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BUMPER INSERTS
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I have never liked the looks of the stock bumper's bumper inserts.
I think they look even more out of place on the cars with gfx. So after I had lived with this look...
I wanted to add
Ground Effects...
I had to do something w/ the bumpstrips. I had seen GFX w/ bumpstrips on the ProAm Firebirds and on other base models w/ aftermarket kits. I did not like the look, so with the thought of adding GFX on my car, I had to do something with the bumpstrips.
So to further lessen the base model look I did away with the black bumper inserts
Replacing them with Plexiglas panels...
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How I did it
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First I removed the bumper inserts.
You have to remove the frt & rear bumper covers or tear the holes on the inserts and/or bumper cover, your choice.
I tore a few of the inserts tabs holes to get access add then patiently unscrewed the rest.
From the backside...
Here is the insert...
The plexi I used is actually used for overhead florescent light fixtures.
It is textured with pyramids to diffuse the light.
Originally I was going to install lights behind the plexi, but there was really alot less room then I expected. At the time there were no really small light options. I would have to used slim line neon tubes, which the auto companies had not come out with yet.
That would get expensive quick, so I decided to wait.
So took some newspaper, pushed it tight to the bumper cover, where the insert was. I traced out a slightly larger outline with a sharpie. I held the paper form fitted ran the pen in the edges. At the bend I had form it as best I could with the paper and finish tracing. I cut this pattern larger and then held it up to the bumper, again I worked onn the lines to be sure they were perfect. I worked with it till I was comfortable using it as a template.
I sat down and traced the template on the smooth side of the plexi...what I used as the backside.
Then I began to cut the outline out. Again slightly larger, so I could tweak it perfect. I used a Dremel and a cut off wheel.
Wear eye protection. The plexi flings off in super hot small pieces that hurt like the dicken in your eye!
I started on the edge towards the center of the bumper cover. Little by little trimming it till it fit...
I moved out along the length...getting closer to the far edge where the bend was. Once I got the flat inner edge trimmed out and fitting right,
I began to work on the harder bend. I had not trimmed it since it was hard to say exactly how it would fit till it was heated and fitting tighter to the body.
I slowly heated the plexi and slowly bent it. It sure did not take much. Too much and the plexi would melt. Also you can melt your bumper cover doing this, so be careful. So I worked slowly with gloves.
I got the bend as close as I could. It was not perfect. There was only so much I could get it to bend before the plexi tried to form a sharp curve instead of the natural curve on the bumper cover. So that was as far as I went. The rest of the bend would come from screwing it down to the bumper with the natural bend of the plexi.
Then I began to trim the piece to fit into the indents left behind where the inserts used to sit. I finally got them just right by slowly trimming with my Dremel.
I had to keep going back and forth till the fit was perfect.
To finish them off, I decided to give them a reflective look. I got Transparent Red VHT metal tint and painted the side that would be against the car. This would avoid chipping the paint when rocks or bugs hit them. I then got some chrome tape and affixed it to the backside behind the paint and against the car.
Now they looked like my window tint, and were actually reflective as well...
To mount them to the car...I got very tiny screws. Long versions of sunglass arm screws. I had to buy a special small drill bit at a specialty store.
Here they are from the backside
Regular bits sets did not go small enough. I mounted one in each corner. After I drilled the holes and test fit the screws, I painted each of them with the transparent red paint to hide them by making them blend. It worked great!
You can�t even see the screws in the corners
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HOME PAGE
Follow this link to additional information on the car not found on this site!
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DIRECTORY FOR RAIF'S EXTERIOR SITE
01 Site Overview
02 Red Window Tint
03 Red Window Vinyl
04 Stance
05 Bumper Insert Conversion <<<
06 Ground Effects
07 Lower GFX Spoiler
08 SunCoast Hood
09 Shaving
10 Shaving Electronics
11 Antenna Relocation & Gas Tank Filler Neck Reroute
12 Headlight Conversion
13 Clear Front Turn Signals
14 Exterior Underbody Neon
15 Strobes
16 Spoiler
17 4h Gen Mirror Conversion
18 Tailights
19 Primer
20 Paint
21 Emblems
22 Smoothed TA Fender Vents
23 Clear Rear Side Markers
24 Paint: Jam Touch Up
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