Have considered putting big bumpers on my driver, and have started work on the pair I got a year ago, plus found 90 spec arches and sills, still have to find door strips as thinner than standard driver ones. Have a couple of questions regarding the bumpers, First off, what are the bumper wedges that have seen on heritage? And where do they go? Second, do I need to remove the apron panel between the wings under the small bumper, or does that stay in place? Thirdly, is there any brackets required for mounting front or rear, not the side slide guides, as have those on order already to replace the mushroom small bumper ones, but the rear bumper has a tab on it to fit a screw? Through underneath, I've looked at the various kits available but can't see anything. And (D) there are little covers available that seem to go over the 3 vertical bits in the lower open bit on the front, are they standard? All help appreciated, thanks.
The wedges (13) - I was missing two from the front bumper, (they're on oth) push into some of the plastic tangs of the plastic bumper skin that protrudes back through holes in metal cross member. Think the idea is they spread the plastic out and hold it in place, have serrated sides to lock themselves in place. Found someone 3D'ing them and quite a bit cheaper but they won't post to the UK. Might have misremembered, but possible they're on Thingverse already, maybe you have / know someone with a printer? The 3 x sharks tooth pieces are cosmetic only and just clip over the up rights, appear standard on GTI's, not sure of others. Big bumper cars dont have the cross piece up front and there's an additional piece that attaches to the cross member and slats into the reverse of the bumper skin to compensate / give some rigidity. The rear skin has a sort of filler piece that goes between bumper skin and the now hidden rear valance. I'm just guessing but it doesn't seem to provide anything other than protection against road dirt getting up in there... will try to get some photos, hard to put into word. There's one screw around the exhaust area, again think it just secures things a bit better.
Think, but not sure now that there may have been a square hole pressed into the metal of the valance, one of those expanding plastic pegs then slots in and allows you to screw the bumper skin tab down. The infill piece runs from near the screw to the fold out cover for the towing eye.
Thank you for the excellent replies, I'll look up a part number for the front support bracket, failing getting one I can always triangulate some aluminium to support it more. Didn't have the wedges in the bumper I had with iron, and second one I got Friday was skin only, I haven't looked at the rear one except putting a load of paint stripper on it earlier, which didn't touch it!! I'll see if there's a hole in my valance at the back, but being a lesser spec it only had small exhaust notch so had to cut that out, and the filler looks like it may hold as much crud as it stops going up there, so no worries about desperately seeking one. Cheers Dave
https://www.clubgti.com/forums/index.php?threads/big-bumber-chin-spoiler-bracket.291038/ Looked up on 7zap, then googled the number, found above thread, part looks to be near £80 with delivery, so it may be a homebrew bracket if it is a bit too wobbly. Popped out to garage and checked the bumpers for wedges, only quick as raining, can't see any, or any holes for them either, suppose may be aftermarket set.
So that is what it is for. I have one of those from my Project 8 Build and wondered. Thanks for sharing.
Yup, muppetry as far as some asking prices go. Got mine from Lithuania last year, will try and get a link again. Cost about £14 and post wasn't too bad either. Genuine VW part, could be wrong but they were just resellers of Classic VW stuff like Heritage, so not as if it was old stock. Try Heritage, one of the sales guys mentioned they can get anything you see on the classic VW site, doesn't matter that it's not on theirs. Saw a few UK 2nd hand ones up for £45 and more at the time, should've bought a few spare!
Sorry it was Latvia - https://cars245.com/en/catalog/ Unfortunately no longer listed, under the part number at any rate.
Here's the German seller doing 3D wedges - Eur. 20 for 10 of them (postage, if he will extra), think that's more than enough of them to do both bumpers and then some. Always worth asking, I've found most usually speak excellent English and used to be open to doing it. https://www.ebay.de/itm/164880217055?hash=item2663a073df:g:QQkAAOSw2gJgjtnn#shpCntId He also does the sharks tooth covers... guessing they're 3D too, but not sure, might keep costs down getting them together? https://www.ebay.de/itm/165002409189?hash=item266ae8f4e5:g:bzgAAOSwHr5hC-AU Had a quick look on Thingiverse and didn't find the wedges under the part number, but may be catalogued under something else. Going off topic, but here's a few other MK2 bits that caught my eye - putting them up now as I'll likely not be able to find them again! https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4504999 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5353207 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5214906
So this thread is going wildly off topic but we have used the gear adjuster 3D print and it’s very useful.
I actually found the metal one I had just after you left when was looking for it. Glad 3d one worked well. Definitely don't think mine has the wedges, will look properly when in garage. Good links there, thanks.
Calm down boys, crikey I've started Bumpxit!! I like both, and that's the trouble, the green one was great on small bumper, but if I go big on mine I can look at intercooler repositioning and that sort of thing, plus it's a later car so wouldn't look too out of place.
As Z20 says the wedges are for splaying the plastic bumper cover "pins" to secure the cover. I seem to have lost some over the years so economised when I fitted the tow bar iron. I have a spare in the door pocket. Something to note about the big bumpers is that the side supports on the bumpers are prone to breaking when ******* nudge your car when parking. Sooo annoying.