Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) What's the "trick?"

I'm evaluating the bumpers on my 1958 4/4 and it looks like they'll require replating, so I've unbolted them from the bumper brackets and removed the license plates but getting the bumper guards off I find challenging.
After a good drenching of PB Blaster, I can turn the bolt heads, which are "inside" the bumper(does that make sense?) but the bolts are hidden within the bumper guards, so I need to get a wrench on them, but due to the curvature of the bumpers and the small opening behind the bumper guards I see no way of getting a conventional wrench in there.
Completely opposite of what I thought--mainly a carriage bolt immobilized by the square shank.
I'd prefer not grinding the bolts off since Whitworth replacements I fear, won't be cheap so I'd like to salvage as much as possible.

So, is this how Morgan originally installed bumper guards? How do you guys get the bumper guards off?.

A picture would help, but realistically, to hold the bolt means either welding a nut on the accessible end to get things moving, or cut a slot in the end of the bolt and hope that a screwdriver will hold it. Plenty of heat will help.

Or cut it off!

I'm thinking i may have to fabricate a cattywampus wrench with the right kind of bend to fit between the curvature of the bumper and the inside of the bumper guard.
It's a good thing that I held on to my farrier's tools left over from a former life.

Since I was out on the patio futzing with the luggage frame I thought I'd give removing the bumper guards one more try.
I was able to get a 1/2" open end partially on one nuts and a ratchet on the bolt end and got it loose enough to try a bolt cutter. which promptly cracked the bolt cutters jaw while doing minimal damage to the bolt, so it was back to the ratchet, which fortunately held together long enough to back the nut all the way off.
\At long last I got both bumper guards off the front bumper.
Next I've got to do the rear bumper, but that's held with British Standard or Whitworth bolts. I do have a set of Whitworth sockets, but I'll have to find the correct size open end wrench.
What an adventure!

Go Metric - Only you will know - I am sure the Moggie won't know !

Yep! that's go metric from me too. And stainless!

Yep ... I stuck to imperial S grade mild steel bolts for critical bits but went stainless for everything else ... mostly converted to metric as I went along .... there's only a relatively small range of sizes so it dossn't really up the tool-count in your travelling kit much at all .... and easier and cheaper to source.

K