Date:         Wed, 26 Apr 2000 14:58:20 -0400
Reply-To:     Todd Kaderabek <todd@LARKBOOKS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Todd Kaderabek <todd@LARKBOOKS.COM>
Subject:      bumper report
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I finally got around to mounting the old style bumper to my 1990 Westfalia,
and I have to say, it worked out well.  (For those of you not following this
thread, a new one with end caps runs about $1,100; junk yard versions are
virtually unavailable; and Bus Depot sells a replacement for $75, plus
another $25 or so for the end caps and hardware.  And David Beierl sold me
his old style  mounts for the cost of postage -- thanks again).

Simple job: remove the new/large bumper mounts; replace them with the
old/smaller mounts; assemble the bumper and mounts; bolt it on.  The whole
job took 30 minutes tops.  And it doesn't look bad at all. Yeah, the purists
will notice that the wrap around effect is mostly gone.  But from 5 feet,
you basically can't tell it's not correct.  And at the whole project ran
basically $100.  I'm very happy with it.

One aside: the holes in the bumper do not line up with the mount receivers,
off by about 3/8", until you put the end caps on.  I had the drill out,
ready to do surgery, got distracted, came back, put the end caps on and it
lines up.  Thought I was nuts, took the end caps off, tried to line it up,
no dice.  Put them back on, bolted right on.

TJK
--
Todd J. Kaderabek, Director of Production
Lark Books, Fiberarts Magazine, Folkwear Patterns
50 College Street
Asheville, NC   28801
Phone: (828) 253-0467, X 331
Fax: (828) 253-7952
todd@larkbooks.com