The official modified bumpers thread!!!

[joseph222]

Looks beautiful.

Did you paint it yourself?

What did you use to fill in the bumper pad holes?

Nice job!

..

[Buckterrier]

Very nice Dave, I used the BMW lights on mine.

[Super_Dave_D]

Originally Posted by joseph222

Looks beautiful.
What did you use to fill in the bumper pad holes?
..

I used JB Weld as one of the previous guys on this thread.

[dw1]

• Removed US-spec bumperettes
• Filled mounting holes with JB Weld
• Sanded, primed, & painted bumper to match body color
• Obtained BMW2002 license plate lights
• Sanded, masked & painted license plate light housings to match bumper
• Cut lower valance - the one that mounts to the bumper - for 2nd exhaust outlet
• Rolled lip of valance cut to match other side & look more "factory"
• Removed old muffler & cat.
• Installed Fabspeed premuffler & Dansk 1-in-2-out

A few notes:
----------------
Not all black paint is created equal.

The BMW 2002 license plate lights were also used on the Merkur XR4ti. Despite this, I went ahead & used them.

It hurt to cut the valance - that's the one thing that is not simply reversible by bolting on the old parts.

While I was at it, I also reworked the rear lenses. Polishing the outer surface made a big difference, but the painting of the inside surface of the edges where the original black paint was less than 50% coverage did even more to improve their appearance.

Along the way, I replaced all bolts, nuts, washers & etc. with the appropriately sized DIN-spec metric stainless steel hardware, using black anodized hardware for the tail lamp lens screws and the license plate screws. Just because.

IMHO, most US license plates are ugly. They can be amusing, or even inspirational, but they are large bits of metal only rarely matching the car's color, and having letters and numbers in an ugly font on them. To help tone mine down, I'm using a black frame with smoked plastic cover. It is actually darker than it looks in the photos. Yes, I know that makes this car have something in common with the modified Hondas & Toyotas, but it actually does help the plate to match the black car a bit better.

I also did the "reverse black" hubcap mod, as you can see in the photo. Thanks for the idea, Gordo, and thanks to Mschuep for showing it to me on his car.

The Fabspeed premuffler & Dansk muffler required a bit of tweaking to get the outlet pipes aligned and as high as they should be. Not a lot, but be sure to bolt everything together loosely, align everything and then tighten.

Along with the exhaust mods, a SW chip was installed. They seem to work well together. Has anyone said lately that Steve Wong is THE MAN! Of course they have.

I debated about taking the rubber strips off of the bumper and filling in those holes, but I decided that to match the front I should keep them on, and I like how they add emphasis - kind of like eyebrows - to the pipes.

I REALLY like the look, but if I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I wouldn't have gone for the euro bumperettes. I am now very paranoid about another car tapping my rear bumper and breaking the license plate lights.

Next step: Euro ride height!

After bumper & exhause mods:

[911-32]

Maybe I just missed it, but in 7 pages has anyone actually weighed the alley bumper blade before they started cutting. The closest I see is a guess of 15lbs, is that right?

Like a doofus, I have gone and started cutting before measuring the "before" weight. Cutting out the section behind the euro licence plate and drilling 4 holes, I am down to 5.9kg with some more grinding/cutting to come.

Richard

[bkreigsr]

good question Richard.
Just swapping out the US bumperettes and crush tubes for euros knocked me down about 30 lbs.
Bill K

[911-32]

I have pretty much finished my bumper mods, inspired in no small part by this thread and the shining light of 89911 and others. I have run a naked bumper but with holes etc and some black vinyl for maybe 3 years and decided over winter to tidy it up. It started like this -



Holes were cut like this (the bumper is just sitting on the car not mounted) -



JB Weld was used to plug the holes and attach studs to the bumper. Mounts fabricated from Aluminium extrusion, like so -



More or less finished result with valence that had been previously cut for wide spaced 2-out muffler, though now running a 3-out rallye style muffler from M&K -





RB

[Mysterytrain]

DW,
I love that look! nice job. two questions for you... please explain 'not all black paints are created equal"? [ quess who needs to have their ducktail painted black ] and please explain the reverse black hub cap mod.

[dw1]

Originally Posted by Mysterytrain

DW,
I love that look! nice job. two questions for you... please explain 'not all black paints are created equal"? [ quess who needs to have their ducktail painted black ] and please explain the reverse black hub cap mod.

Thanks, Mysterytrain.

To answer you questions:

It may seem obvious, but when painting the bumper use a paint that is a good color-match for the Porsche color code, not a generic black. Like white paint, black comes in various pigment densities. Not shown in my posted photo is my first bumper painting, which looked a bit more "gray" in certain light.

The "reverse black" hubcap mod is detailed in the thread:
Fuchs Center Cap Finish

[rfloz]

At least some ROW bumpers have a hole for a tow (not tie-down) hook. The U. S. bumpers I have seen do not.

Originally Posted by 89911

Would it be feasible to use these two holes and a largish u-bolt for a tow hook (as mandated by some track rules)? Assume ROW bumper tubes, not bumper shocks.



I have not seen the inboard side of the ROW tow hook hole. I ass/u/me there is a threaded nut attached to the inner side of the bumper, possibly with some reinforcement. Does anyone know?

It seems to me a u-bolt attached with, e.g., a backing plate or large fender washers ought to be sufficient. Has anyone tied a tow hook directly to the rear bumper in any fashion?

[911-32]

The ROW bumper has a block of aluminium welded to the rear of the bumper. These are not the exact measurements, but its in the region of an inch square. The tow hook screws in like a big coach bolt, thru the bumper and into the block so there is approx an inch of engaged thread (maybe a little less).

The ROW bumpers came with this tow hook using either the bumper shock or the crush tube - so either is strong enough. I have been towed from a gravel trap beached up to the axles.

In the position you indicate, the bumper is a good 5+mm thick, so I would think your idea is fine.

HTH

[javadog]

Originally Posted by rfloz

At least some ROW bumpers have a hole for a tow (not tie-down) hook. The U. S. bumpers I have seen do not.

I have not seen the inboard side of the ROW tow hook hole. I ass/u/me there is a threaded nut attached to the inner side of the bumper, possibly with some reinforcement. Does anyone know?

It seems to me a u-bolt attached with, e.g., a backing plate or large fender washers ought to be sufficient. Has anyone tied a tow hook directly to the rear bumper in any fashion?

The rear tow hook for a ROW 911 of this vintage doesn't attach to the bumper. It merely passes through it and attaches to a slot cut into some of the rear structure of the car. The hook has a 90 degree bend on the end and a head similar to a lrage nail that fits into this correcponding slot. It is spring loaded (there is a spring on the tow hook) to keep it in place.

I'd suggest not using the bumper to attach a tow hook. I'd attach it through the bumper to something stouter behind it.

JR

[SilverWT]

Originally Posted by javadog

The rear tow hook for a ROW 911 of this vintage doesn't attach to the bumper.

This was the case on earlier IB cars, but at least since 84 it is as 911-32 describes it. My ROW 84 and all other 3.2s I have seen have the screw into the bumper arrangement.

[javadog]

Well, I stand corrected. I was thinking of the SC-era cars.

JR

[rfloz]

Originally Posted by 911-32

The ROW bumper has a block of aluminium welded to the rear of the bumper. These are not the exact measurements, but its in the region of an inch square. The tow hook screws in like a big coach bolt, thru the bumper and into the block so there is approx an inch of engaged thread (maybe a little less).

The ROW bumpers came with this tow hook using either the bumper shock or the crush tube - so either is strong enough. I have been towed from a gravel trap beached up to the axles.

In the position you indicate, the bumper is a good 5+mm thick, so I would think your idea is fine.

HTH

Thanks. That's two less holes to fill.

I want to remove the big, heavy black pads and swap Euro tubes for the shocks, but still retain a stockish look (I will keep the smaller horizontal rubber pads), while being track ready.

[gsmith660]

My car may finally be going to body and paint, it has been so long because the guy I want to paint it is swamped with insurance jobs and doesn't want to lose out with a time consuming restoration job. He is worth the wait though most people say he is the best in the area by far. I will post pics of the bumper when painted.

[ShakinJoe]

This is awesome stuff guys!! I am backdating my 87 carrera and have the F&R bumpers for sale if anyone wants to do some experimental cutting. Anther good idea is the tow hook shocks that rennline sells. BTW, my bumpers have not been posted yet, so if you are interested, PM me.

My build link for my 87 Carrera: 438 lbs gone in 5 days - My Build Story

[gsmith660]

Bumper primed painted soon.

[SCWDP911]

are you putting a chevy spoiler on that thing!? See, you are a bad influence... ;-)
bumpers look good. What color on the respray?

[gsmith660]

Originally Posted by Shane Van Wey

are you putting a chevy spoiler on that thing!? See, you are a bad influence... ;-)
bumpers look good. What color on the respray?

same spoiler as before I have a frakenstein (oops spelling again) also but its much better put together. I cant decide on the color I have it narrowed down to about 8 colors I guess I will get the book and let my wife and daughter pick the color so it might be pink LOL. Whe this is done I will start a thread on the various projects 5 major and numerous small all garnered from this forum.