According to UPS, my new bumpers should be here tomorrow. Which means that this evening was a perfect time to remove the old ones, dress up the bumper mounts and have everything ready to install the new ones when they arrive tomorrow. Hoping the quality is satisfactory. I ordered mine from Parts Place Inc. Theirs were the same price as most every place else, but their shipping was about a third of what everybody else wanted. Guess Ill find out tomorrow. So anyhow, I removed the OG bumpers, pulled the bumper mounts and spent the evening sanding, cleaning, priming and painting them. They were in pretty condition, just some surface rust and fading, so they cleaned up nicely. I also cleaned the OG horn. Had time to spare, so I put the Beetle up on car stands and adjusted the front beam. I really needed to raise it a couple of inches for every day driving this spring and summer, so I figured Id go ahead and knock it out tonight. Really like it slammed to the ground, but its just not practical for me to drive it that way. For car shows and get togethers, I may knock it back down a couple of inches.

Started early this morning with the anticipation of my new bumpers being delivered by UPS. Installed the bumper brackets that I spent all evening yesterday cleaning, sanding and painting. I’m very pleased with the way they turned out, they look brand new. I also gave the horn the once over. Cleaned it and hit it with a fresh coat of paint. I also installed my 68 speedo that I refurbished the other day. The 69 speedo that I refurbished last week was working very well, but I really needed to know if I solved the problem with the speedo whine in the 68. So while I waited for my UPS delivery, I swapped speedos and hit the road. Smiles from cheek to cheek! The 68 speedo works perfectly and is quiet as a mouse! And the new gels look awesome. I wouldn’t hesitate taking on this task again, may even do it on the side for people who want to give their speedo a fresh look. Now that I know the 68 speedo is good to go, the 69 speedo will go to the classifieds. UPS arrived around noon with my Brazilian bumpers. Carrying them from the UPS truck I quickly noticed one big different between them and the bumpers I removed from the car. They weigh about 1/3 less. I unpack them, give them once over and for the most part, I’m pleased. Definitely not the same quality of the OG bumpers, but for my application they’ll be fine. My next concern was fitment. Ive read horror stories about these bumpers not fitting well at all. But I actually had these installed in about 25 minutes. They fit perfectly. I used the same bolts that I removed from the OG bumpers, but opted for new washers and nuts. For the price, I couldn’t be happier, but if this car was going to be left outside in the weather, Id be real concerned. Look at the pics and judge for yourself. Over all, a very productive day!

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