Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6

pgsagar · 22nd January 2011, 16:05

Resurrecting 5-year old thread. The reason --- Daewoo bumpers. Witnessed a nasty accident wherein a Zen crashed into parked black Cielo. Since me and my friend were standing close by, we walked over to see the car guys squabbling. But everyone was shocked by what we saw. Zen busted its bumper, grill and radiator ( the fliud came out). And Cielo? Not a scratch, I repeat not a scratch. You could have run a magnifying glass over it and yet not find a scratch. It looked like a seventh wonder. As though Zen crashed into an invisible wall. Boy, what do Daewoo guys use for bumpers? And my Lancer? I think it has the weakest bumper there is on any car. A biker just grazed it and it nearly got dislodged.

mi2n · 22nd January 2011, 20:13

And this happened today : Got hit by a taxi (Amby with metal bumper)! From the loud metallic crank i thought i had surely lost my bumper and maybe even my right tail lamp cluster. Got down to assess the damage and give the cab driver a piece of my mind, and to my pleasant surprise, everything seemed fine. After a minute inspection i could only notice a small paint chip-off, that too almost microscopic.
Touchwood!
Car in question, a Chevy Beat, again a Daewoo.

I have to mention, at the moment of impact, i felt like the amby bounced back a bit after hitting my car. Did the bumper absorb the hit, bulge in and then bounce back into shape?

It was all very scary though.

thedreamcatcher · 22nd January 2011, 21:13

^^Well I am pleased to hear that. Even I had got a Beat for my wife recently.

But am surprised also. Getting hit by an Amby and surviving. Not sure if it is to do with quality or luck. It does have a, what, 2.5MPH, impact proof bumper?

mi2n · 23rd January 2011, 17:34

^^^

So true. Infact, i was praising my luck only, until i cam across this thread. Yes Chevy says the bumper can sustain a hit at upto 5 kmph speed.
By the way, this is the second time my rear bumper took a hit from an amby, as last month a taxi reversed right into my bumper at parking speed leaving a tiny paint peel off. The shape of the bumper is thankfully intact.

dot · 23rd January 2011, 20:22

It is not just the bumper design, but also the material. Most bumpers nowadays have filled PP (polypropylene) material with impact modifier particulate additives. These impact modifiers are rubbery in nature and act as energy absorbers. On adding such particles a largely brittle filled PP bumper becomes more ductile. So during an event of small energy collisions the bumpers are able to retain the original shape.

deehunk · 24th January 2011, 09:28

GM has carried over the impact proof bumper feature(2.5 mph) to the Chevy range, I can recall one such instance when my Spark's bumper bore the impact.Once my brother-in law was trying to park his car behind my Spark, unknowingly he touched my car's bumper at a considerable speed but nothing happened to the bumper. Whenever I park my vehicle in the office, I stop only when I feel the light thud of the bumper. The assistants in the parking lot often say to me that the bumper may come off the grip or it may break, everytime I remind them the bumper is impact proof.

ACM · 24th January 2011, 10:29

Yep once (11 years back) ran off road in my cielo while on a quite drive late in the evening, it was just me loosing concentration in thoughts and the cielo being an AT kept going till it hit a planter wall. Damage involved reworking the bumber with no replacement required.

Cielo was a strong car no doubt.

informmaha · 24th January 2011, 11:41

Well to add a story of my friends Cruze which got hit from behind by a santro a week ago. He was belted but his wife and kid were not, so the impact was so much that they both got hit in the IP and he was afraid about the airbags because of that much of an impact. After some initial check that they both were fine, he got down the car to look at the damage, he was thinking about a major damage. He could see full of smoke once he got down and santro was badly damaged, so he thought of assessing the damage with his mind set to how much would the cost for this, but to his surprise there was no damage at all except the tow bar cap slightly bent (almost invisible). He was all praise for his car and he felt very happy for his buy.

22nd January 2011, 16:05	#31
pgsagar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Vizag Posts: 2,628 Thanked: 3,568 Times View My Garage	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 Resurrecting 5-year old thread. The reason --- Daewoo bumpers. Witnessed a nasty accident wherein a Zen crashed into parked black Cielo. Since me and my friend were standing close by, we walked over to see the car guys squabbling. But everyone was shocked by what we saw. Zen busted its bumper, grill and radiator ( the fliud came out). And Cielo? Not a scratch, I repeat not a scratch. You could have run a magnifying glass over it and yet not find a scratch. It looked like a seventh wonder. As though Zen crashed into an invisible wall. Boy, what do Daewoo guys use for bumpers? And my Lancer? I think it has the weakest bumper there is on any car. A biker just grazed it and it nearly got dislodged.
	() Thanks

22nd January 2011, 20:13	#32
mi2n BHPian Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 565 Thanked: 2,254 Times View My Garage	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 And this happened today : Got hit by a taxi (Amby with metal bumper)! From the loud metallic crank i thought i had surely lost my bumper and maybe even my right tail lamp cluster. Got down to assess the damage and give the cab driver a piece of my mind, and to my pleasant surprise, everything seemed fine. After a minute inspection i could only notice a small paint chip-off, that too almost microscopic. Touchwood! Car in question, a Chevy Beat, again a Daewoo. I have to mention, at the moment of impact, i felt like the amby bounced back a bit after hitting my car. Did the bumper absorb the hit, bulge in and then bounce back into shape? It was all very scary though.
	() Thanks

22nd January 2011, 21:13	#33
thedreamcatcher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 1,204 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 ^^Well I am pleased to hear that. Even I had got a Beat for my wife recently. But am surprised also. Getting hit by an Amby and surviving. Not sure if it is to do with quality or luck. It does have a, what, 2.5MPH, impact proof bumper?
	() Thanks

23rd January 2011, 17:34	#34
mi2n BHPian Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 565 Thanked: 2,254 Times View My Garage	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 ^^^ So true. Infact, i was praising my luck only, until i cam across this thread. Yes Chevy says the bumper can sustain a hit at upto 5 kmph speed. By the way, this is the second time my rear bumper took a hit from an amby, as last month a taxi reversed right into my bumper at parking speed leaving a tiny paint peel off. The shape of the bumper is thankfully intact.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2011, 20:22	#35
dot Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ban Chang Posts: 1,681 Thanked: 732 Times	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 It is not just the bumper design, but also the material. Most bumpers nowadays have filled PP (polypropylene) material with impact modifier particulate additives. These impact modifiers are rubbery in nature and act as energy absorbers. On adding such particles a largely brittle filled PP bumper becomes more ductile. So during an event of small energy collisions the bumpers are able to retain the original shape. Last edited by dot : 23rd January 2011 at 20:27.
	() Thanks

24th January 2011, 09:28	#36
deehunk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,937 Thanked: 2,913 Times	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 GM has carried over the impact proof bumper feature(2.5 mph) to the Chevy range, I can recall one such instance when my Spark's bumper bore the impact.Once my brother-in law was trying to park his car behind my Spark, unknowingly he touched my car's bumper at a considerable speed but nothing happened to the bumper. Whenever I park my vehicle in the office, I stop only when I feel the light thud of the bumper. The assistants in the parking lot often say to me that the bumper may come off the grip or it may break, everytime I remind them the bumper is impact proof.
	() Thanks

24th January 2011, 10:29	#37
ACM Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,745 Thanked: 4,361 Times View My Garage	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 Yep once (11 years back) ran off road in my cielo while on a quite drive late in the evening, it was just me loosing concentration in thoughts and the cielo being an AT kept going till it hit a planter wall. Damage involved reworking the bumber with no replacement required. Cielo was a strong car no doubt.
	() Thanks

24th January 2011, 11:41	#38
informmaha BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Banglore/Madras Posts: 220 Thanked: 41 Times	Re: Amazing Bumper for the Optra 1.6 Well to add a story of my friends Cruze which got hit from behind by a santro a week ago. He was belted but his wife and kid were not, so the impact was so much that they both got hit in the IP and he was afraid about the airbags because of that much of an impact. After some initial check that they both were fine, he got down the car to look at the damage, he was thinking about a major damage. He could see full of smoke once he got down and santro was badly damaged, so he thought of assessing the damage with his mind set to how much would the cost for this, but to his surprise there was no damage at all except the tow bar cap slightly bent (almost invisible). He was all praise for his car and he felt very happy for his buy.
	() Thanks