WHY ?

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redbenjoe

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are there no serious heavy duty spring loaded bumpers ?
they should be mandatory on all cars & trucks

is it because the funeral , insurance and repair industries would $$ lose ?
-------------------------

the photo is a practice piece --
getting ready to install the bumper on my toy monster truck
 

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redbenjoe

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yup --
thats just stock stainless cabinet hardware --
i needed the longer bolts -
and had to add some cherry wood dowels
on both ends to make it wider
 

Fatdog

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_F76ySzk48&t=50
 

BoomboxLover48

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Energy absorbing bumpers can never be cheap plus will ruin the looks of a car.
If that comes as an option crazy folks will modify it to throw away...or push ....or kick... cars in their way.... :-D
 

redbenjoe

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thanks joe --

from vague memory --the 944 was among the porshe poorest sellers -

so lets assume consumers dont care for saving their own lives ,
lower insurance premiums --boring stuff like that
 

Beosystem10

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Hmm....

I've never seen a 944 with a bumper that should only ever be seen on a 1970s Volvo 240. It would appear to be yet another lovely looking car that was only fitted with these things for the US market:

Here's the 944 as we know it, in this case it's a German registered example but UK ones are the same on the outside:





Nice car, although that poor young woman appears to be having some engine trouble with hers. Careful dear, you'll end up with pneumonia.

But over the pond, the car sprouted a larger set of bumpers like these:


Seriously? WTF??? Ralph Nader is 80 years old and he's given up being a big PITA, ditch the "Federal" spec bumpers, drive round to Ralph's house and do a few doughnuts in the road right outside.

:devil:
 

Reli

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I had a Rabbit, think it was a 79, that only weighed like 1900 lbs (today's Golf is a POS that weighs like 3200 lbs). And I knocked down 2 road signs on 2 separate ocassions with that thing, with no damage other than some superficial scrapes on the bumper.
 

Beosystem10

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Reli said:
I had a Rabbit, think it was a 79, that only weighed like 1900 lbs (today's Golf is a POS that weighs like 3200 lbs). And I knocked down 2 road signs on 2 separate ocassions with that thing, with no damage other than some superficial scrapes on the bumper.
:lol:The current MK7 1.6 TDI SE, even with the slight extra weight of its 7 speed DSG (very slight since the old 6 speed 'box had wet clutches and the newer one has dry clutches- the extra oil in the 6 speed box probably weighed around the same as the extra gear on the odd layshaft and the extra synchro hub), weighs a lot less than the MK6 weighed. VAG have had it on a diet since the MK7 was introduced just over a year ago. OK, so it'll never be as light as a MK1 but even the range-topping GTD - with its fancy IRS and the 2 litre engine which has an iron block - only weighs a shade over 1100Kg, which is around 173st, 3lb or 2425lb.
But did the US-spec Golf (Rabbit) not have extra large bumpers? Let us have a look at photos:



Yep, big fat bumper. And meanwhile, in the rest of the world:



Tell me, why did American politicians go through a phase of hating motorists so much? :-/
 

Reli

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Yes, but I didn't care too much about the different bumpers. What's worse is how YOUR recent pedestrian safety regulations have forced everyone to use higher hoods, dash, and firewalls. :thumbsdown:

By the way, 2013 Golf 1.4 TFSI = 2800 lbs, and a lot more for a GTI
 

JustCruisin

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Jan 28, 2012
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Beosystem10 said:
Hmm....

I've never seen a 944 with a bumper that should only ever be seen on a 1970s Volvo 240. It would appear to be yet another lovely looking car that was only fitted with these things for the US market:

Here's the 944 as we know it, in this case it's a German registered example but UK ones are the same on the outside:





Nice car, although that poor young woman appears to be having some engine trouble with hers. Careful dear, you'll end up with pneumonia.
:devil:
This has just become your greatest post ever! :drool:
 

Beosystem10

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Reli said:
Yes, but I didn't care too much about the different bumpers. What's worse is how YOUR recent pedestrian safety regulations have forced everyone to use higher hoods, dash, and firewalls. :thumbsdown:

By the way, 2013 Golf 1.4 TFSI = 2800 lbs, and a lot more for a GTI
No, these figures are for the older MK6. MK7 weights are as I posted, we don't buy many petrol versions here but presumably they'd be slightly lighter again. I can see how the confusion may have arisen; MK7 was a year later being introduced across there than here so in the USA, a 2013 Golf would be the much heavier MK6.
Higher? Yes, this has come about as a result of the erroneous assumption that we'd have to follow European regs which we don't - and won't for the foreseeable future unless Scotland gets the "no" vote in September as that would also keep the UK in Europe - has led to many manufacturers selling crap like the Datsun Joke, the shapes of many previously small cars have grown taller too, but we still have small stuff. The shape of the Citigolf - which uses the old MK1 (Rabbit) shell is as it was in 1974 and it meets current Construction and Use regs, which are much more accommodating here than over in Europe.
The Golf in the attached picture is a new one, sold here (as were South American-built Beetles until 2005 and T2s until a few weeks ago) and built in VW's South African factory, it weighs less again than the European/Chinese/Mexican MK7 but they don't import many as the only Diesel option is a VWUK conversion that takes the cost beyond that of a MK7:



If you want to read about just how slack the UK's safety regs are compared to the rest of the world, this document illustrates how little care needs to go into vehicles that can legally be used on the public roads network. And none of that applies to pre-1960 cars whose use is unrestricted and all pre-1974 cars (this is a rolling , 41st year exemption) come with the added bonus of much cheaper insurance, free VED (Vehicle Excise Duty, a charge made by the government originally for the maintenance of the roads but they changed the name from "road fund licence" when the population realised that our roads don't receive much in the way of maintenance at all). I have a few old cars to play with at weekends but the sad fact is that these days, I have to own a modern car too (I occasionally need to carry students to appointments and they must all have seat belts and be carried only by staff whose cars meet certain criteria :thumbsdown: ) but as it consistently does around 65mpg on average and has a particularly good hifi, it's not too hard to live with. It's no Godfather trilogy though because in the case of the Golf - regardless of the weight that the new one has lost - the original was IMHO the best, even if the Diesels were then actually slower than the petrol ones!
 

Beosystem10

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And you'll never guess what I saw in the supermarket car park earlier today when I dropped by there to stock up on holiday season alcoholic beverages......

Excuse the fuzzy photo, I was parked right by the door at the other end of the car park but the guy who got out was kinda big & scary looking so I didn't want him to spot me spotting him, hence the maximum zoom:


:drool: That thing is mint! Not a mark, not a ripple and very, very red.
Seriously, what are the chances of seeing a concours condition, Red 944 without a half naked lady staring at its engine?
Maybe there'll be one by the car next time I see it.
 

redbenjoe

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you tennessee REDNECKs !!!!!!!!!!!!! :bang: :w00t: :lol:

added the roll bar and the side rails and the hood stereo horns
lots more shitte to follow :-D

these southern boys always over-do their trucks -
this is no exception
 

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Fatdog

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You need to add some side steps too (for the short people).

 
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