Whatever happened to bumpers?

mike65

Back when I were a lad bumpers were a great thing, between one and three metal sections bolted on to the ends of a car with nothing more than a couple of nuts to keep them in place. Now the bumper has pretty much ceased to be, instead cars (current Seat Leon being a fine example) feature a huge one piece moulded section of bomb-proof plastic. Except it not indestructable is it? Nope and when some herbert does whack it off a bollard or such-like the repair/replacement cost will water the eyes.

Mike.

Sabre Man

Yeah, they don't make them like they used to do. Most modern cars lack real style.

Borzoi

mike65 wrote:

repair/replacement cost will water the eyes.

Nail - Head there Mike, back in your day, you have the local smithy repair the bumper, and still have enough change from a 10-bob note to buy chips on the way home. This made the can makers very sad, so now if you have a fender bender, you have to buy a new bumber for €1500, which makes them very happy.

Savman

mike65 wrote:

Back when I were a lad

Bet you never thought you'd hear yourself start conversations with that line eh

crosstownk

The bumper is still there - it's just behind the mound of moulded plastic. It's one thing to have moulded plastic - but then to go and paint it makes little sense. Sure, it looks good but think about the name of this component for a second - BUMPer. It's original function (way back when Mike65 was a lad ) was to protect the car and most bumpers back then could take a few knocks and bumps without any need for repair. Nowadays, the slightest rub or tap means a paint job. And may God help you if you hit something any way hard as it will cost close to the GNP of a small country. I've a pranged 2006 Volvo S40 here and the cost for a new bumper is €789.73 plus VAT. Then it has to painted and fitted :eek:

Curran

Same has to be said for headlights - they are huge nowadays and cost a fortune to replace - more money for the manufactuer :eek: No more are they headlight and indicators separate parts
Fine example, the Q7 http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/news/column/letterstotheediors/01.may/02.infiniti.q45.headlight.500.jpg

Owen

Yes, but today's headlamps are a damn sight more advanced than those of yesteryear.

Curran

ned78 wrote:

Yes, but today's headlamps are a damn sight more advanced than those of yesteryear.

Very true but im sure they work just aswell if they were separated too!

BrianD3

Funny, I was thinking about bumpers myself too. Now I'd actually disagree to a certain extent with the metal=good, plastic=bad. We have a few Ford Couriers and Transits here which are some of the last vehicles to be produced with metal bumpers (rear only) The bumpers dent and buckle very easily when a plastic bumper would deform but spring back and shrug it off IMO. Hit a solid object and the energy has to go somewhere, in the case of metal bumpers it either dents the bumper or damages something that the bumper is attached to.

I think the main issue with plastic bumpers is not with the plastic itself which is very durable but as already mentioned with them being such large mouldings and body coloured. A bumper which is fully body coloured is going to look shabby and scuffed after a few years being parked in a city. If there are some plain plastic strips/areas on the bumper in strategic locations then it makes a big difference.

I notice that bumpers on Japanese cars often tend to be fully body coloured and very vulnerabale to scuffs. Whereas European bumpers often have areas of plain plastic on them. Perhaps this is because "touchparking" is not an acceptable practice in Japan so they see no need to make the bumpers suitable for...bumping.

Raiser

BrianD3 wrote:

EDIT....EDIT......EDIT.....I notice that bumpers on Japanese cars often tend to be fully body coloured and very vulnerabale to scuffs. Whereas European bumpers often have areas of plain plastic on them. Perhaps this is because "touchparking" is not an acceptable practice in Japan so they see no need to make the bumpers suitable for...bumping.

:eek:

Is touch-parking acceptable in Ireland ?!?!?!? I've never heard of this - do people actually park this way ?

- If some stupid cnut decided to try and work out the lenght of his motor, or position in their parking space by driving into my car, I'd have to throttle them for an hour and beat their head offa their scuffed bumper

ballooba

I'd love to see someone touch park next to my car. The A-bar would get them on the front or the towbar on the back. They can't win!

gyppo

mike65 wrote:

Back when I were a lad, and we 'ad nowt ta eat but 'ovis and dripping, times were 'ard.

Mike.

But I agree with you.:)

tacklemore

ah yes, touch parking. i was watchin a lady (not singling women out here, before i get the life abused out of me) parking behind my car. She was using the touch parking practice, except that she never copped that i have a hitch on my car. however she did it, she managed to punch a hole in her front bumper, and she wasn't going fast or anything, weak bumper obviously. when i was finished in the shop, i walked towards my car, she spotted me, and with a look of pure horror on her face, she took off. what harm but there was no damage done and i would have given her my space. ah sure, what can you do??

BostonB

Modern bumpers are daft.

crosstownk

BostonB wrote:

Modern bumpers are daft.

Those four words sum up the whole thread

Spitfire666

modern bumper also will be less likely then a steel one, to crack your head open or break you in two if your hit by them?

IMO, plastic=good.

And who says you need to get a respray if you get a scuff? only if you vain and worry about keeping up with the jones'

BostonB

I've no problem being plastic its just that they are made in one huge piece and usually body coloured. Which is expensive to repair. As for being vain and keeping up with Jones thats daft. Nothng wrong with wanting to be smart, same as personal appearance. That said I usually end up going around with a scuff or two, which really annoys me. But I don't have the spare 500 or so it would take to get the bumper sprayed everytime a learner parker scrapes their car along mine. :mad:

Spitfire666

no, there isnt anything wrong with wanting to look smart but if you do alot of driving/parking in areas prone to leave scuffs, shelling out 500 a time to respray after one or two seems silly

Spitfire666

i do agree that being one big piece can proove expensive but im sure there safer then bumpers of old

Seth Brundle

Many modern bumpers also have shocks behind them to take some of the force of an impact. These wouldn't be possible on older cars.
However, the trend to merge the bumper with half of the front/back end is silly and Im not sure if there is any reason for it apart from asthetics.

mike65

I think the reason is making 100% profit every time one is sold!

Mike

ps Less of the "eeeeeeh by gum, when I were a lad" mocking!

colm_mcm

mike65 wrote:

I think the reason is making 100% profit every time one is sold!

they just "magic" them out of nowhere, then sell them to you?

SoBe

ah god bless the old metal bumpers.

true story:
my first car was an 78 mini,so of course when i was young i wanted the 4 spot lights on the front etc.you know the whole itilan job look.
where i worked was a rough town and we had to park on the street,i was working the night shift,got out of work one morning and some scumbag had nicked the lights off the car,only on it 2 days for gods sake.

thinking i wasnt gona let some scumbag stop me from having lights on my car i came up with a master stroke.i would put more on only this time when i bolted them through the bumper i spot welded the nuts to the bolts....aha the fecker wasnt gona nick these.......so i though.got out of work the following week the scumbag took bumper and all,i forgot to spotweld the 2 nuts holding the bumper to the car.

i was down 8 spot lights a bumper and it took 2 weeks to find a replacement which i had to drive to the back end of armagh to get....ill never forget working in granard though......dump!!!!!!!!!

mike65

they just "magic" them out of nowhere, then sell them to you

Erm

Mike.

DeBeere

SoBe wrote:

ah god bless the old metal bumpers.

true story:
my first car was an 78 mini,so of course when i was young i wanted the 4 spot lights on the front etc.you know the whole itilan job look.
where i worked was a rough town and we had to park on the street,i was working the night shift,got out of work one morning and some scumbag had nicked the lights off the car,only on it 2 days for gods sake.

thinking i wasnt gona let some scumbag stop me from having lights on my car i came up with a master stroke.i would put more on only this time when i bolted them through the bumper i spot welded the nuts to the bolts....aha the fecker wasnt gona nick these.......so i though.got out of work the following week the scumbag took bumper and all,i forgot to spotweld the 2 nuts holding the bumper to the car.

i was down 8 spot lights a bumper and it took 2 weeks to find a replacement which i had to drive to the back end of armagh to get....ill never forget working in granard though......dump!!!!!!!!!

Good story!:)

mike65

Made me laugh (sorry).

Mike.

SoBe

mike65 wrote:

Made me laugh (sorry).

Mike.

tis alright i laugh about it myself now,but at the time i wanted to rip their heart out :mad: