Question For Brad Lang?

[vujade]

I am going to build another Ghia soon and I told myself if I ever did another one I would
try to find you, to ask you about your custom bumpers on your vert ghia that was in
Hot VWs back in 2001.

I would be interested in possibly getting a set made... who did them for you? And how much
did they cost you to have done?

I assume that you had to have a mold made so that was part of the initial start up cost. But
now thats out of the way, it shouldn't cost as much....

thanks
joe

PS: Love the Ghia

[Russ]

i'm not sure brad even visits the site?
Geoff may have a number for him?
i am pretty sure he made the pattern (positive as thats what he does for a living) but i don't know who cast them for him.
i know it is not much help but it is all I can offer

russ

[Bruce]

I would be interested in possibly getting a set made... who did them for you? And how much
did they cost you to have done?
 

Joe, you can't get a set made.  If you want them, you will have to do the majority of the work yourself by hand.  That's what Brad did.  His took a couple of HUNDRED hours for him to make them.  He will not make them for anyone (I know this because of the way he described how he did them)  I remember Brad describing how he would work on the bumpers at the end of every working day for a few hours.  Every day he would go home, his hair was green with bronze dust in it.

If you want a pair, he does have the patterns.  He can get the raw castings made, then you will have to weld the parts together.  Once they are together, you will then have to spend the time filing, then block sanding them.  Once they are polished, off to the chromers.

They were made from solid bronze.  At today's prices, there's a couple of hundred $ just for the metal.

[egspot]

I love to see what they look like.  

[vujade]

I would be interested in possibly getting a set made... who did them for you? And how much
did they cost you to have done?
 

Joe, you can't get a set made.  If you want them, you will have to do the majority of the work yourself by hand.  That's what Brad did.  His took a couple of HUNDRED hours for him to make them.  He will not make them for anyone (I know this because of the way he described how he did them)  I remember Brad describing how he would work on the bumpers at the end of every working day for a few hours.  Every day he would go home, his hair was green with bronze dust in it.

If you want a pair, he does have the patterns.  He can get the raw castings made, then you will have to weld the parts together.  Once they are together, you will then have to spend the time filing, then block sanding them.  Once they are polished, off to the chromers.

They were made from solid bronze.  At today's prices, there's a couple of hundred $ just for the metal.

Bruce, thanks for the info.

So basically, what your telling me is that he has the patterns for the bumpers. He can get them
made, but they will be made in seperate pieces and I will have to weld the individual pieces together,
then file/grind them smooth before they can be chromed...?

[Bruce]

You have it right.  

If you look at any Ghia bumper, it is not possible to cast or form them in one piece, so that's why stock ones are 3 pieces for the basic blade.  I believe Brad was able to make his in 2 pieces, welded in the center.  The parts come from the foundry as rough sand castings.
 
You will also have to figure out how you are going to mount them.  They don't mount the same as stock.  I'm not sure, but I seem to recall he cast bosses on the inside so that you could drill and tap them, then install either bolts or studs with nuts on the inside of the body.

Here's another idea.  Brad will know if it is feasable.  Instead of bronze, get them cast from aluminum.  Then do all the work of filing and sanding, then finish by polishing only.  No chrome.  I think the shrinkage for Al is less than that for bronze, so it may work.

There is no doubt, they are the best looking bumpers that have ever been installed on a Ghia.

Emilio, it is too bad that the car was sold to someone in the US south east.

[red snapper]

If your going to paint it same as the body color, why not go with the fiberglass ones that you can get from someone who makes them in Florida? Cant remember the name though but they are 1 piece units. Sounds like Brad put a lot of work into those things. Definately a nice car though. Good luck.

[vujade]

I did find these bumpers... go to the Classic Roadster, then click fotos

I emailed them to ask about the bumpers. Havent heard back yet...

www.rudolph-roadster.de/index_gb.htm

[Russ]

[red snapper]

Some nice stuff on that site. KGPR has come out with new aluminum bumpers that are fully polished for around $1100.00. Just letting ya know.

[vujade]

Some nice stuff on that site. KGPR has come out with new aluminum bumpers that are fully polished for around $1100.00. Just letting ya know.

are you referring to the 3 piece polished stainless steel bumpers they (not sure if if was KGPR)
had made by that aftermarket UK SS bumper manufacturer?

If not, are the aluminum bumpers from KGPR one piece?

[red snapper]

are you referring to the 3 piece polished stainless steel bumpers they (not sure if if was KGPR)
had made by that aftermarket UK SS bumper manufacturer?

If not, are the aluminum bumpers from KGPR one piece?

Ya, those are the ones I was refering to. I think they were 3 piece.

[westcoast-paul]

they are stainless steel and made in vietman

house of ghia is the distributor for the north american market.  Talk to mike there.  he is a really good guy.

$1100 and change usd for the set in either North American (w/ towel racks) or Euro version

[Bruce]

CIP had a set of those SS Ghia bumpers at the Great CDN last summer.  Call them up.  One thing I noticed was they are EXTREMELY thin.