left-over car part from tow-bar fitting

[Adam Funk]

A while back, I had a mobile service install a tow-bar on our car. The fitters left a chunky piece of steel which obviously came from under the car (it's almost the width of the car, and painted to match on some sides). Is there any reason to keep it?

(For example, might it be worthwhile when we get rid of the car to have the old tow-bar taken off to transfer onto another car? Or is that not worthwhile?)

I've been ignoring it for a while, but am now tidying up & wondering whether I need to hide it from roving scrap-gatherers.

[Roger Mills]

I think you need to find out exactly what it is, and whether or not it

*should* have been left off!

[chris French]

In message , Adam Funk writes

I assume it's meant to be left off the car? I assume it was in the place where the tow bar bolts on? (Googling up towbar fitting instructions for your model of car should probably find some, even if not for the same make of towbar)

The towbar won't probably won't fit onto another car (unless the same or a similar model I guess) though you could maybe take it off and sell on if the car was scrapped?

[Bill]

In message , Roger Mills writes

It's almost certainly a rear cross-member that has been replaced by the stronger tow bar. Whether it's worth keeping depends on whether the rear bumper had to be butchered for the towbar to fit. Mine didn't with the particular towbar fitted here, so I've kept the cross piece in case it increases the value when I come to sell or in case I suddenly need a piece of strong steel that size.

[Chris Bartram]

It depends.

It's probably a bumper bar that is replaced by the towbar. If the plastic bumper is uncut, you could in theory put the bumper bar back and flog the towbar when you get rid of the car.

[Andy Burns]

Might even get more selling the car without the towbar, let alone what you can get for selling the towbar separately.

[Adam Funk]

It's been a while, so we would've noticed! :-)

I'll take a look underneath (the car, that is, not the piece of scrap). I didn't watch them fit the towbar, they didn't leave any other bits of scrap (swarf or anything like that) so I doubt they "butchered" anything.