Collapsing US bumpers: safe?

[glxtasy at hotmail.com (ken weidmann)]

My 85 1/2 has baby spare and had bracket style bumpers (now euros)

Ken
------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 17:49:09 -0400
From: Roger concha <rogercv1@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Re: Collapsing US bumpers: safe?
To: Scourge <scourge@cogeco.ca>
Cc: Scirocco list <Scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Message-ID: <4e2d8ff805071514491f332cd7@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

my 76 rabbit, my 84 GTI both had socks on the bumpers

On 7/15/05, Scourge <scourge@cogeco.ca> wrote:
>A couple posts before, it was said that <84 had shocks. Plus MK1's had them
>right?   Would seem weird that VW would only stop using them for a couple
>years.
>I really don't know what years had them or didn't. I do know my early 84'
>didn't, my 84' GLI did, and my 86, I don't think it has them, but I can't 
>be
>sure cuz I've not pulled the bumpers off.
>Plus didn't somebody with an 84' at cincy have drilled out shocks with
>compressed bumpers....Timbo maybe?
>
>-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 9:23 AM
>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-