Printed in The American Tri-Five magazine in Volume 8 : Issue 9

From my desk to where you choose to read this magazine, my primary job is sales at Woody's Hot Rodz, but I wasn't hired because I can place an order on a computer over the phone. I was brought onto the Woody's team almost a year ago because I too work on classic vehicles and know my way around a garage.

Phone calls coming in from all over the world to the Tri-Five Experts vary from ordering parts, to registering for the Tri-Five Nationals, and renewing their beloved American Tri-Five Association membership. But when you call yourselves the Tri-Five Experts, you had better have some knowledge of these cars for the common build troubleshooting these almost seventy-year-old cars are bound to have.

There are a plethora of resources out there to help navigate assembling your Tri-Five Chevy with the new shiny aftermarket products, but the greatest thing about working at Woody's, with the Golden Star Giveaway Car program and a constant upgrade happening in the assembly bay, is the ability to chat with customers on the phone requesting tech advice and being able to say, "You know what, let me put you on hold and take a look at a car in the shop."

Plus, having guys in the shop, or an office down the hall, who have been working on these cars for a combined 100 plus years doesn't hurt either…

So, as I chat with you all on the phone and continue to have the same common question coming about, I'm going to jot down some notes, and share my research and hands-on training with you. If there's something you've come across, let me know, and I'll put it on my list, and hopefully address it in a future issue. Because the ATFA isn't just about us in the office or on the phone, but all of us who enjoy opening the pages of this magazine…inbetween working on our cars.

Enough about us, let's get into installing a new 1955 bumper.

When installing the front bumper on a ‘55, start by bolting the bumper center and bumper ends together with the center brackets. Make sure when tightening the center brackets you don’t have them fully tight. Allow movement between the bumper center and ends to be able to adjust the bumper spacing later on.

Mount the bumper guards in place through the designated holes in the bumper. Mount the bumper guards to the bumper but not fully tight. You are able to tighten them further once you know you have proper gapping along the bumper. Once the bumper is mounted by the center brackets, bolt the bumper end brackets in place on both sides.

When you first receive bumper bolts they are typically more dull than the bumper so we polish all bolts before installing. This is helpful as well if you are reusing original bolts as it is difficult to get bumper bolts due to the constant demand for them. Polishing them before you mount the bumper is way easier than attempting to do so once the bumper is on the car.

In the past we have had to make some minor modifications to the bumper brackets to make them fit perfectly. Don’t be afraid to take the bumper on and off multiple times, fitting all brackets on the front or rear. Also as a recommendation, Drill out the bracket holes on the frame from 7/16” to 1/2”. This makes the headache of adjusting the bumper much easier.

Progressively tighten bumper end bolts and center bracket bolts keeping even spacing along the whole bumper. Once these 4 brackets are fully tightened down, install the two diagonal bumper brackets in place and the front bumper is now mounted. Before driving on the road, check that all the bolts are properly tightened.

Rear Bumper Install

Similarly to installing the front bumper, start by attaching the bumper center to the bumper ends with the center brackets. Make sure to keep the bolts partly loose to allow adjustments when mounting the bumper. Then, mount the bumper guards onto the bumper before bolting the bumper to the frame.

Before installing the bumper, make sure to install the back body to bumper seal. Drill out the 7/16” holes in the frame for the bumper bracket to ½” to make it easier when installing and adjusting the bumper.

Now it is time to mount the rear bumper. Start by bolting the center brackets in place and have them snug to hold up the bumper. Place the bell spacers in place on the side bumpers and run the bolt through and tighten the nut on the backside of the fender.

Adjusting the bumper may take some time to get the property spacing between the body and bumper but don’t worry if it takes longer than a few minutes to get it aligned perfectly. If you need to take any brackets off and either trim or drill larger holes for the bolts don’t be afraid to do so. Again, progressively tighten the bolts from center out keeping proper alignment along the bumper.

Once you have the bumper properly spaced and the nuts tightened down, install the diagonal bumper brackets in place. Thoroughly check each bolt to make sure they are all properly tightened before driving on the road.

Now that your new bumpers are installed you are now ready to have your new chrome shine at your local car show or at the Tri-Five Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We will see you on the road!

Check out our bumper selection:1955 | 1956 | 1957