It has a tow bar! ????

[Dougie_91 8v GTi]

My GTi came with one of 'those' extras, a tow bar!  Albeit it a 'genuine' VW tagged type tow bar, it is nethertheless UNWANTED. I am however a bit perplexed as to how to remove it, & as parking in North London can be tight occasionally confused as to whether or not to keep it.

There was a small area of the base of the centre of the bumper removed for the fitting, but I am sure this would not be too noticeable once removed.  So how the hell do I get rid of it?

The picture is of her as she was sold to me, she now has smoked lights (originals), and the missing hub cap replaced, and no longer looks red/pink following a whole weekend of t-cutting and back to blacking.

[...joe]

don't know for sure but get under the car and it should be obvious what to do, but like you say the gap will still be in the bumper and it will be noticable, best keep your eyes peeled for a second hand one!

[dabill]

rent a stihl saw and chop it off... quick fix hahaha...no, but really dont do this!

doesnt it just un-bolt... presuming u've had a good look around the underneath of your car?

[Mr Blue]

Ive been looking for a tow bar to use in the winter

Your better off replacing whe whole bumper as it leaves a gap as Joe said

[paultownsend]

my car looks exactly like yours! im afraid, as was mine, its a bugger.genuine tow bars are a nightmare to remove as they are part of the bumper iron.and try find a tornado red bumper for under £100 in good condition!

so, undo the 3 screws holding the bumper skin.undo the 4 17ml bolts under the car holding the iron.
i got a cheap (£15) angle grinder and chopped it off.

its the only way im afraid!

[Dougie_91 8v GTi]

When I did have a quick look and feel underneath the car, the bar felt connected as far as I could reach either side of the tow bar. This confirms what Paul says, and also means a b***er of a job removing it. 

As there is nothing in 'the' Haynes manual regarding tow bars, and I have no owners manuals, I am guessing that the big bumpers come with some kind of more solid bumper iron behind them for protection/defense, and that this in VW tow bar form is identical but with the ball/hook as an integral part of it.  If it wasn't raining so much and so hard I'd probably go outside and have a proper look, but it is, so I won't.

I guess that it is there to stay until a cheap replacement bumper and iron come up for sale. (there is one on ebay now, now but I don't have the time or spare cash.)

[T_J_G]

ask Haribo off this forum hgow he did it!

[layzphil]

I would leave it on mate, how often do you look at the back of your car? Certainly not when you're driving it 

Plus I had a guy drive into me when the traffic was nose to tail on the M6 when I had a towbar on my old mk2. Made a mess of his Renault Safrane, not a mark on my Golf thanks to the towbar.