My '29 Coach and my '30 Phaeton both have the '29 style bumpers with two black lines. Looking closely, though, a couple of questions arise:

-- Some of the diamond shaped bumper clamps (medallions) have pressed stainless sheet metal covers on them and some don't. Which cars used these stainless covers? and is the casting/forging they go over supposed to be chromed or painted?

-- Were the carriage bolts which go through the above clamps originally chromed or black? Any judging problem if I replace them with buffed stainless? What about the nuts and the pressed steel brackets on the back of the clamps -- chromed or black? (Half of mine are painted, half are chromed)

-- The end bolts on some of the bumpers have pressed stainless covers on the heads and some don't. Which is right for which car? If no stainless cover, should the bolts and/or nuts be chromed or painted?

-- I'm putting a luggage rack and trnnk on the '30 phaeton. What bumper configuration was normally used with the trunk? I've seen one car with a front bumper installed on the back -- is that correct?.... or is there a bumper bar that goes between the bumperettes like one sees on a Model A F**d? Or do you just leave it with the two bumperettes like it was when it had a rear-mounted spare.


Thanks in advance for any help. SOOOOOOO much to learn here.

All the Best,

Chip

The bumper face bars for 1929 and early 1930 were the same. The bumper brackets were different as were the medallions. For 1929 the medallions were diamond shaped and for 1930 they were oval.

1930 used stainless steel covers over the medallions and carriage bolts were either plated or they used stainless steel covers. The small cast iron brackets that attaches the medallions to the bumpers were painted black.

The bumper eye bolts for 1929 and 1930 had stainless steel covers.

The first year for an accessory folding trunk rack was in 1930. There was no trunk used since the first year for an accessory trunk was in late 1931. If you do use a trunk major points should be deducted during judging. If you install the correct folding rack on your car then you should use the accessory solid rear bumper instead of bumperettes. The accessory solid rear bumper (it is longer than the front bumper) is extremely scarce and if you do find one plan on spending big bucks.

Using a front bumper on the rear is totally incorrect. There is no bar used between the bumperettes.

Thanks! That clears it all up. Now, if you would just pay the plating bill.........

Appreciate the help as always.

All the Best, Chip.

Since bumpers and trunk rack were both dealer installed accessories it was common for various combinations to be used. Use of previous year accessories, like bumpers, (particularily early in the model year) has also been recorded on numerous "original" vehicles. Apparently the dealer would install the bumpers that he had on hand and customers likely did not either know what was "correct" or care if the bumpers looked good to them.

The use of the full length rear bumper with luggage rack has been observed to be the exception not the rule. See rationale above. In fact most vehicles with fender mounted spare tires have the fender guards (bumperettes) installed on the rear and not the full bar bumpers. Restorations tend to have a much higher percentage of full bar bumpers installed with side mount fenders than "original" cars.

To expand upon what Chipper Dipper said about the full length rear bumpers, many times after the car was purchased the customer had sidemounted spare tires installed by the dealer. In doing so, usually if the car already had the rear bumperettes installed the dealer would remove the rear spare tire carrier and leave the bumperettes in place. Also, since bumpers were a dealer installed accessory they would also install whatever the customer wanted......including bumperettes on a car with sidemounts or with an accessory trunk rack.

However, having said that, the accessory full length rear bumper was manufactured for a purpose......to be used on a vehicle without a rear mounted spare tire carrier. But, whether it was used for that purpose or not depended upon the dealer and/or the customer......and many times neither the dealer nor the customer cared which bumper assembly was used. That is one reason why full length rear bumpers for 1930 are so scarce because, as Chipper Dipper stated, few of them were installed originally.

Thanks, guys!!