1957 Eldo Biarritz Rear Bumper ends

[59-in-pieces]

I have now seriously turned my attention to the rear bumper ends on my car.
I have read through the search function here and looked around on eBay and such, for two things:

I. if I can buy a very well preserved set, or
2. if I could find someone who can repair mine and "re-chrome" them.

I recognize they are cast aluminum and they have deteriorated over the years so that the volcano like holes have crumbled to rounded nubs - well maybe not nubs, but well worn, and chipped.

Anybody had satisfactory work done on there bumper ends, and could recommend a good company.

Oh by the way, I remember reading - but can't find it now - about a guy who had recast the ends, in what I don't recall - either aluminum or maybe steal ?.
This was quite awhile ago before I bought this car and read about with interest but the pictures seemed to show a very rough surface.

Thanks for any help or leads.
Have fun,
Steve B.

[Roger Zimmermann]

It seems that I saw this advertising in the Self Starter. I checked in some past issues, but did not see the ad. They are made with aluminum and must be polished for the chrome plating.

[Quentin Hall]

Once the aluminium becomes  porous you are chasing a never ending battle. If ever I get around to mine I will recastvin fibreglass and have them graphite sprayed to accept chrome. No shrinkage. No porosity. The EB towncar has fibreglass bumpers I do believe ( from factory).
Just don’t try to jack the car off them . Which I wouldn’t do even if the aluminium bumpers were intact.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Just don’t try to jack the car off them . Which I wouldn’t do even if the aluminium bumpers were intact.

When I had an air suspension problem on the road with my '57 Brougham, I had to jack the rear with the standard bumper jack because the rolling jack from the road assistance could not go under the car. The bumper end survived!
On a car driven on a public road, I would not install plastic bumpers. Remember, the EB town car was just a pushmobile.

[chris cunliffe]

Post from 3 years ago 
http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=134013.0

[59-in-pieces]

Chris,
That link you posted is exactly the one I remember, even down to the dull rough look in the bumper end picture.
Mr. Peterson's number still seems to be in service, although the phone rang without being answered.
Mr. Peterson lives in Bend, Oregon, a state next and to the north of here, California.
I will continue to pursue him, and thanks for your help.
Have fun,
Steve B

[Quentin Hall]

If you did the fibreglass bumpers with steel reinforcements for the mounting brackets ,then I wouldn’t imagine there would be any difference to the other 99.9 percent of vehicles on public roads running plastic bumpers.
I’ve heard quite a few horror stories of factory Brougham bumpers breaking under the load of incorrect jack placement.
My original black Biarritz had suffered fractures on the bumper to attaching brackets . I tig  welded it back with new 1/2 inch flat stock.  I had some 59 taillights parts recast In fibreglass when I  got sick of chasing  new blisters in the pot metal every time they went through the plating process. . Once chromed they were indistinguishable.

[Quentin Hall]

PS. I would NEVER jack an Eldo up off an aluminium bumper regardless of the correct jack or not. When you see a fractured mounting plate due to 60 years of aluminium fatigue you wouldn’t risk either your car or your life. I always use two jacks on the 57s . A trolley jack under the diff to lift the wheel and another under the sill to lift the body.