Hi guys,

I've been reading your threads on and off ever since i got my 98 silver LE back in August off one of the DTR mechanics. She was in ok shape requiring the usual cosmetics e.g. ripped driver's red leather seat, broken driver's side black foot treadsill, split vinyl on the driver's side footwell and a few other interior marks, but i've always thought she sounds a bit noisy and the engine doesn't sound quite right, which would indicate a variator and cambelt change. Oh.. and the mileometer doesn't work which i've read is one of the usual electrical faults, but as a result i don't really know how many miles she's done. I've had the front console out a number of times to remedy but it never seems to last. Never mind.. i can live with all these things as i love my 'b' however earlier today i discovered someone had reversed back into my front bumper and left a crack all the way through. I don't think there is any of it missing, so can i get it plastic welded and resprayed to look like new again or will i need to fork out for a replacement (which is tricky at the mo as i now live in Prague)? Looking on the various parts websites they range in price from 379 Euros down to £230 from nktuning on ebay and then there's the lester and novitec front spoilers, which i assume include a whole new front bumper too.. i'm not sure. Sorry for such a long introductory thread and can i say thanks to Doc Orange Peel, as i've learnt so much based on your website and threads. I just wish i had the money to do all the modifications and improvements, but i'm just a poor wannabee writer at the mo, so it'll have to wait. P.s. Can i assume that the front bumper will need to be removed before a welding job and if so, where on your threads can i learn about how to remove the front bumper.

Hi Tarique, Welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear about your bumper, The good news is that they are repairable... If it's only a crack and all the material is there the garages here have told that is possible to do plastic welding on them.

Like you getting hold of a replacement in this country was impossible...

I managed to loose a good percentage of mine and have it cracked into several parts and had it repaired using fiberglass and resin.

I would find a company that does the plastic welding and let them decide if it needs to be removed for repair.

If it does it is very easy to remove. From what I remember you have to remove the plastic wheel arch liner which is held in place by a few screws and a nut.. (much easier to do with the wheel off but and be done with the wheel on) the bumper is only 3 botls either side on the metal brackets.

If you take the time to read through previous posts (when I first bought my Bee I read every thread... it's amazing how much info is on this site)! or use the search function. I think it has been covered recently.

Don't worry I'm sure you will soon have her looking like new..

Hello and welcome! Glad you're enjoying your b. Mine broke down in Prague a few years back and I remember having difficulty finding the Fiat dealer. When I did they were pretty helpful so don't discount them as a source of help.

Post up some photos when you get the chance.

Ah thanks guys from the warm welcome and the advice. I'd much rather have it plastic welded than have to fork out for a new one. I just think the european parts guys are asking too much especially with sending to the Czech Republic and i'm really not sure about the ebay one and whether it'd fit properly. I'll try the fiat dealer but there aren't many 'b's over here (i've seen 3 in total in 6 months) so i'd imagine they'd try to get a replacement part in. I'll see if there's a local plastic welder who can do the job and will let you know what the final results are like. Could anyone give me an idea of how much it'd cost in the UK to do for comparison?

Plastic welding is good 'invisible mending' but its fragile. I had my front bumper done..excellent job. half the price of a new one. Later I bumped the front in to the garage wall very gently..hardly noticed it..but it cracked the repair.

If you are using your B like mine as a daily drive in the real world were it takes a few knocks then I'd consider a new one?

MY front bumper had two really bad cracks in it. I cut two inspection holes in the back of the bumper, stuck it together with fibre glass, and then filled the inspection holes with fibre glass. A little filler on top of the cracks, bit of paint and we're done!

Well i've got to admit i have my doubts about the strength of the bumper after getting it welded. I do use my car for everyday trips into Prague and have to leave it in tight spaces at times, so the chances of it happening again are quite high. There's a red spoiler for sale not too far from Prague but i can't tell from the angle of the photo if it's the whole bumper and spoiler or just the spoiler. My reason for doubt being that they only want about £60 for it. Here's the image.
Does the original spoiler come as part of the bumper or are they separate parts? Advice and help appreciated as always. I'm thinking of buying it anyway and then spraying it silver if it's the complete part so i have a spare.

this looks like the whole bumper mate

A word of warning: Some people have been caught out by buying cheap non-original Fiat bumpers. They are poorly made and don't fit well. Perhaps it was Robot?

Well it seems rather than risking postage that my girlfriend and i or her father will go and collect it ourselves, so any advice on what to look out for would be great. How can you size up whether the replacement is going to be a good fit without actually doing it? Sorry, if it sounds like a silly question. Their Czech is much better than mine at the mo, so i'll try to ask the proper questions regarding it's history. Thanks again guys...

silverbarchetta said:

A word of warning: Some people have been caught out by buying cheap non-original Fiat bumpers. They are poorly made and don't fit well. Perhaps it was Robot?

Click to expand...

Yup - it was me :bang: I'd suggest you only go for an original Fiat bumper, unless you want an ill-fitting, sh*te quality one that you'll need to spend a few hundred €s extra on to get into shape.

Forgive the silly question but i can only assume that an original fiat bumper will be labelled so somewhere (perhaps with a part number), so if anyone could just tell me where, i can e-mail this seller when asking of it's origins. Thanks.

I'd suggest you ask him for photos of the rear side of the bumper; if it looks like fibre glass it's a non-original one, and most likely sh*te quality.

Thanks Robot,
I've asked if it's an original fiat part prior to reading your response, so will follow up depending on what they come back with. Also located someone who can plastic weld and respray but still have no idea what is a reasonable cost for the job. I realise it's difficult to quote as it's dependant on the state of my bumper, but i have a crack all the way through and the beginnings of another crack to the left. Anyone with experience who can tell me what it cost them? £100? £150?

Hi Silverbarchetta,
I never responded to your request for pics. She is totally standard with a weathered but ok looking red softtop. I'd love to do some of the modifications that you and virtually everyone else on this dedicated forum does and my wish list would be a page and a half long, but unfortunately i'm out of regular work concentrating on a new career in writing, so funds are very limited. I'd just love to sort out the little nuisances like leaks, electrical problems with the mileometer and speedo (at times) the variator/diesel noise, torn driver's seat, refurbishing the alloys and my newly cracked front bumper and i'd be a very happy man (for a little while). If i ever manage to finance all this i'll post some pictures up.

So no pictures ever then?

Hmmm.. you're very funny but that's a possibility.. I love my 'b' regardless of all the issues just because of how she makes me feel i.e. in touch with the drive and road as well as the looks she gets wherever she goes. Style just exudes from all angles and when i publish my first book, i'll certainly have a go at righting all the nuiances... well some of them anyway...so in the meantime i'll just have to satisfy myself with photos of everyone elses including yours....:worship:

Hallo!
I hope bumpertrouble is solved by now.
However I'm in a similar situation and have thanks to this tread understood that
the item is weldable.
I'm courious of methods, and especially if there are diy-methods known.
/Bengt

I've used a fibre glass mat and plastic "welding" material on the backside with very good result. I see you live in Sweden, so these are cheap and good stuff to use:

http://www.biltema.se/sv/Bygg/Kemikalier/Ovrigt/Plastsvetsning-2000019048/

http://www.biltema.se/sv/Bat/Kemikalier/Glas--och-Kolfiber/Glasfibermatta-2000023906/