Stock bumpers & diet options

[CMDR Perry]

To save a few hundred bucks what are my options to significantly lighten up my stock SC bumpers. I.E. make my own in FRP using them as a form, acid dipping, milling the stock units, drilling many large holes etc.

Looking for options from the vast Pelican Engineering knowledge-base.

Thanks, DP Lindman

[GaryR]

What result are you looking for? Easiest to achieve maximum weight loss is remove the bumpers and all the shocks/mounting hardware and replace with a fiberglass piece. If you want to retain the shocks you can, just make up something to fit behind the FG to spread the impact. For a stock look you can dump the big rubber blocks and fill the holes. It all depends on what you want to accomplish...

[CMDR Perry]

Gary I want reduced weight on each end of the car and hope to save money by doing it myself versus buying aftermarket fiberglass pieces.

The ultimate goal is improved performance more than an RSR look. DP Lindman

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by CMDR Perry

Gary I want reduced weight on each end of the car and hope to save money by doing it myself versus buying aftermarket fiberglass pieces.

The ultimate goal is improved performance more than an RSR look. DP Lindman

Then I would say do the bumperette removal for starters. There are a lot of things to remove depending on if you want (slow) impact protection, trim, sound deadening, etc..

[Buckterrier]

I've removed the bumper guards on my Carrera. They weigh about 9 lbs. each. I took them off because I thought they dated the car and it looks much better without them. The added bonus was the weight loss.

[paulgtr]

how do you have light on the license plate?

[Buckterrier]

Wish I had pictures on this computer. I used BMW lights. I think our host sells them. There are various threads on the process and lighting. You mount them right on the bumper. Use the existing wiring. It's pretty easy. It has to be, I was able to do it!

[paulgtr]

cool
I'll poke around. would love to get rid off those lead weights

[911st]

The rear rubbers are about 16 lbs. You could remove the stock hydraulic struts and make some aluminum tubes to replace them.

I think it is renspeed that make the bumper blades out of fiber glass that look like stock and are about $170each or so. One could use this and take some 35 lbs off the rear and still look almost stock.

See: www.Rennspd.Com

The stock exhaust is a good place to look for weight to. Factory Carrera or 930 tails and decks are about 50 lbs. RS duck tails are about the lightest option.

[mickey356]

I don't know how much weight you can take off without spending some money. Yes, the bumper guards, rubber strips, etc.... will remove about 20lbsm but after that you have to start shaving aluminum. If you don't care what it looks like than start drilling those big holes though on the front of the car, at speed, it might be a little tricky without proper downforce, can't say for sure.
Like someone has already said, it depends on what you're looking for; Fiberglass replacements are probably the best way to go if you're only concern is weight. If you want protection I don't know what good your bumpers will do with a bunch of holes drilled in them. They'd probably break up in any kind of impact.

[CMDR Perry]

Thanks ST, the FRP rear copy looks like a reasonable option. Stock appearance with much less weight. Here is the current view from the back, I already have the small European Bumperettes. I would like to install a ducktail next year, the current engine cover is all fiberglass.

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by 911st

The rear rubbers are about 16 lbs. You could remove the stock hydraulic struts and make some aluminum tubes to replace them.

I knew they were heavy. I remember weighing mine when I removed mine but didn't want to overstate the weight.

Originally Posted by Buckterrier

Wish I had pictures on this computer. I used BMW lights. I think our host sells them. There are various threads on the process and lighting. You mount them right on the bumper. Use the existing wiring. It's pretty easy. It has to be, I was able to do it!

Here is the thread that has everything on it... mine is on page 2

The official modified bumpers thread!!!.

[pgeorgeson]

I bought a used fiberglass rear bumper that needed a little work for $100. By the time I sold off my bumper shocks, bumper pads, etc., it ended up being about a wash. Therefore, less weight and almost no $$.

[Steve W]

This tread has lots of data:
438 lbs gone in 5 days - My Build Story

From the data, and stripping out all the unnecessary you could keep the the rear stock bumper blade and be within 19 lbs of a full fiberglass bumper, or if you mill the blade, probably within 16 lbs. Substituting a fiberglass blade would get you within 7 lbs of the full fiberglass bumper with no crash protection.

The front is not as easy, but you could remove about 12 lbs which would bring you to within 26 lbs of full fiberglass. Substituting the stock blade with a fiberglass one would be within 13 lbs.

[ShakinJoe]

Originally Posted by Steve W

This tread has lots of data:
438 lbs gone in 5 days - My Build Story

From the data, and stripping out all the unnecessary you could keep the the rear stock bumper blade and be within 19 lbs of a full fiberglass bumper, or if you mill the blade, probably within 16 lbs. Substituting a fiberglass blade would get you within 7 lbs of the full fiberglass bumper with no crash protection.

The front is not as easy, but you could remove about 12 lbs which would bring you to within 26 lbs of full fiberglass. Substituting the stock blade with a fiberglass one would be within 13 lbs.

Thanks for the plug Steve! I plan on finishing that thread up very shortly which gets into brakes and more.