[Farther]

Both my front and rear white bumper covers have cosmetic damage.  After seeing many EuroVans with black bumpers I was wondering if it would be more cost effective to just install new black or find used black bumper covers rather than repair the cosmetic damage and paint black.  Are black bumper covers available from VW or do they come primed?

[Itsamoto]

I personally wouldn't order new ones unless they are cracked - or I would look at used parts and paint them black and do the rockers at the same time. My van's rocker panel  is chipped up  and the bumpers are cosmetically scratched -- so the bedliner paint job is something I plan on doing to protect it. You are right that some T4s and Transporters came with black bumpers (textured and not smooth) -- but I'm not sure those are available for long-nose vans here in North America.

Rather than ordering replacements, its probably cheaper, better, and faster to paint them with a quality bed liner (and it probably won't fade as much either).

Here's an article on the procedure on Vanagon from Gowesty: http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=845

They do the same thing with their Eurovans and I think it looks very good -- a nice subtle update.









Edited for tone.

[Farther]

If I paint the pumpers then the two piece grill & mirrors get done in black too.

[Itsamoto]

If I paint the pumpers then the two piece grill & mirrors get done in black too.

I think that would look great -- but as its textured, I would probably leave the mirrors alone.

[Farther]

If I do this I probably won't go with the textured.  While at GoWesty, I noticed that they had some adhesion problems on the plastic bumper covers with the textured stuff.  They may have worked this out though.  I think a matt/semigloss finish on the bumper covers, grill and mirrors would work well.

[Itsamoto]

If I do this I probably won't go with the textured.  While at GoWesty, I noticed that they had some adhesion problems on the plastic bumper covers with the textured stuff.  They may have worked this out though.  I think a matt/semigloss finish on the bumper covers, grill and mirrors would work well.

Wow, like peeling off, flaking problems? I'm so disappointed to know that stuff can fall off. Crumbs. 

See the big difference between my virtual assessment (looking at pictures on the internet) -- and real world, in-person assessment. 

[Farther]

To be fair, I only looked for it on one vehicle, which was a customers van sitting right by the front door, and the stuff was coming off in large flakes.  I think it was a poor prep job and probably not done by GoWesty.