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danielsan
Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2008
Posts: 802
Location: Carson City, NV
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 Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| kiwighia68 wrote: |
I have some questions:
1. Has anyone received a satisfactory response from Vietnam when a defective or ill-fitting part (of the bumpers) was supplied?
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I am trying to work something out with PTT right now. I put this on the back burner because work and life demanded that I do so. I've sent PTT detailed photos including the readings of my angle finder. If they do make the bumper correctly I will post photos and if they don't I will report that as well.
And I will publicly repeat and offer -- if ptt will pay for my shipping I will send them a rusty front bumper from a car that was never hit in front. I think the problem is that they started with NOS bumpers but weren't allowed to hack them apart. If you saw into my rusty bumper and extract the bracket you can reproduce the bracket correctly.
Having spent many many hours looking at bumper brackets I've decided that the German brackets are all but foolproof. If you put them in right side up you can't go wrong -- they only fit in one part of the bumper and the shape prevents them from being pushed into too far.
Hopefully this will be resolved soon. I'll post the results -- good or bad -- when I have them. |
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John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| danielsan wrote: |
| kiwighia68 wrote: |
I have some questions:
1. Has anyone received a satisfactory response from Vietnam when a defective or ill-fitting part (of the bumpers) was supplied?
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I am trying to work something out with PTT right now. I put this on the back burner because work and life demanded that I do so. I've sent PTT detailed photos including the readings of my angle finder. If they do make the bumper correctly I will post photos and if they don't I will report that as well.
And I will publicly repeat and offer -- if ptt will pay for my shipping I will send them a rusty front bumper from a car that was never hit in front. I think the problem is that they started with NOS bumpers but weren't allowed to hack them apart. If you saw into my rusty bumper and extract the bracket you can reproduce the bracket correctly.
Having spent many many hours looking at bumper brackets I've decided that the German brackets are all but foolproof. If you put them in right side up you can't go wrong -- they only fit in one part of the bumper and the shape prevents them from being pushed into too far.
Hopefully this will be resolved soon. I'll post the results -- good or bad -- when I have them. |
You too huh Daniel.  I hope you are familiar with Jerry Heldt's saga with PTT bumpers from just last year...August 2014 to be precise: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7321640#7321640
Read the full account of the incredible lengths Jerry went to, to get this problem put right and how a seemingly easy fix has proved impossible for PTT.
I think one has to come to the sad conclusion PTT don't give a SH.... about this problem. 
_________________
John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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TheFop
Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2014
Posts: 302
Location: Auckland - New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:02 am Post subject: |
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This is all quite depressing as I have a set of these PTT bumpers sat in a box in my garage waiting for the 61 to be finished  Hopefully I can at least salvage something from the mess.
_________________
Rusty 61 RHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Resto in progress....slowly
Stock 69 LHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Driver
67 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Being rebuilt
63 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Going Baja!
86 T25 Westfalia - Family Fun car |
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Mellow Yellow 74
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 1615
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:09 am Post subject: |
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| TheFop wrote: |
| This is all quite depressing as I have a set of these PTT bumpers sat in a box in my garage waiting for the 61 to be finished Hopefully I can at least salvage something from the mess. |
I have a set of the Harrington ones in storage so I am planning to assemble them on the weekend to check them. They cost around US$1000 a couple of years ago so I will be "spewing" (Australian expression) if they don't fit.
_________________
1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon) |
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kman
Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2005
Posts: 739
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 4:15 am Post subject: |
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| Stupid question. The overriders aren't mounted on the wrong sides (opposite) by any chance? |
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semipixel
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2014
Posts: 56
Location: Nova Scotia
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 4:59 am Post subject: |
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I had the same issue with the over riders not fitting, mentioned earlier in this thread. They seem to have sent either all rights or all lefts, can't remember. One side fit fine but the other had the angle exaggerated. I very clearly laid out the issue and they sent me 2 replacement over riders...
Of course they just sent the same (wrong) ones again.
Upside is now I have a couple extra so I'm comfortable modifying them, shouldn't be hard to adjust with a little grinding. |
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CiderGuy
Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013
Posts: 1351
Location: Bucks County, Pa
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| Mellow Yellow 74 wrote: |
| TheFop wrote: |
| This is all quite depressing as I have a set of these PTT bumpers sat in a box in my garage waiting for the 61 to be finished Hopefully I can at least salvage something from the mess. |
I have a set of the Harrington ones in storage so I am planning to assemble them on the weekend to check them. They cost around US$1000 a couple of years ago so I will be "spewing" (Australian expression) if they don't fit. |
I also have a set from Helen in a box waiting to be used someday hopefully next summer.
_________________
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Cars Currently Owned:
1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Project car for sale
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (Body off restoration)
Timing is everything |
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Andre@KGPR/Airhead
Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2011
Posts: 228
Location: Ventura CA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:52 am Post subject: |
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| John Moxon wrote: |
...I hope you are familiar with Jerry Heldt's saga with PTT bumpers from just last year...August 2014 to be precise: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7321640#7321640
Read the full account of the incredible lengths Jerry went to, to get this problem put right and how a seemingly easy fix has proved impossible for PTT.
I think one has to come to the sad conclusion PTT don't give a SH.... about this problem. |
We wasted a lot of time with this as well, even sending complete front and rear bumpers to try and make it work. If you look back over the thread, that was forever ago. Nothing's changed. |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:44 am Post subject: |
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| kman wrote: |
| Stupid question. The overriders aren't mounted on the wrong sides (opposite) by any chance? |
There's no such thing as a stupid question. Only people who remain uniformed by not asking. Or so my Latin teacher told us.
I wondered whether fitting left to right and vice versa (yep, Latin again) might be the problem, and swopped them around, but there was no difference. Right side still way off. I agree with the guy who said they sent him two of the same side, although mine are clearly marked left and right.
This thing has soured my restoration (and my mood) considerably.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:53 am Post subject: |
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| semipixel wrote: |
| ... Upside is now I have a couple extra so I'm comfortable modifying them, shouldn't be hard to adjust with a little grinding. |
I'm just grinding my teeth at the moment.
Someone else has suggested redrilling the holes - on the front of the blades - but i've checked and it doesn't look like that can work. I'd be interested to see how your grinding effort works out. I'm going to install mine without over-riders and get my mate Dean who is in the same boat to help me make a bracket for the corners. And then I'll wait to see how you did it.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| Andre@KGPR/Airhead wrote: |
| John Moxon wrote: |
...I hope you are familiar with Jerry Heldt's saga with PTT bumpers from just last year...August 2014 to be precise: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7321640#7321640
Read the full account of the incredible lengths Jerry went to, to get this problem put right and how a seemingly easy fix has proved impossible for PTT.
I think one has to come to the sad conclusion PTT don't give a SH.... about this problem. :twisted: |
We wasted a lot of time with this as well, even sending complete front and rear bumpers to try and make it work. If you look back over the thread, that was forever ago. Nothing's changed. |
I've read the thread from beginning to end. I'm always prepared to give someone a second chance, and even a third, but I give a third chance only to those who acknowledge the deficiency in their performance or product and express a willingness to remedy the problem. That attitude seems to be absent here.
I've resolved to find a solution within the Samba community and to write this off as a bad experience in line with the advice I got on my first day at work: Don't let someone else's miserable disposition affect the quality of your day.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| c21darrel wrote: |
| Smells like the value of OG bumpers is going up. 8) |
Yep. I still have mine, and they are salvageable, except for the front left blade. But oh the effort and the cost!
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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racoguy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2010
Posts: 687
Location: new zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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Looking at your pictures Chris, making a bracket to "fix" the corner issue is very very easy easy and making the over rider fit would not be all that difficult either, I can understand the frustration...........but try restoring a T34 if you want to be frustrated 
I'm sooo frustrated with mine I can't even be bothered updating my thread anymore.
That of course does not excuse the ill fitment after all this time, reading this thread it was apparent to me many pages ago PTT had no intention of adressing the issues with their bumpers so this type of thing does not surprise me at all.
You'd have to admit that especially us at the bottom of the world end up with all the crap, be it bad bumpers from PTT to worthless expensive carpet kits from West Coast Classic.
It seems like as soon as suppliers realise you are in NZ their off casts end up here, just my 2c
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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iowegian
Samba Curmudgeon
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9829
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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| c21darrel wrote: |
Smells like the value of OG bumpers is going up.  |
Do you mean that my n.o,s. Euro overriders are finally worth more than the $50 each that I paid for them? |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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| racoguy wrote: |
| Looking at your pictures Chris, making a bracket to "fix" the corner issue is very very easy easy and making the over rider fit would not be all that difficult either... |
I've made two templates for possible brackets - not forgetting Dorian's set-up. The old RF blade next to the new shows the different angles which are the problem.
I made two prototypes from a strip of steel I had. I'll obviously need brackets to be made in a thicker gauge.
I prefer the top one in the photo. It will have to be welded onto the existing bracket at the top and bottom, with a captive nut in the spot marked in black.
The angle/orientation of the bolt through the side of the fender/guard would then be okay, I think.
Giving up is not an option, of course.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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racoguy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2010
Posts: 687
Location: new zealand
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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I agree, the top one is far better and also looks better.
Welding it to the bumper also won't create any problems either as you'll only need a weld at each corner of the plate.
No you are right, giving up isn't an option which is why I'll just carry on with or without help.
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sancho58
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2013
Posts: 92
Location: SAN JOSE
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2015 4:04 pm Post subject: modification |
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| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| racoguy wrote: |
| Looking at your pictures Chris, making a bracket to "fix" the corner issue is very very easy easy and making the over rider fit would not be all that difficult either... |
Great Idea ! Most hardware stores Carry sheet metal what gauge did you use ? Also if you don't own a welder you can take it to a local muffler shop for. tack welding
I've made two templates for possible brackets - not forgetting Dorian's set-up. The old RF blade next to the new shows the different angles which are the problem.
I made two prototypes from a strip of steel I had. I'll obviously need brackets to be made in a thicker gauge.
I prefer the top one in the photo. It will have to be welded onto the existing bracket at the top and bottom, with a captive nut in the spot marked in black.
The angle/orientation of the bolt through the side of the fender/guard would then be okay, I think.
Giving up is not an option, of course. |
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