OldIHC

I am trying to figure out what I want to do for my rear bumper. I am a purist-I want to restore to original as closely as I can. I am restoring Grandpa's 1949 KB-3. The original invoice says that a rear bumper was added at the dealer. It has a long box and a heavy support piece that went from the frame and around and beneath the end of the box with a local machinists stamp on it. My friend says I should remove that and install a rear chrome bumper-he says that is what the dealers invoice is talking about.

Did the KB-3 come with a factory bumper. Should I add a rear bumper?

Bob Drake Reproductions of Grant's Pass, Oregon sell a very nice early Ford reproduction rear bumper.
Denis Carpenter has this bumper .DC might be closer to you

Sir, if the dealer installed a bumper, depending on what your Grandfather used his truck for, would probably depend on the type of rear bumper. Heavy duty bumpers were often put on these trucks. Just my thoughts.

does the invoice specify type of rear bumper?

original chromed rear bumper is similar looking to the front, it is mounted with 3 piece spring steel set up, hard to find,

Dealers also put on heavy duty aftermarket rear bumpers, IHC themselves don't list a heavy duty bumper in parts book so any diamond plate type will be aftermarket,

you can google KB trucks to see examples of the chromed bumper,

I have one on my 49 panel truck

What did these "dealer" bumpers look like? My K2 made it home with front and rear bumpers that look as though they may have been made by an owner:

Rear







Front

Yep, those are homemade bummers for sure. You got a good hundred pound of steel there.

I prefer the original spring bumpers. They absorb impact. The ugly shyt on the truck will transfer the energy from an impact into the weaker truck frame.
Many of the local yocal fab bumpers were tied to the fenders. The fenders are for style and mud spray control, only.
Old IHC frames flex and are isolated from the body. The sheetmetal parts suffer damage first because they are the weakest.