I would probably cut those out,
then weld them back in later.

On anything that has crash engineering in mind when it was designed.....
crumble zones etc..........( not that a vanagon has a front crumble zone
especially )
I tend to keep it just like it is, for safety and liability reasons.

I agree, that given that huge beam going across the front...........which is
obviously there to minimize 'smashing in' of the front .........
those little vertical bars don't look like they factor in much at all.

still..........if you're working on someone's van or car professionally and
you modify something that's crash and safety related...
and something ever were to happen and a lawyer for the damaged party gets
involved.............you get my drift.

Highly unlikely that would happen .......but it sure would be awful if it
did.
So I tend to be very, very careful about changing anything that's a safety
or crash engineering feature. ..........
and you really can't be sure how all those parts interact together.

I remember noticing something on an Audi hood or inner front fenders
once.............I'm thinking, why is that part shaped like it is ? .....or
why does it have those odd shaped cut outs in it ? .............it had to be
engineered-in crushabilty ........controlled deformation of the front
structure........
Us normal wrenches can't always tell what black magic has gone into crash
and crumple engineering.
I suggest just cut 'em out carefully, weld 'em back properly.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Mullendore" <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:32 PM
Subject: Vanagon front sheet metal--tie bars structural?

> I'm working on a project that would be 'better' if I had more space to
> work with behind the lower grill: my question refers to the vertical
> bars that are welded between the bumper structure and the horizontal
> reinforced panel mid-radiator height. If one were to cut these out,
> would there be any concerns with strength of the nose in, say, a crash?
> Has anyone here crashed a van hard enough in the nose to see what
> benefit these bars supply? Thanks for you input. Please 'CC' me as I
> don't get list mail currently.
>
> Karl