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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ A Warning: Check Your Bumper Tops
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 1 2018, 01:51 PM
Just a heads-up...
I was driving the street car to the German Club yesterday (Oktoberfest!) on the interstate. Merged onto the highway behind a big rig, and just as I popped out to the left of the trailer into its turbulence there was a flash and my front bumper top departed the car! However, instead of fully departing it had peeled off from right-to-left and the left fastener was still attached and it was flopping to the left side of the car...dammit!
Fortunately, it has enough mass that it did not beat the side of the car (or get caught under the front wheel). I slowed down to 55-60 and got off the next exit, and it fell to the ground as I came to a stop.
Gave it a quick examination and it was clear what the failure mode was: all the studs/fasteners had rusted through and failed and separated from the bumper. I can take photos if desired.
I knew it was crunchy and needed replacement; both front and rear tops are my Christmas list. I had no idea that it had degraded underneath to the point where it would depart the car.
I recommend doing a quick pull on yours to verify your fasteners are secure and it's not ready to come off...
GA
Posted by: bretth Oct 1 2018, 01:59 PM
Yikes. Good to know.
Posted by: dr914@autoatlanta.com Oct 1 2018, 02:13 PM
yes these rust internally because the skeleton is mild steel and the rubber material porous . The new seals are made of water proof material and stainless spine so will be good for years and NOT rust, No blowing off of these
As a side note will never forget the time I proudly installed new windshield chrome on my 914 drove down the interstate and it blew off and a truck ran it over. Did not replace the 19 windshield clips
Posted by: mepstein Oct 1 2018, 04:54 PM
My PO secured it with liquid nails 
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 1 2018, 06:34 PM
Representative pic on how it failed...only the far right one (not in this pic) looks like it was still attached, and the trailer turbulence ripped it off.
Attached thumbnail(s)
Posted by: Mikey914 Oct 1 2018, 07:42 PM
This is the downside of "repairing" your bumper. If you keep an eye on it you can get away with it, but it's a risk.
Posted by: ConeDodger Oct 1 2018, 09:01 PM
Mine are NOS so still the mild steel. I got the last set Aase sold I’m told. None the less, I’m hoping to get by on no drives in anything but sunshine, and no wet washes. 
Posted by: mepstein Oct 1 2018, 09:02 PM
Mine are NOS so still the mild steel. I got the last set Aase sold I’m told. None the less, I’m hoping to get by on no drives in anything but sunshine, and no wet washes.
west coast vs east coast. You win.
Posted by: sixnotfour Oct 2 2018, 11:52 AM
Mine are NOS so still the mild steel. I got the last set Aase sold I’m told. None the less, I’m hoping to get by on no drives in anything but sunshine, and no wet washes.
west coast vs east coast. You win.
haha
tha last bumper top I got from Aase has squirter mount holes..
Posted by: 76-914 Oct 2 2018, 12:00 PM
On a scale of 1-10, what was the "Pucker Factor" when that happened? 
Posted by: Cairo94507 Oct 2 2018, 01:48 PM
Wow that had to cause the ol' sphincter to pucker a bit. Glad no damage was done to your car and you safely got the car pulled over. 
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 2 2018, 02:32 PM
On a scale of 1-10, what was the "Pucker Factor" when that happened?
Wife yelped...then looked over at me. Said later she thought I was being pretty cool about the whole thing......while deep inside I'm thinking, "motherhumper if that heavy thing pops off it's gonna hurt someone back there and gadammit now I gotta cut across the nose of that truck to get over to the shoulder shit it's all guardrail around here where in the hell am I going to go crap that damn thing is still hanging on I really hope it's not hurting the paint dammit what if it gets caught in the strut or steering sonofabitch where is that damn exit wow I hope we're not going to miss the event 'cause I heard they have the latest Spaten Oktoberfest on tap...mmmmmmmm beeeeeeeeeer."
It was tasty.
Posted by: KELTY360 Oct 2 2018, 02:37 PM
On a scale of 1-10, what was the "Pucker Factor" when that happened?
Wife yelped...then looked over at me. Said later she thought I was being pretty cool about the whole thing......while deep inside I'm thinking, "motherhumper if that heavy thing pops off it's gonna hurt someone back there and gadammit now I gotta cut across the nose of that truck to get over to the shoulder shit it's all guardrail around here where in the hell am I going to go crap that damn thing is still hanging on I really hope it's not hurting the paint dammit what if it gets caught in the strut or steering sonofabitch where is that damn exit wow I hope we're not going to miss the event 'cause I heard they have the latest Spaten Oktoberfest on tap...mmmmmmmm beeeeeeeeeer."
It was tasty.
So, you changed cars.....and your shorts?
Posted by: 76-914 Oct 2 2018, 02:58 PM
On a scale of 1-10, what was the "Pucker Factor" when that happened?
Wife yelped...then looked over at me. Said later she thought I was being pretty cool about the whole thing......while deep inside I'm thinking, "motherhumper if that heavy thing pops off it's gonna hurt someone back there and gadammit now I gotta cut across the nose of that truck to get over to the shoulder shit it's all guardrail around here where in the hell am I going to go crap that damn thing is still hanging on I really hope it's not hurting the paint dammit what if it gets caught in the strut or steering sonofabitch where is that damn exit wow I hope we're not going to miss the event 'cause I heard they have the latest Spaten Oktoberfest on tap...mmmmmmmm beeeeeeeeeer."
It was tasty.
So, you changed cars.....and your shorts?
I think Greg needs to post a pic of the drivers seat!
Posted by: Mikey914 Oct 2 2018, 05:20 PM
New custom brown interior.
Posted by: don-6 Oct 2 2018, 09:17 PM
This happened to me on the very first 914 event that I attended back in the late 80's.
On the drive to Lake Tahoe, the right half of the bumper top came lose and was flapping in the wind. Duck taped it down and made it the rest of the way. It was ok to drive around town, but had to tape it down for higher speeds.
When I got home, I purchased new replacement tops, and they are still on the car.
Posted by: DRPHIL914 Oct 3 2018, 06:29 AM
I have the cure for you .... convert to BUB's!! I have a set if you want them
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 3 2018, 06:44 AM
New custom brown interior.
I've had worse Code Brown moments, like the time I shot a VOR-A into a 425 MDA with the ATIS calling 400BKN 600OVC RA+widespread across the region, 15 knot quartering tailwind, and only 1/2 hour of fuel left. Then the GPS calls off the RNAV approach at the intercept due to lack of RAIM so I scrambled to cover it with the VOR (yeah, shoulda had that tuned in already; I got cocky). Got down to MDA and caught sight of the REILs and grabbed a whole buncha slip to get down and then the controller calls for a circling approach to the other side (I told him to pound sand and did a straight-in). What's that "old, bold pilots" saying...? 
Let's not even talk about the time I totally effed up the fuel calcs and ended up with a glider about 10 miles out at 5000 AGL (and then I bought a fuel totalizer...there's an ASRS on that somewhere out there).
Bumper top flapping? Meh.
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 3 2018, 06:51 AM
I have the cure for you .... convert to BUB's!! I have a set if you want them
OK, I'll bite: what are BUBs?
Posted by: DRPHIL914 Oct 3 2018, 10:38 AM
I have the cure for you .... convert to BUB's!! I have a set if you want them
OK, I'll bite: what are BUBs?
Big Ugly Bumpers--- late rubber covered heavy steel bumpers for 75 and 76, kind of updating rather than "back dating" -- OR just get the 914rubber set like I did when I got rid of my BUBs and put on the nice new chrome ones.
Posted by: Jonathan Livesay Oct 3 2018, 10:52 AM
I have the cure for you .... convert to BUB's!! I have a set if you want them
OK, I'll bite: what are BUBs?
Everybody knows BUBs, your previous post may as well have been written in Latin as far as my ability to comprehend.
At least it was the bumper top and not the right rear swing arm.
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 3 2018, 06:24 PM
At least it was the bumper top and not the right rear swing arm.
fair enough.No, Mark is going to get some bumper top biz some time this winter, after I cover some home projects. By the time we hit December here in CT I'll be looking to do SOMETHING. 'Cause 914 driving season is only 4 months away...
Posted by: gereed75 Oct 3 2018, 07:32 PM
glider!!! yea i won't talk about that one.
Posted by: GregAmy Oct 4 2018, 06:37 AM
Yeah, it's one of those things where you realize just how stoopit you were.
http://tgadrivel.blogspot.com/1997/08/an-interesting-asrs.html
Posted by: bmtrnavsky Oct 4 2018, 09:25 AM
On the topic of bumper tops. both of mine are shot. the rubber looks good but all the mounting hardware is shot. They seem to be $550 to $600 for front and rear. I remember seeing fiberglass ones somewhere but I can not find a source for them now? anyone know who made these and how much they are? I'm playing with the idea of painting them to match the car.
Posted by: theer Oct 4 2018, 01:31 PM
New custom brown interior.
I've had worse Code Brown moments, like the time I shot a VOR-A into a 425 MDA with the ATIS calling 400BKN 600OVC RA+widespread across the region, 15 knot quartering tailwind, and only 1/2 hour of fuel left. Then the GPS calls off the RNAV approach at the intercept due to lack of RAIM so I scrambled to cover it with the VOR (yeah, shoulda had that tuned in already; I got cocky). Got down to MDA and caught sight of the REILs and grabbed a whole buncha slip to get down and then the controller calls for a circling approach to the other side (I told him to pound sand and did a straight-in). What's that "old, bold pilots" saying...? uhhhhh... whaaa?
Posted by: ClayPerrine Oct 8 2018, 06:10 AM
On a scale of 1-10, what was the "Pucker Factor" when that happened?
Wife yelped...then looked over at me. Said later she thought I was being pretty cool about the whole thing......while deep inside I'm thinking, "motherhumper if that heavy thing pops off it's gonna hurt someone back there and gadammit now I gotta cut across the nose of that truck to get over to the shoulder shit it's all guardrail around here where in the hell am I going to go crap that damn thing is still hanging on I really hope it's not hurting the paint dammit what if it gets caught in the strut or steering sonofabitch where is that damn exit wow I hope we're not going to miss the event 'cause I heard they have the latest Spaten Oktoberfest on tap...mmmmmmmm beeeeeeeeeer."
It was tasty.
Welcome to the bunny zone.
Coined by Brian Johnson of AC/DC, the bunny zone is where things are so intense that your rectum starts to twitch like a bunny's nose.
Posted by: maf914 Oct 8 2018, 06:27 AM
On the topic of bumper tops. both of mine are shot. the rubber looks good but all the mounting hardware is shot. They seem to be $550 to $600 for front and rear. I remember seeing fiberglass ones somewhere but I can not find a source for them now? anyone know who made these and how much they are? I'm playing with the idea of painting them to match the car.
914Rubber offered them in a group buy several years ago, but I haven't seen them on their site since. I think they were originally made by 914 Appearance and Performance, which made fiberglass pieces (i.e. speaker enclosures) for the 914.
Here is a Google search with a few links:
https://www.google.com/search?ei=_kq7W9irJubcjwT3yYjoDQ&q=914+appearance+and+performance+fiberglass+bumper+tops&oq=914+appearance+and+performance+fiberglass+bumper+tops&gs_l=psy-ab.3...33326.43261..44795...0.0..0.151.2704.1j22......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i22i30j33i22i29i30j33i21j33i160.O_UC0Vfkiwk
Posted by: r_towle Oct 8 2018, 06:37 AM
New custom brown interior.
I've had worse Code Brown moments, like the time I shot a VOR-A into a 425 MDA with the ATIS calling 400BKN 600OVC RA+widespread across the region, 15 knot quartering tailwind, and only 1/2 hour of fuel left. Then the GPS calls off the RNAV approach at the intercept due to lack of RAIM so I scrambled to cover it with the VOR (yeah, shoulda had that tuned in already; I got cocky). Got down to MDA and caught sight of the REILs and grabbed a whole buncha slip to get down and then the controller calls for a circling approach to the other side (I told him to pound sand and did a straight-in). What's that "old, bold pilots" saying...? Let's not even talk about the time I totally effed up the fuel calcs and ended up with a glider about 10 miles out at 5000 AGL (and then I bought a fuel totalizer...there's an ASRS on that somewhere out there).
Bumper top flapping? Meh.
Wtf was all that?
Acronyms from where?
Posted by: Krieger Oct 8 2018, 07:40 AM
Aviation, instrument approach for landing at an airport.
Posted by: bmtrnavsky Oct 8 2018, 07:44 AM
On the topic of bumper tops. both of mine are shot. the rubber looks good but all the mounting hardware is shot. They seem to be $550 to $600 for front and rear. I remember seeing fiberglass ones somewhere but I can not find a source for them now? anyone know who made these and how much they are? I'm playing with the idea of painting them to match the car.
914Rubber offered them in a group buy several years ago, but I haven't seen them on their site since. I think they were originally made by 914 Appearance and Performance, which made fiberglass pieces (i.e. speaker enclosures) for the 914.
Here is a Google search with a few links:
https://www.google.com/search?ei=_kq7W9irJubcjwT3yYjoDQ&q=914+appearance+and+performance+fiberglass+bumper+tops&oq=914+appearance+and+performance+fiberglass+bumper+tops&gs_l=psy-ab.3...33326.43261..44795...0.0..0.151.2704.1j22......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i22i30j33i22i29i30j33i21j33i160.O_UC0Vfkiwk
It does not seem to be available anyplace... with the cost of these and the abundance of cars that need them, I wonder if anyone is interested in producing them again?
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