Mixing and matching parts from various cars is a cornerstone of customizing. Enthusiasts often swap grilles, side trim, taillights, and other parts from different origins to create the desired styling on their custom cruisers. Occasionally, these transplanted components simply bolt into place with little effort, but more often than not, some modification is necessary to make such pieces look like they belong.
When Tom Kowalski commissioned Phoenix's Hot Rods by Dean to craft him a chopped custom '51 Merc, he requested some tried-and-true traditional ingredients, like '54 Merc taillights and '53 DeSoto grille teeth. Tom also wanted the Merc to wear the heavier, shapelier bumpers from the same '53 DeSoto that donated its grin. While both bumpers required some reshaping to fit the Merc properly, the rear needed the most significant alterations. In addition to being narrowed to fit the Merc's posterior, the bumper's wraparound ends were reshaped to better fit the contours of the quarter-panels. In fact, the crew at Dean's shop used parts from two rear bumpers to create the desired effect on the ends.
The accompanying photos offer some insight on how bodyman Brad Saari and shop foreman Ron McCorkle pulled off this tidy bit of bumper alteration, and may provide some ideas for your own bumper-swapping surgery. We think you'll agree that the finished piece fits great and looks like it belongs on the Merc, just as any custom component should.
