Hi, Chuck (and all), You've pretty much confirmed what I have gleaned from some other sources. The reinforcer was in the front only, on Super Beetles only, in 1973 model year only, to attempt to meet the 5 mph crash test. Since it was pretty massive and well-designed (a square-U cross section) it probably worked, but really packed on the additional weight.
I actually had a reinforcer bar kind of like it in the rear of my old USA 1961 model. I had bought it from JCWhitney and it probably helped stave off some of the routine parking bumps that jammed shut our rear lids in those days. Never thought of the towbar reinforcements, but I'll bet you're right. I HAVE learned that the 1973 reinforcer won't work on my 1970 standard beetle, though it would make a dandy mount for my police horns. Phooey. Thanks for the response, Bert Knupp in Music City USA Polizeikäfernachbildung 1970 -----Original Message----- >From: Chuck Kuecker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Jul 30, 2007 5:55 AM >To: Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Bumper brackets > >If I remember right, that was a sop to the US bumper requirements for 5 >MPH crashes. It was just the fronts. > >In '74, maybe, and for sure '75, they put in actual bumper shocks with >completely different mounts, fender openings, and bumper bars. > >The bumper rules applied to everything that year. My '73 Ghia has a >monstrous round U-shaped tube behind the bumper and between "normal" >looking brackets, that runs through the body and rests on the lower axle >beam tube. The rear bumper looks like it never had a reinforcement, but >I can't swear that there wasn't something there when it shipped. > >Trivia: Some older Beetle (pre-'68) trailer hitches had a similar beam >behind the bumper blade to support the hitch ball - the tow load was >taken by bars that reached forward to the frame horns and were held on >there with U-bolts. > >Chuck Kuecker > >Robert Knupp wrote: >> Volks, >> >> I've found the front bumpers of 1973 USA-model beetles have a front bumper >> bracket that includes an I-beam-like reinforcing bar tying together the two >> bolt-on tines. It looks sort of like two old-type brackets with a crossbar >> welded between them. >> >> Questions: >> >> 1. Did this setup also exist for REAR bumpers, or only the front? >> >> 2. Did only USA models have this reinforcer bar, or did they sell them in >> other markets also? Europe? >> >> 3. Which models had them? USA SuperBeetles (Model 1302) only, or also the >> standard beetles (there weren't many of them seen here in 1973). >> >> I know they changed over to the fancy shock-absorbed bumpers in 1974, so I >> guess this "crossbar bracket" was a one-year-only feature, right? >> >> Enquiring mids want to know. >> >> Thanks, >> >> Bert Knupp in Music City USA >> >> |__n__ >> (_____)º >> (Ô\_|_/Ô) >> ü ° ° ü _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
