WANTED - Front bumper, Estate door rubbing strip

[jonhopper]

Hi
For my "new" 2.5TD Estate, I need a new front bumper insert - the black part is split behind/ above the front number plate, probably where it has been driven into various walls over the years.

The strip across the lower part of the back estate door is also split...

Can anyone help?

Thanks
Jon
Cambridge
R151 OFL

[xmexclusive]

Hi John

Not the best of news.
The front bumper is a single moulding so repair of the split black part is I think the cheapest and easiest option.
The rear one also is best repaired on the car.
My reasoning is:-
The front bumper is Mk 2 XM specific and white is a very rare colour.
Mk 2 VSX estate and Mk 2 VSX car front bumpers are identical which may aid the search.
Mk 2 SX front bumpers have no headlight washers.
Mk 2 exclusive front bumpers are all fully colour painted so would not match the black rubbing strips on the rest of your estate.
There has been the odd unpainted new one offered in recent years as NOS but that source seems to have dried up.
Secondhand ones present other problems, rusted through ear fixing plates, fixing bolts under the number plate that snap instead of undo.
Then there is a good chance the steel backing cross member will have lost a lot of metal from rust.
The rather thin metal chassis wings the bumper ears fix to are often found to be well rusted.
Never seen a NOS or servicable recovered tailgate moulding offered for sale.
To get one I had to cut up and destroy the fibreglass tailgate.
Found a lot more reinforcement than I expected.
The estate rear tailgate bottom rubber moulding also has rust problems.
In this case the five bolts fit into cage nuts fitted on an inner edge of the moulding
Gently try one of the five fixing bolts, if it is locked solid leave well alone.
Once rusted solid to the bolts if you manage to move them they just rotate the hidden cage nuts.
This will damage the moulding fixing points and may tear the plastic splitting open some of the moulding joints.
Trying to drill out the cut off bolts melts the moulding plastic unless you go very slowly with a hand drill.

Some of the metalwork problems I have mentioned are well worth dealing with if you intend to keep long term the 2.5 estate.
It may though be better to assess condition and then work on a planned basis.
XM bits in good condition are getting rare and you may need to get them repaired and painted.
Pulling the front bumper and tailgate moulding off now will commit you to the full job which may then have to wait for prepared parts.
Plastic repair these days can be very high quality and may be all you need to get the car cosmetically right for your intended use.

John

[Southerneruk]

I have mark 1.6 parts from a 2.1 td estate

[Riverhead]

I’ve a couple if second hand ones and a brand new one for the 97 saloon if it’s the same.
Postage from Ireland.
00353878041636

[jonhopper]

I can cut the rear estate door bumper off I presume.. Finally got a good replacement to fit..