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Collapsing US bumpers: safe?

Subject: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
From: greg.rocco at gmail.com (Greg Pallett)
Date: Fri Jul 15 09:25:34 2005
In-reply-to: <000f01c58943$acfec8c0$b709b9d0@4WAVE>
References: <20050715132352.IWUD23050.lakermmtao03.cox.net@smtp.east.cox.net> <000f01c58943$acfec8c0$b709b9d0@4WAVE>

I'm afraid to ask what Dan knows about drunken sailors!

I had a BMW 320, and I shortened it's bumpers, they had the oil filled
shocks.  I found it useful to take them off the car and to beat on the
shock with a rubber mallet to get every last drop of oil out, and
ensure maximum compression.
Plus, it's fun to beat on stuff with hammers.  (But you all know that,
you drive Sciroccos's!)


Greg

t minus 22 hours to waterfest.
On 7/15/05, Dan Bubb <jdbubb@verizon.net> wrote:
> I'm pretty sure it's the other way around.
> Mid 84 and earlier=shocks.
> Later=brackets.
> 
> My late 84 and 87 and my nephew's 86 all have brackets.
> I think the bumpers were originally rated for 5 mph impacts and when the 
> gom't downrated the standards to 2.5mph, VW went to brackets. (that I might
> 
> add bend quite nicely at the slightest impact, of course, leaving the body 
> intact and your bumper leaning like a drunken sailor ;^)
> Dan
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Utley" <fahrvegnugen@cox.net>
> Subject: Re: Re: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
> 
> 
> > >From your wording, I think we are on the same page...  Arent we?
> >
> > Mid 84 and earlier=brackets, later= shocks...
> >
> > David
> >>
> >> From: "Scourge" <scourge@cogeco.ca>
> >> Date: 2005/07/15 Fri AM 12:17:44 EDT
> >> To: "David Utley" <fahrvegnugen@cox.net>,
> >> "Timbo" <timjmcconnell@gmail.com>,  "GGehrke" <ggehrke@gmail.com>
> >> CC: "Scirocco list" <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
> >> Subject: Re: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
> >>
> >> Don't you mean it the other way around?? Weren't the shock type ones in
> >> earlier cars??  That said, my 84 was a full size spare, small gas tank,
> >> small wing, typical early 84. But had bracket type bumpers.
> >>
> >>
> >> -George
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "David Utley" <fahrvegnugen@cox.net>
> >> To: "Scourge" <scourge@cogeco.ca>; "Timbo" <timjmcconnell@gmail.com>;
> >> "GGehrke" <ggehrke@gmail.com>
> >> Cc: "Scirocco list" <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
> >> Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 10:05 PM
> >> Subject: RE: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
> >>
> >>
> >> > From what I can tell in ETKA, the bumpers go in time with the gas tank
> >> > changes.  Full size spare meant you had brackets, compact meant
> >> > shock-type...
> >> >
> >> > David
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> > From: scirocco-l-bounces+fahrvegnugen=cox.net@scirocco.org
> >> > [mailto:scirocco-l-bounces+fahrvegnugen=cox.net@scirocco.org]On Behalf
> 
> >> > Of
> >> > Scourge
> >> > Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 7:08 PM
> >> > To: Timbo; GGehrke
> >> > Cc: Scirocco list
> >> > Subject: Re: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
> >> >
> >> > My 84' that I scrapped only had the brackets, no shocks in the front
> or
> >> > rear. Maybe a Canadian thing??
> >> >
> >> > -George
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "Timbo" <timjmcconnell@gmail.com>
> >> > To: "GGehrke" <ggehrke@gmail.com>
> >> > Cc: "Scirocco list" <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
> >> > Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 11:37 PM
> >> > Subject: Re: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > ALL US spec bumpers are designed to take a < 5mph impact and the car
> >> > will have no frame damage. The bumper may be
> >> > scraped/cracked/dented/destroyed - but the car is just fine.
> >> >
> >> > This aparantly only works on older sciroccos - something like up to 85
> >> > or 86 I think.
> >> >
> >> > Newer cars just have a solid bracket. Old cars have shocks with
> >> > hydraulic fluid in them. Drill a hole, WEAR EYE GOGGLES - I'm not
> >> > kidding - it will spray right at you. Wear a hat too!
> >> >
> >> > --Timbo
> >> >
> >> > On 7/13/05, GGehrke <ggehrke@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > > I'm thinking of collapsing my big ugly US bumpers, but I'm curious
> >> > > what sort of crash protection they actually do provide.  Does anyone
> >> > > know what the official spec is (i.e. were they designed to resist a
> >> > > 10mph hit or something to that effect) or what consequence there 
> >> > > would
> >> > > be to having the shocks emptied?
> >> > > At this point I'm not terribly concerned with doing it for it's
> >> > > aesthetic value because the car's pretty rough looking anyways, but
> I
> >> > > have them off for powerwashing and repairing a bit of rust, so I'm
> >> > > thinking I might as well.  The car looks so good without any bumpers
> >> > > on it, too.  If it's genuinely unsafe I'd rather just keep them as
> is
> >> > > for now, though.
> >> > >
> >> > > Oh, and I just finished power washing the car.  Did a real bang up 
> >> > > job
> >> > > on the paint. Flaked right off all over the place.  Now the car's
> >> > > literally about 6 different colours.  It was intentional, but ugh.
> >> > >
> >> > > Other recent projects:
> >> > > My headlights died and I couldnt find the problem (sockets fine,
> >> > > switch fine, fuse fine, etc etc) so I just wired them up with heavy
> >> > > gauge wire to toggle switches on the dash.
> >> > > New cable from battery to starter and ground strap to hopefully fix
> >> > > other electrical gremlins and starting problems.  It does actually
> >> > > seem to run much better!  It starts without me having to give it any
> >> > > gas and idles more smoothly.
> >> > > Painted my dash black to fix scuffs and petrified duct tape residue 
> >> > > from
> >> > the PO.
> >> > > Seafoam!  Timbo was right, fun smokescreen!  This helped reveal,
> too,
> >> > > though, that my entire exhaust system is shot.  Smoke poured not
> only
> >> > > out the tailpipe but exited at various other locations down the
> whole
> >> > > length.
> >> > > Vacuum and febreeze the interior.
> >> > >
> >> > > Plus I helped my buddy cut his M3's exhaust in half, gut the cat and
> >> > > weld it back together.  That was pretty fun too :)
> >> > >
> >> > > -Grant-
> >> > >
> >> > > _______________________________________________
> >> > > Scirocco-l mailing list
> >> > > Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> >> > > http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Early 84 Scirocco 8v Alpine White
> >> > Early 84 Scirocco 8v Pewter Metallic
> >> > Early 84 Scirocco 8v Plain ol Black
> >> > _______________________________
> >> > www.vintagewatercooleds.com/tech
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > Scirocco-l mailing list
> >> > Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> >> > http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > Scirocco-l mailing list
> >> > Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> >> > http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > '83 GTI, Daily Driver...
> > '87 16V, parts car
> > '82 pickup, 2.0 16V, collecting dust...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Scirocco-l mailing list
> > Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> > http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Scirocco-l mailing list
> Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
> 


-- 
I'm all about doing monstrously stupid things against
my better judgement.
-Anson

Follow-Ups:
- Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
  - From: bgsterling at bluebottle.com (Brad Sterling)

References:
- Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
  - From: fahrvegnugen at cox.net (David Utley)
- Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
  - From: jdbubb at verizon.net (Dan Bubb)

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