</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by PeterS:
<strong> </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by David in LA:
<strong>Peter S/Mark

If I recall correctly with Gert's bar he includes two rubber washers/spacers for the gaps on the ends. I would have to crawl under my car to confirm.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">David,

Our favorite Canuck also included some, but they were not thick enough IMO. I will admit that I am maybe pickier than most about proper fit. I though about getting a thicker rubber washer but decided I liked the idea of having a very solid mount. I was a bit concerned about not having enough give, but if the bar (either one) moves too much it will tend to strip out the screw at that end, and the center is a solid mount anyway.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">David-thanks for your info.

PeterS-the way my bar is fitting, if the bar is used as it was intended ie. to be struck by the ground, I'm concerned that the force of a hit would cause the uneven tension of the side screws to strip out.

The bar is going back. This has been fun.

 

Hi Guys,

Just an observation but wouldn't this Dixon guy be better suited to warmed up Hondas as this is obviously where he got the inspiration for his car? At least it explains why he would want to chrome a bumper bar...

<img border="0" alt="[hiha]" title="" src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" />

 

So what's up with that car anyway? There are some beautiful parts to it, but carbon fiber airdam lip, bling bling neon everywhere...I think Ferdinand is spinning in his grave as we speak.

And if that house is his and he has spent the money on the car, why the hell is he scamming everyone anyway?? What a goof.

Did anyone else notice on his site? "Performance...0-100 3.5 seconds" Unless he's talking km, no freakin' way.

 

Looks like his mechanic found two more of them sitting in the garage

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2407561558&category=6766" target="_blank">front protection bar on eBay</a>

 

Surprise, surprise. A seller with no feedback and a vague geographic location ("My Garage, United States").

I sent him a "friendly" e-mail, just to say "hi".

 

I am a little confused. I thought that Gert's bar needed rubber washers as well. If Dixon's bar is a clone of Gert's, then Gert's bar must have the same "problem" with needing to fill in the end gap with a rubber washer?

Its seems that a better design would be to add some metal spacers at each end welded to the bar. Hmmm, then the metal spacers would be directly against the plastic of the bumper so that may not be what is desirable.

Anyone on the list really banged up these bars (not on purpose of course!) and checked for other damage, i.e. with the hole in the floor of the front tub, or the screws pulling out?

Cheers,

Mike

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Mike J:
<strong>I am a little confused. I thought that Gert's bar needed rubber washers as well. If Dixon's bar is a clone of Gert's, then Gert's bar must have the same "problem" with needing to fill in the end gap with a rubber washer?

Its seems that a better design would be to add some metal spacers at each end welded to the bar. Hmmm, then the metal spacers would be directly against the plastic of the bumper so that may not be what is desirable.

Anyone on the list really banged up these bars (not on purpose of course!) and checked for other damage, i.e. with the hole in the floor of the front tub, or the screws pulling out?

Cheers,

Mike</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Gert's FPB comes with rubber washers/spacers for the gaps on the ends. Since these holes use sheet metal type screws rather than a bolt and nut as the center one does, perhaps it's better that there is some play on the ends from the rubber washer.

Have banged mine a bit and no problems yet.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Mike J:
<strong>Anyone on the list really banged up these bars (not on purpose of course!) and checked for other damage, i.e. with the hole in the floor of the front tub, or the screws pulling out? </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Mike
I've scraped the bar w/no other apparent damage, but have not (yet) had a hard hit. From the design, I'd guess a bang would spread the force upward & primarily along the length of the bar. I'd be surprised if the end screws/threads or tub would be damaged. However, I'm not going to experiment - even to answer a Rennlist question <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Mike J:
<strong>Anyone on the list really banged up these bars (not on purpose of course!) and checked for other damage, i.e. with the hole in the floor of the front tub, or the screws pulling out?
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Happened to me. I have since taken it off. It did protect me from minor scraps but apparently I hit something just right (or just wrong) and it did damage the floor of the car, not a big deal but it is something I have to deal with now.

 

Might be nice if there were a wedge shaped front protection bar that would protect against scrapes, but if you hit something really hard the bar would just ride up over it.

Its easy to see where with the existing design you could hit a parking lot stop that was just high enough to hit the FPB squarely and damage the tub.

Chip

 

Maybe another design "addition" would be to put a plate on the inside of tub so the force is distributed better through the sheet metal, i.e. the impact is distributed through in a much larger area around the hole. I doubt if there is much else that can be helped with the screwed down ends...if you use bolts you are just attaching to sheet metal anyways.

I do like the wedge idea...I will ask my wife about it since she is head of sales at a large fabrication/machine shop. I figure if she can make nuclear pumps she can tell me if she can fab up a nose bar!

 

If you hit something hard enough to damage the tub, then it follows that you're going to damage the tub, with or without the fpb. Although not having the fpb would gain you about 3/4" of extra clearance in some cases that might mean the difference between a total miss of the offending object or light damage.

 

Mark,
The problem is that the FPB can "hook" onto something and start tearing the bar off the car and that is what will damage the underside of the car as it tries to rip the FPB off the car.

 

Greg,

Yeah, I can see that scenario happening. And, of course, with the length of the fpb, it's fairly limited in terms of where it will protect. Object too high and forward? Damage ahead of the bar. Object off to the side? Damage to the area on the side.

Maybe if I hot-glue 1,000 Eberhard-Faber pink rubber erasers under the bumper...naah, too bling-bling.

 

I always wondered if the bar should be wider...it would not protect my RS splitters very well. It would work with a normal nose, but the splitters push the impact area out front and to the sides.