Catch up time for other listmembers:

The approach angle of Syncros, or other vanagons for that matter,
is a limiting factor off-road. If you need to get up a steep hill or
curb or rock, the bumper can make contact before your wheels start
to lift the entire vehicle. The late models with the fiberglass
bumper shells are the worst offenders because the molded in license 
plate frame drops down below the rest of the bumper, and catches first.
(This presumes one has already taken off the airdam, either with tools
-three minute job- or with a curb, a three-tenths of a second job.)

Derek and I have both crunched our airdamless front bumpers up pretty
nicely off-road. I'm sure there are others of you out there. Derek's 
subsequently took a sawzall to the offending license plate frame,
which is a good, functional modification.

After Derek's plea for a front bumper, I wrote him directly, suggesting
a little custom fiberglass work,  since I'd like a little more finished
appearance than the sawzall modification.

My proposal is to get:

>a fiberglass shop to cut out the license plate
>area, and reshape that area into the contours of the
>rest of the bumper.

Do it once, or do it twice, or have them make up a mold to make more
units if there is demand. 

Anybody else interested? Anybody know a fiberglass wizard? (I'm highly
allergic to this stuff, BTW.) 
 
Derek also proposes -if I get this right- a massive silicon shock
absorber between the bumper part of the body and the fiberglass bumper
shell. This should provide great impact protection!

Comments, please!

Tom F.