Yep and they didn't crumple up or fly apart in an accident. Two accidents I had, would prove this. The first a 52 Chev, I backed out of a friend's drive way, put it in low and stepped on it, when he hollored to me, so I wasn't looking where I was going. Along comes second buddy who thinks I'm playing chicken, when I look to the front there's a head on coming, I guess we both chickened out at the same time and only the corners of the bumpers hit, both cars sort of careened or lurched to their right and no damage was inflicted to either vehicle.
Wasn't so lucky on the second, a souped up 54 Ford customline. Drag racing on the main street, I'd just downshifted from 2n'd was doing pretty good , and looked behind to see where my competitor was. Yep should have been looking ahead, there was a 48 Studebaker stopped in front of the Police Stn. All I could do was put the brakes on and hope for the best which wasn't that good. The nose went down and under the Stude's back bumper so I lost the grill, two fenders and the hood plus the radiator. The impact was hard enough to break the battery cable from the starting motor. Since the fenders were pushed back the front doors wouldnt open, I had to get out through the back doors. Well now if I had the money at the time I could have had it back on the road in a couple of weeks but buying things piecemeal it took over a month. Ahh! the Studebaker only had minor injuries, these cars had frames and the bumpers were not plastic.
Young and Foolish at the time
Cheers Willis