Collapsing US bumpers: safe?

[fahrvegnugen at cox.net (David Utley)]

Yep, I had them reversed...  Brackets for late, shocks for early...

David
> 
> From: "Dan Bubb" <jdbubb@verizon.net>
> Date: 2005/07/15 Fri AM 09:46:55 EDT
> To: <fahrvegnugen@cox.net>,  "Scourge" <scourge@cogeco.ca>, 
>         "Timbo" <timjmcconnell@gmail.com>,  "GGehrke" <ggehrke@gmail.com>
> CC: "Scirocco list" <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
> Subject: Re: Re: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
> 
> 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-
> >> > >
> >> > > _______________________________________________
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> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Early 84 Scirocco 8v Alpine White
> >> > Early 84 Scirocco 8v Pewter Metallic
> >> > Early 84 Scirocco 8v Plain ol Black
> >> > _______________________________
> >> > www.vintagewatercooleds.com/tech
> >> >
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> >> >
> >> >
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> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > '83 GTI, Daily Driver...
> > '87 16V, parts car
> > '82 pickup, 2.0 16V, collecting dust...
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> 
> 

'83 GTI, Daily Driver...
'87 16V, parts car
'82 pickup, 2.0 16V, collecting dust...