Date:         Sun, 7 May 2000 15:17:28 -0800
Reply-To:     "K. Taylor" <ktaylor@PREMIER1.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "K. Taylor" <ktaylor@PREMIER1.NET>
Subject:      Damaged fiberglass rear bumper... can it be repaired?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi, Volks.

I've got a '91 Westy Multivan with the black fiberglass bumpers.
Someone rearended my van.  The replacement cost for a rear bumper at the
local VW dealer is nearly $500.  This dealer also maintains a VW
'wrecking yard,' and they told me that it's very rare that they ever get
these bumpers in on wrecked Vanagons because in an accident, they're
typically the first thing to be destroyed.  As it is right now, the
bumper is in one piece, but appears to have torn areas in it, none of
which are near an edge.  The largest tear is about five inches long.
They are not 'holes,' but are long abrasions with a little fiberglass
fabric showing. Anyone have any luck removing a damaged bumper of this
type and repair it by patching it from the rear for structural purposes
and filling in the abrasions on the front for cosmetic purposes?  Also,
is the type of black paint needed to paint fiberglass bumpers available
in aerosol cans?