How about a leaf spring?
-------------------------
I think Henry Ford has beat you out on that one....... it was his first
bumper. On the A model and T.
------------------------
some sort of a valved hydraulic system
------------------------
Deen done .......... Styrofoam bumper covered to urethane skin, many cars
have it.

I'd rather see everyone that gets speeding tickets, stop sign tickets and
other moving violations be required to take driving schools and continue
to accept the financial beating they get from their insurance companies.
Possibly dual language STOP signs for those that jus heve to take a
guess.

Stan Wilder

On Fri, 24 May 2002 21:30:40 -0700 Paul Mayfield
<paulmayfield@EARTHLINK.NET> writes:
> Remember the Safety Bummper from the '70s?- a huge ugly black bumper
> that
> was filled with water. Since water is about 8lbs/gallon, I would not
> want
> to have that weight hanging out there. How about a leaf spring?
>
> Paul
> '87 WhiteWestie
>
> > Date:    Fri, 24 May 2002 14:13:37 -0700
> > From:    Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
> > Subject: Re: Hung in the middle - Bumper drawings
> >
> > Way back in the mid-70s, there was much outrage at auto
> manufacturers
> > charging a few hundred bucks extra for crashworthy bumpers.
> >
> > One of the engineering schools (Cal-Tech, perhaps, but probably
> not) made
> > the design of a better bumper cheaper a semester project.  I don't
> recall
> > the exact parameters of the project, but do remember that the
> winning design
> > used a redwood 2x6 mounted to the original bumper brackets, two
> rows of full
> > beer (or soda pop) cans glued to the lumber, and another 2x6 glued
> to the
> > outsides of the beer cans.  In a collision, the cans exploded, but
> in doing
> > so, absorbed a bunch of energy.
> >
> > I'd like to propose that someone take this design and incorporate
> it into
> > the fancy and expensive Projekt Zwo-style bumpers.  No, not a
> bunch of beer
> > cans, but possibly some sort of a valved hydraulic system, like
> horizontal
> > shock absorbers between two sections of bumper.
> >
> > This does nothing to protect you from the vagaries of our legal
> system, but
> > it might tend to protect our beloved Vanagons a bit more than
> simply
> > attaching cow catchers to them.
> >
> > Karl Wolz
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Phil S." <napszeerf@YAHOO.COM>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 10:47 AM
> > Subject: Re: Hung in the middle - Bumper drawings
> >
> >
> >> Mannnn, a month ago I studied the drawings and
> >> discussed this bumper in wreck scenario with some
> >> welders of The List,and welders that I work with.
> >>
> >> IMO I have concluded that this bumper is great for
> >> protecting the front from tree branches, grocery
> >> carts, wheelchairs and bicycles. It is NOT as stout as
> >> it looks. The way it bolts to the front end and frame
> >> members is too MickeyMouse for a REAL head on 40MPH
> >> collision with another car-IF THIS IS WHAT ITS PURPOSE
> >> IS:)
> >>
> >> For this bumper to give any significant collision
> >> protection, it needs to be welded to the frame members
> >>
> >> and the top and bottom tubes should be re-enforced
> >> some how some way......but i am no welder and please
> >> correct me if im wrong!
> >>
> >> Phil
> >>
>
>

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