Votex rear bumper valance diffuser needed!!!

[tetevolky]

Hi all,
Here is my concern, about two years ago I had an accident and my car has been on repair since then, I decided that since I was doing a mayor body repair I was going to give it a different look so I ended up installing votex front and rear bumpers. Now the car is almost ready to go out but I don’t have the rear bumper lower lid (valance/diffuser) and it has been very hard to find this for me , so I’m here asking for help... Please shed some light.

[2004NBTURBOS]

I wish you luck my friend.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Short of contacting Votex in Europe to see if they will manufacture you one, I have to second the last post, good luck!

M.

[tetevolky]

Oh… You guys are scaring me!!! Is it really that impossible to find one?

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by tetevolky

Oh… You guys are scaring me!!! Is it really that impossible to find one?

Yeah, it really is. Bumpers all over the web that are worthless because there are no diffusers available. True story. You might set up some saved searches on eBay, and if one does happen along, snag it, but be prepared to pay. You might do better looking for a whole Votex rear bumper or a Turbo S rear bumper (same manufacturer, Votex). No one will sell the diffuser if they have both because they realize the bumper becomes worthless. I haven't figured out why Votex doesn't do a couple hundred of them and make a fortune, unless they had some type licensing agreement with VW and can't. It's my understanding these were sold by the Dealers as Dealer Options and referred to as Sport Bumpers, with two different diffusers available.

[SMG]

I really doubt that the Turbo S bumpers are made by Votex, I've seen you say that before and I don't think it's true.

[SMG]

I just checked. All TS parts are stamped OEM VW / Audi with proper part numbers. They also have part numbers on a white sticker that has an OP logo on it.

The Votex pieces are of much lower quality than the OEM Turbo S ones. They have a poor fitment and they are made of a less flexible, lower quality plastic than the TS ones.

[SMG]

I know all about what Votex is, what they do. As for the two bumper swaps in question I have both. The Votex bumpers say Votex on the inside. If Votex made the Turbo S bumpers, they'd stamp them just the same.

I'm not saying they're crap but the fitment isn't fantastic either. The grille quality is also pretty bad.

The point of my post wasn't to hate on the Votex kit, it was just to point out Morav's error. Keep in mind my car was on Page 1 (now on Page 2) of Google images for "Votex Beetle". I still like the kit.

[Smileybug]

I find it odd that the Votex fitment is subpar. The side skirts and such on the GTIs and GLIs are Votex from what I understand, and they come from the factory like that, its not added later.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by SMG

I know all about what Votex is, what they do. As for the two bumper swaps in question I have both. The Votex bumpers say Votex on the inside. If Votex made the Turbo S bumpers, they'd stamp them just the same.

I'm not saying they're crap but the fitment isn't fantastic either. The grille quality is also pretty bad.

The point of my post wasn't to hate on the Votex kit, it was just to point out Morav's error. Keep in mind my car was on Page 1 (now on Page 2) of Google images for "Votex Beetle". I still like the kit.

I'm certainly open for correction,, just what I have read from various posters, and if, in fact, the TS bumpers were made by Votex, why would they stamp them with anything but the VW/Audi Logo and VW p/n like most other trim vendors do? The Votex front bumper assembly (like the one sold by ECSTuning), according to the copy I have read attached to same, is made up mostly of parts, grilles, fog lites, corners, turns, etc, all in OE VW parts boxes with OE VW p/n's. I think I may have some pics and the p/n's in an email somewhere from elsewhere than the Org. This kind of confirmed, at least in my mind, that what I had been lead to believe about the TS bumpers was true.

If you have some printed information to the contrary, I'm more than open to a learning experience.

All that said and put aside, doesn't alter the fact the OPer is going to have a really tough time coming up with a diffuser for the Votex. In fact it would probably be easier to acquire a diffuser for the TS bumper as insurance company body shop repair facilities still have to source out those parts for repairs to original TS cars, may still even be available through the Dealer. I think 10 years is now the cut point for maintaining replacement part inventories.

M.

[SMG]

All of my Votex parts are stamped "Votex" on the back, the Turbo S parts are not. There is a difference between GLI and R32 skirts, which were OEM and 20th skirts, which were Votex parts.

If the Turbo S parts were made by Votex I'd assume they would use the same plastic for both the Votex and Turbo S bumpers. The plastics are completely different.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by SMG

All of my Votex parts are stamped "Votex" on the back, the Turbo S parts are not. There is a difference between GLI and R32 skirts, which were OEM and 20th skirts, which were Votex parts.

If the Turbo S parts were made by Votex I'd assume they would use the same plastic for both the Votex and Turbo S bumpers. The plastics are completely different.

Can't speak for the composite used. Industry wide there are six or seven different composites used, each of which I assume has it's upside and downside, including cost consideration. Quality and cost considerations could have been a factor in the material specified by VW for the TS bumpers and used by Votex for bumpers marketed under their own name.

[SMG]

Why don't you just say everything is Votex. VW owns them after all.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by SMG

Why don't you just say everything is Votex. VW owns them after all.

I never know when your effing with me!

It might then be correct to say everything Votex is Vw, but that's not the same as saying everything VW is Votex. But what you say would make sense, and confirm what you were disallowing ealier. And that being the case, it's very conceivable that Votex makes all the composite body parts for all the VW and Audi models.

[SMG]

The Votex bumpers are decent for "OEM aftermarket" parts but they are still inferior in quality to true OEM. There is no way in hell Votex manufactured the TS bumpers.

[tetevolky]

Hey guys, I didn’t mean to start an argument of Votex vs TS vs Vw. Higher or lower quality plastic/fitment is something that a GOOD paint shop experts can take care of.
Regarding the original post, I see that this will be more complicated than I thought. I will keep searching, if someone gets to know about one available please let me know, I’m willing to pay big money for it.
Thank you and merry Christmas!!!

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by SMG

The Votex bumpers are decent for "OEM aftermarket" parts but they are still inferior in quality to true OEM. There is no way in hell Votex manufactured the TS bumpers.

In further support on the manufacture being from the same company, The "Votex" bumpers, skirts, diffusers, carried VW p/n's and were marketed as Dealer installed options, under the term "Sport". Makes no sense VW would use a different manufacturer than that of the standard and TS bumpers, the tooling was already in place with slight modifications, and assured excellent fitment, of both the other components and to the body. I could, however, be in left field on this one.
.

[SMG]

You're wrong, sorry man. Have you had both bumpers in question in your hands? I have both sitting right here and they are completely different both in shape and in quality.

Have you ever had a Turbo S bumper?

Have you ever had a Votex bumper?

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by SMG

You're wrong, sorry man. Have you had both bumpers in question in your hands? I have both sitting right here and they are completely different both in shape and in quality.

Have you ever had a Turbo S bumper?

Have you ever had a Votex bumper?

No, which is what lead to the research I have done.

Are the Dealer "Sport" bumpers the same as the Votex? Re the front, are all the accessory parts, turns, corners, center grille, fogs the same parts, the only difference being the outboard grilles, cup shaped in the TS and round in the Sport? How do the rears differ, I know there were two different diffusers for the Dealer "Sport" available?

[SMG]

The centre grilles aren't even close to being the same, they mount differently, they're made differently, etc. The signal lights up by the headlights aren't the same. From what I understand the Votex signals are taken from the european Lupo. These are two completely different products, made of two different materials.

The rears are also way different and the rear bumper insert is made out of some kind of super lightweight (almost foam) spoiler material. It also attaches with wing nuts, yes wing nuts and inferior chrome plated hardware that you'd never want to see on a production car. On the TS rear the insert is made of real bumper plastic, has a nice cutout for the tow hook and just fits better.

I am really floored that you have never had either part in front of you and you're going on and on as if you know what you're talking about.

Merry Christmas!