"Bumpers" these days

I doubt it. The market drove this change. I remember 80's vehicles had black plastic bumper guards all around. Minor scrapes were easily absorbed. By the mid 90's most guards were body colored. By mid 2000's, the bumper guards were gone. My 2003 and 2006 Civic had none. I hated the bumper guards so you can consider me one of the consumers that drove this change.

 

I like how the owner replaced duct tape with pop rivets - a definite improvement.

 

I don't think it's changing back.

But in comparison to now classic vehicles, 60' 70's....vehicles today don't so much really have "bumpers" regardless if that is what we continue to call them, so much as they have impact absorption zones.

Todays lightweight bumpers are designed to protect and absorb...almost a singular impact..and then YES, unfortunately be repaired or replaced at great expense.

Gone are the days of "real" bumpers that could actually absorb a significant impact and NOT show any visible damage.

The safety aspects of modern vehicles have improved greatly. Vehicles today can protect occupants much better than vehicles of decades ago. But unfortunately, in the case of "Bumpers" it's almost a one use, and then repair or replace.

 

He had a pure EV though, not a hybrid:

 

In the 1970s, we had a federal regulation that bumpers must withstand 5 mph impacts (typical parking lot stuff) with no damage.

In the 1980s, Reagan was elected, and abolished a lot of regulations.

 

True.

But in general I think the change was inevitable anyway.

Vehicles are more efficient, and lighter than the metal of the 70's, while simultaneously offering occupants a much greater degree of safety if the vehicle is impacted. Sure the priority of "crash zones" is no longer to withstand 5 mph impacts with no damage, so gone are the days of those type of survivable "Dinosaur" bumpers.

It has happened to me "Twice"...with both my last two vehicles. And it's frustrating when the slowest and slightest amount of impact to the front or rear bumpers results in upwards of $1000 body work.

But as much as I don't like it...not so sure we wouldn't of ended up here with these types of bumpers regardless of any mandated regulations.

From a protection standpoint bumpers today are great. But they are basically single event products.

 

My dad commented on how older cars were more sturdy and made of stronger metal. Today's cars all plastic. He used to get into minor accidents and shrugged them off. Now, it's a $3000 repair. I said, back then, cars were made to withstand accidents. Today's cars are made to crumple and absorb energy from impact. Which would you rather have? A $3000 repair or death?

 

You have a problem with that?

Bob Wilson

 

Cars nowadays remind me of those toy RC helicopters which have a thin plastic eggshell for a body, with just the bare chassis inside. Watch a few Russian dash-cam videos to see what I mean, when they come apart all over the road.

 

Coming apart all over the road means crash energy not being applied to the occupants of the car. Formula 1 cars zip around at speeds approaching 200mph. When they crash, they grenade in a violent dissassembly. The driver walks away though.

 

In the same videos, you can see Ladas (small Russian tanks) bouncing around as well, however they seem to absorb the crashes much better than their imported counterparts.

 

Never mind the car, how well do the occupants fare?

 

They seem well enough most times to say "Blyatt!" afterwards.

 

We have much more stringent safety regulations in cars than when Reagan was elected. Bumper standards did get reduced, but this is not what people complain about.
Bumper Questions and Answers

This means that the bumper standard only existed between 1980-1982.

The cost of repairing a bumper has gotten much higher as bumpers have gotten much more expensive than they were in 1982. Even if we had the same 5mph no damage standards these never applied to SUVs, minivans or pick up trucks.

Consumer demand in transition was not enough to keep the old external bumpers. Given the oligopoly of car companies I doubt that we will get inexpensive easy to repair bumpers. Car companies would rather get higher mpg and lower sales price, that lower repair cost. It is hard to sell lower repair costs.

 

"eggshell" bumpers

 

I think this is the first time I have ever seen anyone, anywhere, ever say anything positive about a Lada.

 

There's a particle of good in all things...