Bumpers

[dinosabella]

I like many have removed my bulky black bumpers and I find that the car was instantly a little more responsive because of the weight savings.
I am nervous however of getting bumped in parking lots or while a soccer mom or dad is paralell parking a Suburban and just doesnt see my car.
-The abarth bumperettes are practical but not realy astheticaly pleasing.
-There is a company in germany who sells the origional style bumpers that can be used on the big bumper cars but these are costly.

Here is an idea.

I could write up a letter to Tom Tjaarda asking him if he would consider designing an alternative bumber for our cars. Something light weight and that would compliment the design of our cars and to be sold at a fair price.
I know it sounds like a long shot and he probobly has a lot more important things to do but its worth a shot.

I know he has designed NEW mags the way he wished he designed the origional mags for the DeTomasso Pantera. These are available through his web side.

Perhaps if enough Fiat Spider enthusiasts showed an interest he would consider a bumper alternative.

[pope]

Although it sounds like a good idea, its not very practical. He might do a design (I really dont think he would) , but thats the easiest part. Its production of a mold and all things associated with it that is cost prohibitive. What if people dont like his design.
Replication of a current design (like the stainless steel bumpers is easier than starting from scratch). Most Fiat owners are on a budget and $1200 for new bumpers is out of the question. And believe me, thats what it would cost for new chrome bumpers.

The spider will be credited from him as coming from the Rondina, but it is really an exact modeling of the Ferrari 275 GTS. Just not as masculine and smaller. Additional rear seats were added with the extra room left from not having a 12 cylinder in front of you.

[Leesfer]

nevertheless, I like the idea of having a new bumper designed... perhaps in your letter you could request multiple concepts where spider owners could vote for their liking.

Of course this is all a major longshot but it's worth it to dream

[dinosabella]

You dont get unless you ask right?

He does still owns Tjaarda Design in Italy and they are in the business of designing so maybe they would consider it if we could prove to them that this be be a lucrative proposal.
I would say we would need the support of Several Fiat Spider groups around the world so we could provide them with concrete numbers of potential clients who may be interested on an international level.

If they did it for the Pantera rims I would think that it would be possible to do it for the 124 Spider.

we should start with our own community, what would be most peoples budget for replacement bumpers that were functional?

[pope]

Yes, and only $3300 for 4 rims!
Give it a shot, though. Its worth a try.

[baltobernie]

I'm new at this Spider thing, but how about an existing aftermarket bumper already being sold for another make and model? Then all you'd need would be brackets; a lot less expensive than a completely new design. Somebody, somewhere has probably already looked into this, but the prices for domestic and popular import parts are a fraction of ours, due to quantity, I'm sure. Some purists may cringe at the idea, but if it keeps some more Spiders on the road, what the heck?

[bradartigue]

I think I'll buy up all the Spider 2000 tube bumpers for when all of you want them back, and charge outrageous prices. I just don't get what is wrong with them, always thought they looked better than most 1970s/80s retro-fits. Hell, I like 'em. I'll admit it.

Beware of the chrome parts sold by Spider Point in Germany; they aren't well made and rust within minutes of exposure to humidity much less rain. I can honestly say I never received a good part from them (via their former US distributor).

[So Cal Mark]

wow, up to this time I'd only heard positive comments about Spider Point

[rlux4]

I finally found someone else who likes the original look of the tube bumpers. Thanks Brad, it was getting mighty lonely out here. I have said before I plan to keep my car as original as possible, and that included the decision to leave the bumpers the way they came. Call me a purist. I like em too.
Ron

[mdrburchette]

I don't mine the newer bumpers. It's just another era in automotive history. If I owned a Fiat later than 1972, I'd probably leave the bumpers on it too.

[bradartigue]

wow, up to this time I'd only heard positive comments about Spider Point

Really? I'm speaking to parts they were selling in the late 1990's, which appear to be the same parts they are selling today. Caribou sold the items in their catalog. I bought a chrome luggage rack (reproduction of the OE), that plastic dashboard, center console, and radio console, door panels, carpet set, and some other oddities. When I say nothing was right I mean it - it was all garbage. The chrome on the luggage rack rusted while installed on my car in the garage. I'm talking about 3-4 days. The dash, etc. were sold about 2 months later to someone who admittedly didn't care, just needed a dash. The door panels were ill fitting and cheap 1-ply vinyl over something a grade over cardboard.

These things come and go, and I'm not knocking everything they sell (because I never used their parts again), but my experience was that 0% of what I received worked correctly.

[Leesfer]

The only beef I have with the newer bumpers is the weight and the distance they are from the body... they add like 10 feet length to the car

[Curly]

It may be just my opinion, but the Spider's body design is quite exquisite and delicate. Most people who comment on the car in the flesh, call it 'pretty' and remark about the way the form flows.
The late model bumpers are the antithesis to this. They look like an ill-conceived, hasty response to a piece of legislation that was addressed by a committee of engineers chaired by a blacksmith. They are crude but effective, not unlike what we Antipodeans call Bull Bars and bolt to the front of trucks and 4-wheel drives to protect the vehicles from stray livestock and kangaroos. Ask a child to draw a bumper bar and this is what you'll get. Appearances aside, the effect of having 25kg hanging off each extremity of the car does nothing for the dynamics, performance or fuel economy. Take them off and feel how much better the car handles, it will be obvious as you turn into the first corner.
If you are into preservation of the marque, concours competitions or a zealot for originality by all means hang on those tubular bumpers and collect as many as you have space for - If you pay the freight costs, I'll even send you mine! But if you want to really admire the design and drive the Spider in the manner I suspect it was intended, do yourself a favour and ditch those tubular monstrosities.

[stefhahn]

...agreed!!!!

And further: there is no such thing than the original design. And the original design of our favorite car did have (drumfill.....................................................................) original bumpers.
The problem with redesign is the re-thing.

Just my 2c.

ciao,
Stefan

P.S.: yes, I need to change the front and the rear and yes, I have the parts, just missing some €€€s....

[ga.spyder]

I recently took off the bumpers on my 82.I drove the car ,looked it over from all angles.After a week I decided that the look wasnt what I wanted and reinstalled them.I am not a 'purist' and think that you should do what you want to your car and enjoy it!I could not tell any difference in the performance of the car though.
Craig