How wide is a 1937 or '38 Special front bumper?

[Pete Phillips]

Caller says he has found a 1937 bumper, thinks it is for the front, measures 67 inches, tip to tip; wants to know if it is for a Special/Century or for a larger series. Can someone with one or the other please measure theirs and then we will know and I will call him back. Thanks. I need one for a '37 Roadmaster.

Pete Phillips

Edited December 16, 2020 by Pete Phillips (see edit history)

[Gary W]

67" on my '37 Special Front 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Gary W (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

Pete,

 

A 1937 Roadmaster front bumper measures 70 1/4 inches from tip to tip measuring in a straight line across the back side of the bumper bar. If measured across the front face of the bumper it would be a bit longer. If you need that measurement, I will try to get it for you.

[Pete Phillips]

Thank you, gentlemen, 67" is what he says he has, so that is a '37 Special front bumper, and what I need is the '37 Roadmaster front bumper. Mystery solved, anyway.😃

The phone # of the guy who has the bumper is (303) 322-3777. In Denver, CO. He would like to sell it. New, in wrapper, sent from Buick Motor Division in 1940.

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Pete Phillips (see edit history)

[1937McBuick]

I think I've noticed differences in the 37 Buick front bumpers.   Why do some have 4 mounting holes in them and some only two?   Two inner holes that the bumperettes are bolted through to mount the bumper along with two outer holes using chrome headed bolts   Or the same two inner holes but tabs welded to the backside of the bumper for mounting to the outer bumper mount brackets...  making that a kind of concealed mounting point.

 

Is it a Series difference thing or was there more than one bumper mounting option using the same brackets?

 

Or,  did someone just drill holes where the outer tab mounts were and just use chrome headed bolts?

[MCHinson]

6 minutes ago, 1937McBuick said:

I think I've noticed differences in the 37 Buick front bumpers.   Why do some have 4 mounting holes in them and some only two?   Two inner holes that the bumperettes are bolted through to mount the bumper along with two outer holes using chrome headed bolts   Or the same two inner holes but tabs welded to the backside of the bumper for mounting to the outer bumper mount brackets...  making that a kind of concealed mounting point.

 

Is it a Series difference thing or was there more than one bumper mounting option using the same brackets?

 

Or,  did someone just drill holes where the outer tab mounts were and just use chrome headed bolts?

 

I think that all of the 1937 Buick front bumpers only had two holes for mounting. The 1938 Buick front bumpers have 4 holes (or 5 if they have the center bumper medallion).  Possibly you have seen 1937 Buicks with 1938 front bumpers?

[1937McBuick]

Matt,   I did a random Google search and found these.   Just because I found them doesn't mean they're right.  Maybe someone drilled holes in the 37 bumpers when they were being restored.   There are way more pics of 37's without the additional two holes than there are with 4.   They look like the right bumpers though, they have the depression running through the middle between the two bumperettes.

 

I like the "cleaner" look without the two outer holes.

[MCHinson]

It is difficult to say, but a lot of stuff can happen over 83 years. Perhaps they were modified due to damage to the outer mounting hardware, perhaps they were simply some aftermarket reproductions that were not quite made correctly. I don't think I have ever seen any in person like that, but have to admit that I might not have noticed if I had. It looks like another interesting riddle that we will likely never solve. 

[1937-44]

I'm the third owner of my 1937, I have owned it since 1975 and it has never been restored. It was built in May and doesn't have the outer holes in the bumper. Pardon the quality of the pictures, but I just ran out to the garage and wasn't going to pull the car out. If you look at the centerfold of the Bugle from the 2012 Concord meet you will see a better picture of the front bumper. Perhaps it was a different bumper manufacturer or more than likely a running change (cheaper to put two more holes in the bumper than weld on two brackets). 

[dibarlaw]

 

My car has the welded bracket with no exposed bolts.

On our way back from the BCA Brookfield meet in 2017 we met this Maroon 37-41 from Homer City Pa. at my daughters in Earnest near Indiana PA.

                                       Maroon car on left my dirty black car on the right.

 

 This was a cover car on the Bugle several years ago.

 No exposed bolts but with added 1938 center badge and aftermarket grill guard.

 

[1937McBuick]

I was in touch with the fellow selling the bumper.

He has a 38 bumper.  4 holes in it and smooth round between the two center mounting holes..... not recessed in that stretch.

 

Someone will be getting a nice bumper.  Likely as "STRAIGHT" as they come and if there is any scuffing maybe it can be polished out.   It was wrapped and the guy took the wrapping off to take pictures.

 

If it would have been a 37 small series......  I would have bought it!

 

They may interchange,  but it wouldn't be correct for my car.

 

Amazing what shows up in places you would never imagine.   I guess that's what makes the hobby fun, exciting and frustrating.

 

I tried contacting them Saturday morning(or even Friday night....can't remember) after I saw this thread Friday night.  They were closed for the weekend.  Waited all weekend in anticipation...... Boy was I disappointed when I saw the pics,  thinking it was going to be 37 small series.    Someone is going to get a nice bumper.

 

Did I mention how disappointed I was!!!!!!!!

Edited December 21, 2020 by 1937McBuick (see edit history)