http://www.oldcarsweekly.com September05, 2019 ❘ 31
I missed some damage. In fact,
once it was delivered to our shop,
I doubted it was the same one I’d
picked out, but sure enough, it was.
Sometimes we see only what
we want to see. The excitement
of fi nding that bumper end must
have taken over, somehow pre-
venting me from seeing and feel-
ing its true condition. Now, in an
attempt to save face, I’ll attempt
to save a rusted-through bumper
end — and since it’s been off ered,
I’ll likely accept some help.
Out on Mrs. Rotten’s welding
table, the bumper end is already
secured in the vise. From the fac-
tory, in 10-gauge steel, our subject
bumper end is a pretty substantial
part. The rust-aff ected area, how-
ever, is thinner and wider-spread
than we fi rst thought.
To get started we’ll have some
disassembly to do, as the bumper
end is comprised of bolt-together
bits. With a 50/50 mixture of ac-
etone and automatic transmission
fluid, we’ve already juiced the rusty
threads. Somewhere around herewe have a half-inch-drive impact
wrench. It’s a second-hand Cen-
tral Pneumatic unit that someone
long before us must have pur-
chased from Harbor Freight. With
our ample air supply, we know that
tool is pretty powerful. Rather than
givin’ the bolts a chance to spin, we
might opt to run them tighter to
snap their rusty heads off.
Following disassembly, we’ll
clean up after our home-brew
penetrant before bead-blasting
the inside of the bumper end.
From there, we’ll remove a small
circular section of rusted-through
steel as we do our level best to
keep our patchwork repair from
growing. We’ve all seen magazine
tech where experts make things
look easy. If that’s what you’re ex-
pecting to see here, you’re in for a
surprise.SOURCE
Harbor Freight Tools
800-423-2567
http://www.harborfreight.comBELOW: As initial
disassembly be-
gins, we can see
what looks like a
small rusted spot,
just to the right of
the bumper end’s
exhaust port.At this point we’re committed, as we get our fi rst clear
view of this part’s decomposition. These 1954-’55 Cadillac
bumper ends are known everywhere for rusting, regardless
of climate, because the exhaust runs through them.