the dealership would install one for you that usually had their name or logo on it. In this case, you can see the text:

"Capital Chevrolet, Inc. Austin, Texas"

I think cleaning up the bumper alone makes a huge difference in the overall appearnace of the truck. Next on my list is to paint the front bumper and grille. I think it will only enhance the contrast in the truck. I hope to add a few more pictures in the next week.