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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> Tow bar blues
        
(Message started by: Jeff on May 15^th, 2008, 6:49pm)

Title: Tow bar blues
Post by Jeff on May 15^th, 2008, 6:49pm

Just paid a bloke over 200 squids to fit a Witter tow bar to my Cossie saloon, facelift version. Thought I'd 'get the man in', and as he seemed to be familiar with Scorpios I assumed he had done the job before. FMD had quoted over 500 which was out of my range.
He came to my place of work, and managed to get the bumper off in spite of those side screws (Torq) being badly corroded. But then he was unable to get onto the fixing screws above the transaxle, (only had 1/2" sockets and they were too bulky). So what to do?
I figured the other components of the assembly would be adequate for towing a m/c trailer - it's a huge angle iron member - so it was decided to leave off the front fixing. I shall have to cut off the section of the tow bar that is supposed to run up to that fixing at the diff at a later date, as for now this is just hanging there like a donkey's thingy to coin a phrase.
The rest of the work was finished but when I went to collect I noticed the bumper wasn't fitting snug under the filler cap. So I pushed on it at the joint...and of course it cracked. So for me 200 quid I got half a towbar that is no good for anything heavy and a cracked bumper. >:(
Sorry to drone on, just wanted to share my grief and frustration and say to everyone in this brilliant little club...if you want a job done properly...do it yourself. Anyone got a rear bumper in aubergine with reverse aids for sale??

Title: Re: Tow bar blues
Post by gozz on May 15^th, 2008, 9:11pm

Jeff.
How right you are,you cant beat doing it yourself,but it's the old enemy,time.Could you try taking the bumper off again and repairing it.I have had considerable results in the past by scouring the inside of the bumper,and aralditeing a thin aluminium plate behind the crack,clamp it all up level,leave overnight,and after refitting, finish with a drop off pudding,primer and spray can.It,s surprising what can be done with determination !
GOZZ

Title: Re: Tow bar blues
Post by Scorpio_Mike on May 16^th, 2008, 10:48am

To get to the 2 bolts for the transaxle mounting you need 1/4" sockets and an extension bar - and it's still tricky !

Title: Re: Tow bar blues
Post by big_neil on May 17^th, 2008, 2:55pm

maybe i,m wrong as baz will confirm but i was under the impression that witter never made a tow bar fitting for the face lift saloon, hence he couldn,t fit the front bolts.(i think the no. they give is F56 and it don,t fit) i know it didn,t fit my dec 98 saloon.

Title: Re: Tow bar blues
Post by Scorpio_Mike on May 17^th, 2008, 4:57pm

Pretty sure the Witter tow-bar ref is F59 - new kit comes with 2 different mounting brackets for the diff as there was a change to the mounting in '95 I think.

You get 2 brackets so it will fit on either type mounting - rest of the tow-bar kit is the same.

If you have used a 2nd hand towbar maybe it was from an earlier car than yours and usually you will find the extra bracket has been chucked away.

I removed the tow-bar from my '93 Granada Scorpio estate thinking I could fit it to my newly acquired '96 Scorpio Estate but then discovered the difference in the front bracket where it mounts to the diff !
Got another complete tow-bar from a post '95 Scorpio from ebay.
Sorted !

Title: Re: Tow bar blues
Post by Jeff on May 18^th, 2008, 12:50pm

Yes there are two brackets supplied for the front fixing - no use if you can't get the bolts off though.
Funny old world - if I fail to do my job properly I get the old Spanish archer...el bow.
Don't get me started.

Title: Re: Tow bar blues
Post by Baz on May 18^th, 2008, 9:16pm

My facelift is an S reg and so needs the Type Approved towbar which Witter never made. Only the Brink removable type is OK if the car is 1st registered after August 1st 1998.

I did mine myself after paying £35.00 for the bar and getting a menmber of unleashed to drop it off up here for me!!

The Brinks one does not interfere with the axle or anything but is very well made and distributes the load a lot better in my opinion. There must be a dozen bolts holding the thing on.... The back half of the car would come away before the towbar!!