Unfortunately spell checker doesn't now the difference between inches and
feet.  The bumper patches were 8-9" wide, not feet.  You knew that.  Maybe
some day I will.

DM&FS
-----Original Message-----
From: Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Monday, November 22, 1999 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: Fixing the glass bumpers(long)

>Been meaning to post this for a while;
>
>Some idiot PO welded a cheap ass trailer hitch on my 90GL's rear tow hooks
>and virtually prevented me access to the motor(welded on rear engine
support
>bar also).  Grinding all that off and trying to make the tow hooks look
>stock again, I noticed cracks in both of the bumper bolt holes on the
>bottom.  Having a little expertise in epoxy/kevlar/composites but more
>experience than knowledge, I set out to reinforce these holes.
>
>Grinding down the area of the damage, I saw little evidence of any fiber
>content in the bumper, just a couple strands near the cracked parts.
>Proceeded to laminate 3 correspondingly longer and wider layers of kevlar
>seam tape over the holes folding it over the lower bumper edge and then add
>3-4 layers of military S-glass(much denser and stronger than the E-glass
you
>buy in a poly pouch at FLAPS.   put handi wrap over the wet laminate and
>worked the air bubbles out(technique called contact- bagging) and then took
>some stiff abs plastic sheets(1/4" I think)  on top of both sides of the
>handi wrap and and clamped the crap out of it.  The epoxy set in 5-6 hours
>and the handi wrap more or less prevented the epoxy from bonding to
>un-sanded abs plastic.  If you want to mask off the undamaged area, you
can,
>but my experience with this bumper was that areas not sanded chipped off
>pretty easily and bedsides, you're going to grind it down anyway.
>Re-drilled the holes after sanding down the lumps on the edge formed by the
>end of the plastic pieces where the excess resin oozed.
>
>If I had to do it over again, I would've not wrapped the kevlar around the
>bottom edge of the bumper as kevlar doesn't sand, it abrades and is
>difficult to finish smoothly.  Total repair area was about  8-9' wide and
>pretty much the depth of the bumper.  Drilling through the kevlar made me
>aware of how  strong this fix was.
>
>If you're fixing bumper damage, the kevlar is probably not necessary, but
>I'd use the  best fiberglass and resin you can afford.  I can see using
>kevlar on the inside ofthe repair for strength if the break is all the way
>through, but add more glass than you think you'll need as it's easier to
>grind down the excess than to have to go back and re sand and add more
>later.  I'm not a body shop guru on anything, and my experience comes from
>laminating these materials in boat repairs, especially canoes and kayaks.
>
>Recommended materials:  Gougeon Bros. West systems epoxy   #105 resin and
>205 or 206 hardener(difference in cure time).  A quart of it and the
>measuring pumps will set you back about $40.  Glass is available from John
R
>Sweet in Mustoe VA  540-468-2222.  He sells the resin as well although a
>local marine supply house in larger communities may stock it.   You're on
>your own for painting and finishing.  I simply mixed in graphite powder in
>the resin to get a dark gray color.  You can add white and black resin
>colorant as well to get it close if cosmetics are not critical.
>
>At $450 for a new bumper, I can buy a lot of material and grinding discs.
I
>use a metal headed Makita 4" grinder with guard removed(risky) to get into
>those tight places.
>
>Sorry this ran so long, but verbose is my middle name.  P-mail me if you
>have further questions.
>
>Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel
>-----Original Message-----
>From: dave <dave@251.ORG>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Date: Monday, November 22, 1999 8:11 AM
>Subject: Paint code for gray fiberglass bumpers
>
>
>>Does anyone know the paint code for 87+ gray fiberglass bumpers?  This
>>is on an 87 Wolfsburg, the bumpers look like they are close in color to
>>the body, Vesuve Gray Met., but may be a little darker.
>>
>>One more, I am going to be fixing some cracks in the bumper before I
>>paint it (front bumper), has anyone repaired the fiberglass bumpers
>>before?  If so what did you use?  I was thinking a standard fiberglass
>>repair kit and a lot of sanding.  Thanks.
>>
>>dave
>>dave@251.org