5000 safety questions/uglee bumpers

[esw5@postoffice2.mail.cornell.edu (Ernest Wong)]

[comments from Steve Buchholz]

>Those *ugly* bumpers are intended to help on minor collisions.  Person-
>ally, I must have gotten used to them because they don't bother me ...
>never have.  When I hear that a 2.5MPH collision to the rear of some cars
>causes over $1000 in damage I think I'll keep my *ugly* bumpers, thank you.
>
I love the ugly bumpers. Gives my 5000 a nicer look.(YOMV-youropinionmayvary0
It also gives more room to mount aux. lights under the bumper. Don't know
what the bumpers do to airflow tho.

My front uglee bumper saved me mucho dollars this winter when the snow crew
decided to turn off into a different road right at the apex of a curve.
There was about 2-3" of fresh fallen snow and the salt/grit trail just
dissappeared as I approaced the corner. I was of course going too fast for
cornering of virgin powder. No AWD here. I thumped the armco and feared the
worst. I stopped on side of road and found only a scrapped up bumper cover.
No suspension damage. No bent sheetmetal.
I love those stupid regulations. Well, not the 55mph stuff. And definitely
not the "mouse run up the door sill" safety belt/death trap. Saw a Saab
drive off once with a no properly closed door. The door was barely latched
and safety belt never was activated. It just lay limp in the door frame. If
the door had accidently been jarred open, the occupant would have been
thrown clear.
Nice safety feature. Guess burying 'em is cheaper than patching 'em up.

Ernest Wong
email: esw5@cornell.edu