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Bumperless

BritishBrick

BritishBrick

Active member
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Location
LA
I park on the driveway at home, valet when we go out or park in a lot, drive pretty safe on the streets and keep my distance from the car in front, so the only time i'd actually need a bumper is if some tool texting on his cell phone went into the back of me (and i'd happily take a fat insurance check from him for a new re-spray and bodywork..)

So, imo 122's and 140's all look amazing without bumpers and i was wondering if anyone had done the same/seen the same done with a 240? I've had my bumpers off and i know how ugly it looks from the front and back of the car without, but the side profile looks amazing.

Please give me a few ideas as to how to go bumperless as i'd really like to do something special. For discussions sake, lets say i have $500-1000 to spend.

Thanks in advance TB! :cheers:
 
BritishBrick said:
I park on the driveway at home, valet when we go out or park in a lot, drive pretty safe on the streets and keep my distance from the car in front, so the only time i'd actually need a bumper is if some tool texting on his cell phone went into the back of me (and i'd happily take a fat insurance check from him for a new re-spray and bodywork..)

So, imo 122's and 140's all look amazing without bumpers and i was wondering if anyone had done the same/seen the same done with a 240? I've had my bumpers off and i know how ugly it looks from the front and back of the car without, but the side profile looks amazing.

Please give me a few ideas as to how to go bumperless as i'd really like to do something special. For discussions sake, lets say i have $500-1000 to spend.

Thanks in advance TB! :cheers:
Click to expand...

If your in the states, then you'll need your bumpers to pass state safety inspections. It is pretty unsafe to not have a bumper. The bumper attaches to frame in front of the crumple zones and distributes the force of impact to the frame and the frame crumples absorbing much of the impact.

Not only that, but without a bumper, body damage will be much more severe in even a minor accident. If you are trying to get a unique look id try making some custom lower profile bumpers of modifying the existing bumpers.
 
I agree, whether or not it would look good is not really important. You need to keep you bumpers.
 
remember when phones used to be made out of plastic to protect them? my iphone is bumperless and it makes me pretty careful/i've not dropped it once. I've never hit anyone and don't drive wildly enough to do so in the future and if someone hits me from behind, there is a whole lot of car to crumple and protect me. Joking aside - I'd probably build in some form of shock absorbance behind the bumperless facia in the same way that it has been done on my 2004 t-bird, what i'm trying to do is take away the bumpers as a focal point at the front and back of the car..
 
BritishBrick said:
I park on the driveway at home, valet when we go out or park in a lot, drive pretty safe on the streets and keep my distance from the car in front, so the only time i'd actually need a bumper is if some tool texting on his cell phone went into the back of me (and i'd happily take a fat insurance check from him for a new re-spray and bodywork..) This is the part where i describe that i understand the risks and possibilites of damage due to going bumperless

So, imo 122's and 140's all look amazing without bumpers and i was wondering if anyone had done the same/seen the same done with a 240? I've had my bumpers off and i know how ugly it looks from the front and back of the car without, but the side profile looks amazing.This is my reasoning and the start of my thought process

Please give me a few ideas as to how to go bumperless as i'd really like to do something special. For discussions sake, lets say i have $500-1000 to spend.This is my actual question based on the fact that i understand the risks of going bumperless

Thanks in advance TB! :cheers:
Click to expand...

And what i get in response isn't anything to do with the above.. Most as saying don't do it/the law/money/paint/welding problems i've seen no "ideas how to go bumperless" i was half expecting a "why don't you take the bumpers off" response, but didn't even get that..

so to quote the crazy man "You either follow Charlie Sheen or you are with the trolls..."
 
i'm not getting all angry, just think it's funny - am in the process of duct taping and cutting cardboard to see the sort of metalwork which would be involved at the back and how it would look - will get back to you!
 
BritishBrick said:
And what i get in response isn't anything to do with the above.. Most as saying don't do it/the law/money/paint/welding problems i've seen no "ideas how to go bumperless" i was half expecting a "why don't you take the bumpers off" response, but didn't even get that..

so to quote the crazy man "You either follow Charlie Sheen or you are with the trolls..."
Click to expand...

I dont drive aggressively or inattentively and I have still been in a very serious front end accident. Just because you prefaced that "know the risks" doesnt mean that really do. Their are better alternatives to completely removing the bumpers. Be creative.

Disagreeing with you doesn't make us trolls.
 
You never know what situation you will be in while driving with the general public. Other drivers are the unknown part of the equation. Anyway, we have established you wont be at fault for any accident. :-P
The 2004 thunderbird and any other car with a plastic facia or bumper cover has a rigid structure usually made of steel or thick aluminum that is attached to the main structure of the car, so there is a bit more to it than just a plastic decorative part. The car was dsigned to withstand an impact and have a pretty part that hides the real structural parts, and the 240 was not. The 240 was designed with a steel bumper attached to the end of the frame. There is no space at the end of the frame to mount some kind of energy absorbing structure and then hide it and make it look good, or at least not funny looking.
Then again, just my opinion of the situation, and Im not trying to troll, just wanted to share.
 
It will look like this when you're done.
JY22.jpg

Another car in the junkyard.
 
BritishBrick said:
And what i get in response isn't anything to do with the above.. Most as saying don't do it/the law/money/paint/welding problems i've seen no "ideas how to go bumperless" i was half expecting a "why don't you take the bumpers off" response, but didn't even get that..
so to quote the crazy man "You either follow Charlie Sheen or you are with the trolls..."
Click to expand...

I have no doubt you are a safe and sane driver...the rest of the motoring publik may or
may not be so...
*before* you MODIFY the *SAFETY SYSTEM* (comprised of bumpers / mounts / crush
zones / shock force reduction-redirection elements) it would behoove you to pull out
your INSURANCE POLICY and read it CAREFULLY (regarding MODIFICATIONS)...
you*may* be able to sneak by a "State inspection" but I can GUARANTEE YOU that
an INSURANCE ADJUSTER will find a way to deny any claim you have (think about
the MEDICAL BILLS) for damage to the vehicle and PASSENGERS....:nod:

"back in the day" when I did boatloads of "hi-po" VW engines I had a 1968 "bus" that I put
a "square tube rear bumper on" (the *stock piece* was fabricated in Wolfsburg using old
Wrigleys gum wrappers)...when I put in a claim for a "parking lot incident" - the insurance
companies "adjuster" denied the claim because I had fitted "non-stock bumpers"...sooo
(I being the wise-ass that I am) went out and bought NEW FACTORY bumpers and
laid the "hugely MORE SOLID" square tube stuff INSIDE THE STOCK BITS.....
when I got "hit from behind" by an INATTENTIVE driver they paid the claim because the
"BUMPERS WERE STOCK"....sheeesh...:wtf:

using "aerofoam" as a tool..you can make a MOLD of the bumper and then play from there...;-)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/

I *PROMISE* I won't tell!
 
TrickMick said:
I have no doubt you are a safe and sane driver...the rest of the motoring publik may or
may not be so...
*before* you MODIFY the *SAFETY SYSTEM* (comprised of bumpers / mounts / crush
zones / shock force reduction-redirection elements) it would behoove you to pull out
your INSURANCE POLICY and read it CAREFULLY (regarding MODIFICATIONS)...
you*may* be able to sneak by a "State inspection" but I can GUARANTEE YOU that
an INSURANCE ADJUSTER will find a way to deny any claim you have (think about
the MEDICAL BILLS) for damage to the vehicle and PASSENGERS....:nod:

"back in the day" when I did boatloads of "hi-po" VW engines I had a 1968 "bus" that I put
a "square tube rear bumper on" (the *stock piece* was fabricated in Wolfsburg using old
Wrigleys gum wrappers)...when I put in a claim for a "parking lot incident" - the insurance
companies "adjuster" denied the claim because I had fitted "non-stock bumpers"...sooo
(I being the wise-ass that I am) went out and bought NEW FACTORY bumpers and
laid the "hugely MORE SOLID" square tube stuff INSIDE THE STOCK BITS.....
when I got "hit from behind" by an INATTENTIVE driver they paid the claim because the
"BUMPERS WERE STOCK"....sheeesh...:wtf:

using "aerofoam" as a tool..you can make a MOLD of the bumper and then play from there...;-)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/

I *PROMISE* I won't tell!
Click to expand...

:rofl:
 
I roll without the front bumper. It is dangerous. However, the danger goes up if you drive on the freeway or generally try to hot rod around. I only park in individual spaces-not parallel ones. I am cautious about driving and only do it around town. I took off my bumper because yes, it does look good but, also because the underside had a massive gash in the metal and made the thing basically useless and ugly (sagged). The 74 extended bumpers actually look great on the 140, try to find one. I have had police staring at me so many times but they never do anything. I have gotten pulled over before and they never mentioned it. Most people wouldn't agree with me going front bumperless so you should probably follow their advice.
 
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