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Date:         Thu, 16 Jul 1998 00:07:13 EDT
Reply-To:     JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         JordanVw@AOL.COM
Subject:      Re: Fabricated bumpers for Vanagon
Comments: To: vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

In a message dated 98-07-15 21:11:29 EDT, vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG writes:

<< >Are you sure this is an effective bumper? To be effective it should have >some 'give'. If it is too strong, an impact might damage the frame and >result in even worse damage. >>

Owning 2 rear ended parts vanagons, (both got it mostly in the RR - most rearended vans i've seen have had the center of impact in the RR for some reason) i think a shock absorber type rear bumper would be a good idea... both of my vans have suffered bad frame damage, and were totaled out by the ins co... that could have probably been prevented if VW had designed a real bumper assembly for the Vanagon and not that paper thin sorry excuse for a bumper that is bolted on there with 4 bolts. i often wonder how they were able to pass crash test standards with those bumpers on the vans, the vans are classified as station wagons - not trucks...trucks, i can see squeaking by..but not "station wagons".. i have a shock type "5mph" bumper on my '84 audi 5000s turbo, and i've slid into the back of another car at 35mph (missed ABS by 2 years), and have no visible damage to my car, other than a mar on the rubber bumper face. the shocks went back to their original position, after the impact. (the bumper compressed a total of almost 2" before returning to its original position, undamaged - i can tell by the lines of the grille fascia on the top of the bumper cover.) all i can say, is that if i was in a vanagon, when i slid into the back of that car (a '82 ford escort wagon, w alum 5mph bumpers) i would have suffered some major damage to the front clip of the vanagon, probably requiring panel replacement.

i have a front bumper off a '78 caprice, with heavy duty shock absorbers in it, and i am going to see if i can somehow mount these to the rear frame on the vanagon, and since i have a 3/8 steel custom made "C" channel back bumper w/ trailer hitch, i can mount this directly to the shocks, then to the frame.

overkill? no... just call it something that vw forgot to do....

chris


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