Overrider Bumpers

I get to keep my Intermeccanica..and now want to make some changes..I want to install overriders and bars to my bumpers for added protection..and I think they look cool..does anyone know where to find them (either repro or orig)..and will stock 356 gauges fit my dash ? the car is a 1977, and lastly he wants $500 buck for the set..does that sound fair ?..one more thing..where does one find the VDO gauges that look old ?thanks in advance for any info ..Tom

Tom,
The gauges you can get from any of the Speedster makers (Beck, JPS, Vintage, etc) or oyu can buy originals on ebay. Depending on what quality and condition you want will depend on which direction you go, the repro ones are from china and kinda crappy but look nice, and the originals, well they're original.
The over-rider bumper thing has been brought up before. As with anything, if you have the money you can get them. I looked into it and I think I recall Intermeccanica has them for a $$$$. Or you could try to find origianls and retro fit them but again $$$$.
Do a search on these topics and you'll probably find a few more details.

Bumper overides offer a bit more potection . . . ? Hmmm . . . Oh yeah! They are for when you run into the cardboard boxes in the front of your garage space! And besides that, they do look nice.

And they can get ripped off of the front bumper when unloading a speedster off a trailer ..the "Doer" of said deed shall remain anonymous.

Yea, they aren't true structural bumpers like modern cars. And forget about finding originals. That simply is almost impossible. If you got a couple of thousand dollars for bumperettes and tubes and another 500 or so for labor you can get them from someone like IM.

These are NOT simple bolt on items. Even the originals were custom bent and tweeked to make them fit the bumpers, so no two pair are alike, and not two bumpers to attach to are enough alike to make them simple bolt on items.

I installed a JPS set on a Street Beasts w/ fiberglass bumpers, was a straight forward 1.5 hr application, no trimming with a good appearance and fit.

Alan,
What did you pay (if you don't mind me asking) for the ones from JPS? I too have an interest in these but have been put off by the challenges and costs that go with them. I'm strictly looking at the asthetic and not for any safety or protection aspects.

Oh and Tom, as far as the gauges fitting - I too have an old IM and it came with 914 gauges. I had to make a spacer ring for my Tach because it was bigger than the repro I bought. Some guys have reglassed their dashes, either way, you'll more than likely have to some modifications. If I were to do it over again I would have sent them out to be refaced in the vintage look. I didn't know this was an option until it was too late. I think the company is Hollywood Speedometer or something like that? Again, if you do a search you can probably find it in a previous thread.

No, I disagree. I've seen 2 cars back in to my speedster and each
time the top of my bumper guards met up with the lower edge of
the offending car's bumper. This let them know it was time to stop
and start going foward (parking by feel). If I didn't have the
guards on, I would be looking spider cracks all over the front of
my car. I have the low guards without over-riders.

Mickey,
The Bumper Guards from JPS are $169.00 for a set of 4. They are cosmetically very nice,but have little structural value. Al Merklin,
you are such a zany guy!

Maybe I got it wrong, but I thought Tom was talking about the over rider tubes that arc across the bumper in conjunction with the bumperettes? I have the bumperettes already,(although the ones used for over rider tubes are different)Anyway, I was looking for input on the tubes like the ones on Dales car. Thanks Alan.

Maybe the over rider bumperettes (verticals) from a VW could be trimmed with a cut off tool to fit the countour of the speedster bumper. The tubes could be shortened or even custom made. Here is a picture of a '70 Ghia with over rider.

Thanks for all the advice..does anyone know if the taller bumperettes (that accomodate the overrider tubes)are stamped steel or cast aluminum ? and has anyone installed real 356 gauges in an old Intermeccanica ? thanks again...

JPS sounds like the way to go.

I have one question?

My bumper guards are aluminum, not chromed. Do they offer plain aluminum overiders. I don't mind having to polish them from time to time.

My point is , If you did bump them you can sand and polish it out. and you get a chance to save them.

What Does Henry offer at IM?

Why not by the chrome bumperettes and chrome tubes and be done with it, other then the cost, it is the best way to go.

And what may be a simple 1.5 hour install for a guy like Alan, could be impossible for some people....LOL

Better still!

Why not buy some aluminum conduet pipe and just custom bend your own ?

I don't forsee any problem except getting them all to match. then grind the ends to match the bumper contour. run them thought the buffer, $30 bucks and your done.

I bet the grommet kits would cost more than the overiders

Tom,

The short and tall guards that accommodate the overrider bars are available in chrome plated steel, or in polished aluminum. The difference in price is about $100ea, the aluminum being the cheaper cheaper ones.

Barry- I have never seen an aluminum bar offered, only chrome plated steel. But like you said, it wouldn't be hard to fab. an aluminum one.

Steven,

I would have to add .5 hr. for the first atttempt :)

Hey Alan, did you actually get the "tube" part of the over-rider tubes fro JPS, or just the bumperettes?

There is a fairly easily bendable stainless steel tubing (7/8" x6' - comes in aluminum too) that is used for the railing on boats that could be used too. (Called TACO Rail tube). Would think an electrical conduit bender would be able to make the smooth bends or the tubing bender (cheap) from Harbor Freight Tool. A brass threaded portion could be inserted and leaded in at each end.

Careful with what year OEM 356 gauges you get as the Tach on early models was cable driven ('63 back at least) i.e. not electric driven

A cable driven tach in a 356? Can that be right? The cable would have to be more than ten feet long and be very careful of the bend radius. Is that for real?

I had a cable drive tach on my '62 Corvette and cable broke. It was only about 18 inches long.

David:

Yes, that's absolutely correct. Early 356's had a cable drive tach, that was driven off of the oil pump cover with a special drive gear, and, yes, the cable was reeeeaaaallllly long. Routing was important to keep the bends wide and not kink it so the needle wouldn't bounce. Not sure about the year they stopped using them, though.....'63 seems a little late, but I'm not sure (might be 60 and after)

BTW: There is no difference betwen a 356 oil pump cover and a VW T-1 oil pump cover, so it would fit on a T1 engine (if you could find one - they're rarer than Hen's teeth). I had one on a VW dune buggy for years....

I mis spoke /typed.. ONE PROBLEM I dou't if I could bend the rear inner short curve peaces thats about a 5 inch radius that would be prone to kinck,The outter curves would be easy.

Any suggestion?

How would a straight bar look on the center rear, matching the front center overrider? it would have to have some curve to clear the licence light. And then it might swag.

The more I look at these old real photos Many of them are aluminum guard and overriders, even aluminum engine grills, and only painted rims. HUM

Not all early cars were dressed out as nice as ours.

Im also not so sure if i want to add the overider, Its kinda like the aligator seat covers . Just a little to much guilding

Tom if you have 914 gauges in your IM you can exchange a Porsche 912 tach that has the green face, chrome bezel and is 12 volt. Very similar to 356 tach. You can find very clean ones out there like Pelican Parts classified. '64,'65 356 tachs(with NO cable), speedo and combo gauges are 12 volt also if you need that size. I replace all my 914 gauges this way in my CMC and it looks very original.

The single bar in back has been done once that I know of, they were the original back overrider tube.

I will put up a picture sometime this morning.

STEVE ? What year Cabriolet is that the rear wheels wells are kinda odd? Im gona guess and say T-6?

Bumperetts only......

Yelp alunimun bumperettes only. All ready installed

Barry, it is a late 56 early 57.

They do look a little different because the body is sitting up more as compared to the normal VW suspension. But the wheel well is actually the same as most other replicas.

Here is a good picture of the back single bar overrider tube. One consideration, is that the license plate light is almost going to have to be a shine down light to make it look right.

These are chrome with chrome bumperettes. The chrome bumperettes are NOT cheap, but well worth it to me as I don't like polishing aluminum.

Steven -

Sharp looking car - I bet your neighbors get jealous everytime you park that bad boy in the driveway!

Thanks for the rear picture. My answer T2.

The full weight bar looks pretty nice to me! . But there is on surviving problem I didn't forsee .

MY FOG LAMPS

Will they clear or be obstructed by the bar? It's gonna be close

Barry,
I don't know if it matters to you but there are two styles of front overider bars. One is the "low" bars used on 1958 and earlier cars. The 1959 Convertable D (most of them) had a higher bar. You can see the difference on the 356 Registry site, member's cars.

The bar's height is determined by the height of the notch on the upright overider, on the '58 and earlier style the notch is lower and on the '59 style the notch is higher. The tube lenghth is also different of course.

I'd guess that the height difference is around 3/4 inch. The driving lights would most likely be slightly obscured at the top with the taller ('59) style and more obscured with the lower style ('58). That is why I mounted my lights off the bar.

I can measure the distance between the bumper and the bottom of the bar on my overider tubes ('58 style) if you would like.

dale

Thanks Jim, I do enjoy it, but the neighbors are mostly late 60's early 70's muscle car guys, so they don't understand why I would like this car at all.

Of course they don't understand why a person would bother putting in flowers every year that are only going to die in the fall.

I did some checking this afternoon. I have the short bumper guards, No room at all. So stick a fork in me Im done . Im gonna leave well enough alone. After all the target year I wanted to represent is 57.

When you refered to the years the short guards are used on, that did it. I do like your Marshcels they look good there .

But thank you what you have done Dale. . Ps . Steve! Sounds like I have the same neighbers.

They don' see how much fun it realy is. But the flower thing Get some prenials You want to be riding,, not digging.