Who has the best front and rear RUF bumpers for a mid 80's Carrera?

[BGCarrera32]

Concerned about fitment, longevity, and that they line up when they go on...

Thanks for your thoughts.

(and yes I realize I can do a search but am feeling lazy today)

Thanks!
BG

[GaryR]

MA Shaw, some some other dealers use his parts. Not sure what TRE uses but they are tops also. Not GT Racing IMHO.

[Dueller]

Ultimate RUF Conversion Thread

[Roc Doc]

RUF!

You did say "best".

[BGCarrera32]

Originally Posted by Roc Doc

RUF!

You did say "best".

Not really what I meant...and not helpful either.

Need opinions on the most reasonably priced, best quality aftermarket Ruf Yellowbird style bumpers. The problem with the Ultimate Ruf Conversion thread is half the guys don't mention who's pieces they are...
I saw a few on there (one set was from Rennspeed) that didn't look like they fit well at all and had a fair degree of mismatch.

[paulgtr]

due dilligence?

[GaryR]

I have this one for sale, genuine RUF, but I *think* it's sold..

[BGCarrera32]

Originally Posted by paulgtr

due dilligence?

Yes...too many goop in the gel-coat and slap in the e-glass type aftermarket products out there... If I am going to drop a grand on them I don't wish to be making major fitment corrections. Some of the bumpers in the conversion thread look terrible.

[williecoyote]

I did quite a bit of research before I purchased mine. The conclusion that I came to after scouring the Ultimate Ruf Thread was that the Getty Design bumpers were the way to go.
I was of the opinion that MA Shaw sourced his bumpers from Getty also, but I may be mistaken on that.
I also recall that Brad at BW Motorsports turned out a good product. A few people reported problems with his product, but also stated that he made it right when all was said, and done.

I was of the impression that the GT Racing products were for track cars, and the level of fit, and finish was lacking for a street car.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Getty Design, MA Shaw, TRE. I think they all use the same molds, or something. In any case, I ordered my IROC front airdam and rear bumper from Getty, and they fit perfectly. I'll never shop anywhere else.

[m110]

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32

Concerned about fitment, longevity, and that they line up when they go on...
BG

The original Ruf piece really is the best if fitment is what you are looking for. The few I have seen have been very good, not perfect. A friend just bought one from Ruf and it reportedly fits great.

Why is suggesting the Ruf piece unhelpful?

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by m110

... Why is suggesting the Ruf piece unhelpful?

I'm sure the Ruff pieces would fit great but they would be the most expensive option.

[PcarPhil]

IMO I think the Ruf pieces are the best, followed by Getty/MA Shaw.

I went with Rennspeed Ruf bumpers on my SC and was happy with the overall fit. The worst part of the bumpers were the turn signal buckets that had to be completely reworked. For someone who is competent with fiberglass this shouldn't be a big deal.

[tmsautoart]

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32

Not really what I meant...and not helpful either.

not needed...geez! Maybe you should have been a little clearer in your initial post.

[MotoSook]

(ETA: excuse the spelling errors. iPhone posting is a major PITA and Wayne won't allow regular view for iPhone users so editing and reviewing posts is Impossible.)

It's no secret which bumpers I have. Actually only have the front bumper and a stripped rear stock bumper.

The thing about fiberglass or carbon parts is that they will always require some fitting. Sometimes the effort is minimal. Other times you will bang your head against the wall. Add to the potential headache of a molded part the individual's mechanical aptitude (or lack of) and you can end up with a lot of emotional posts on the interweb.

I've had the displeasure of receiving some bad fiberglass parts from one or two retailers/manufacturers. Those who have been around here long enough may recall some of my rants. I will now only recommend Getty and BW to those who ask. I have not bought a fiberglass part from Dave at TRE, but I suspect he's better are QC than some retailers so parts from his shop may be on the better side of the mold. All this is this say that there will not be issues with parts from the places I recommend. The are afterall molded parts.

The customer service goes with the parts.

Also not all body guys are good body guys. I've seem some high dollar shops turn out bad fiberglass fitment and the customer was happy. So good fitment is rather subjective.

Bottomline, if you buy a mold part and expect a direct bolt up be prepared to be disappointed. If it turns out that you do not need extra effort to fit, be happy you go a part that came off a good mold and it cured perfectly and it was trimmed perfectly and the shipper handled it with feather lined pallets.

[Wavey]

+1 to Souk's comments. I installed BW's pieces last winter and found the quality and fit to be really good. The front was damn near a bolt-on, and the rear required only minimal fussing. Only problem with BW is he's a bit slow on delivery at times. Brad has some decent front and rear nerf bars too. As with all f/g pieces, you have to take your time fitting to the car, and prepping for paint. I don't think anything will be totally ready to paint and bolt on right out of the box.

[BGCarrera32]

Sorry on the "RUF" comments guys. I guess I assumed that RUF doesn't even aftermarket those bumpers out anymore...sounds like I'm wrong and will give them a call.

A few years back an acquaintance of mine swapped over to Yellowbird style bumpers on his car. He had to cut the front bumper in half at the center and remove ajust short of an inch out of the total length to get it to fit up. That's what I am trying to avoid. Trimming or tweaking here or there goes with the territory

Thanks for the feedback...

[MotoSook]

Hope your wallet is healthy if you are after a real Ruf bumper.

The front bumper on my car only needed aligning. The front fender edges are slightly pulled out to make with the bumper, maybe 1/8". With everything lined up and bolted, no one can tell. Lights went in without any mods.

I actually bumped a guy that pulled in front of my Carrera a month or so ago. He stopped and I slammed on my brakes and slid into him. I thought for sure the bumper would be cracked. I must have hit him at a couple of mph and his rear bumper raised with mine lowered from the rake of our cars generated by the braking. I just got a scuff that will probably buff out or I'll get it repainted.

The BW part comes primered and ready to paint. It is rigid and solid before mounting.

[175K911]

I'm really happy with my BW parts too. They were part of Souk's original GB, and I'm second owner. They've been on my car for a couple of years and are still in perfect shape. Nice quality work. Though Brad at BW can be extremely hard to get in touch with.

[Bill Verburg]

When I did my Ruf conversion back in the early '90s a Ruf bumper cap was > $2200, BW selling the same construction(f/g) was ~$400. I bought BW and a genuine Ruf lip spoiler for it w/ B&B oil cooler for less than 20% of Ruf prices.

The Ruf valance was unique in that it is made of p/u and somewhat more durable than f/g wrt impacts and was quite expensive too.

My BW has held up very well over the years surviving several fairly significant impacts w/ only minor surface scratching.