Front Bumper Modification UPDATE pics

[Guest spyhunter2k]

These pics are to update all on my "smoothing" project, in which I removed the wrap-around moulding from the car. Grinding the tabs along the side of the body was easy. Refining the shape of the bumpers has been the time-eater.

I still have more work to do on the front. The sides are pretty much done, but the front surfaces need to be blocked more to sharpen the lines along the leading edges of the bumper. You can see that they're still wavy right now. I went ahead and threw a coat of cheap primer on it so that I could take some pics. Hopefully, they show up--never tried to post them inside a message before...

[Guest spyhunter2k]

And another...

Click for full-size pics.

[Guest MauiWowee]

Looking good. Will you be able to show "before and after" pics when you get it painted? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Thanks. The car was red when I started. I'll try to find some good pics of a grey one and take finished photos of this car from the same angles for direct comparison.

This bumper will actually not stay on the car. As of now, I'm planning on pulling moulds from these modified front and rear bumpers, and then I will make fiberglass reproductions to replace these. Otherwise, my bumpers will always be half-Bondo, and the area that the filler blends into the factory urethane material could develop cracks.

Also, I'm still debating whether or not to add a front spoiler. I may need to for the simple reason of stabilizing the thin area below the grill.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Looks good spyhunter. I'm dying to see it painted, so I'm asking around for a Photoshop engineer. Will post back if I find someone.

I give you credit for your project.

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Believe me I'm ready to see it painted too! At least for now the front doesn't look like a patchwork of red original paint, black urethane, and blue filler. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Before I finish it, I will be turning my attention to getting the front down another inch... more on that when it's done...

[DTakas]

-----

Edited January 2, 2019 by DTakas (see edit history)

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Heck yeah, the proposed wide body project would also be sweet

[manikmekanik]

I don't see any pix!

Is your computer off?

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Thanks to all for the positive feedback. After all of the hours involved so far, I needed it!

The pics are being hosted by 123pichosting. I can see them in the post now. There may have been a problem with the hosting when you pulled up the post before. If you still can't see them, I can email them to you.

I would be wary of selling the original bumpers since I don't know how well they would hold up long-term. Once I have moulds made, though, I would have no problem making a few additional fiberglass copies and selling them if the demand was there.

[Rawja]

Very nice. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[RayS]

I need a fronr bumper, do you have one for sale, or a set of the fiber glass after you finish.

It looks great!!!!!

Ray

[Guest spyhunter2k]

It could be several more months until the project is finished. It will depend on how/if I proceed with adding a lower spoiler to the front bumper. If/when I have a mould that copies can be pulled from, I will post that here.

To give myself a small break from the front, I have actually turned my attention back to the already-smoothed rear bumper. I am extending the sides of the bumper downward a few inches, but only the sides. I'll post update pics when I've roughed them in and primed them.

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Here's a rough idea of what I want to do to the sides of the rear (I'm using a nice hi-res pic of F14's car) that I just did in Paint:

Many have expressed dissatisfaction with the rear bumper looking too "high." With one of these new rear bumpers, the lower rocker panels could be painted body-colored to match, or the lowered parts of the rear bumper could be painted black to match the present black color of the rockers.

[Guest TommyH]

i would like to find an aftermarket kit for a different car, and mod it to fit the reatta, then rip molds of it, and sell, or maybe try to get a company that makes that kind of stuff to make it. id like to have a lower bumper, and side skirts. make it look like what it should look like.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

That rear bumper looks promising. I feel honored that you used my car as your running prototype <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

To me, though, the front end needs to be lowered. It just doesn't seem quite right to add ground effects to the front without making the entire front end lower.

Hey Nic sent me some pix the other day, don't know why I didn't post them. Imma attach them in a few minutes.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I need to ask Nic where he got these

[Guest F14CRAZY]

This car is said to be and marked as being turbocharged

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Another view

[Guest TommyH]

not exactly what i imagined, but we're getting there!!

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I wonder what the pieces are prescribed for? They seem to fit pretty darn well like they're supposed to be for a Reatta

[manikmekanik]

I still see none of your pix here, spyhunter2k, but F-14's come up fine.

Is it me?

[Guest MauiWowee]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is it me? </div></div>

Randy, his pics are actually links. Perhaps you have that disabled. Or maybe it's cheese in your computer........ <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Rawja]

How 'bout this?

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Thanks Rawja!

I like the hood scoop on the blue car. It is very similar to the one I considered in the past. The black car looks to have a custom made front air dam that travels underneath the bumper and widens as it attaches to the sides. It also gives a peek at what a horizontal grill would look like. I had thought of doing this. Are these cars actually one and the same in different phases of modification? The reason I ask is that the side skirts are exactly the same on both cars...

As far as lowering the front bumper, it may be a bit lower with the addition of a front spoiler, but not much. Once the car is properly lowered in the front (about 1.5-2" lower than stock) and a front spoiler is added (about 1" below factory), that will be about as close as I want my front end to the pavement.

[DeeBee]

Just my 2 cents but that photoshopped rear end looks real bulky, almost like the cladding you see on so many Japanese cars. If you make it too bulky it looks like just another glued on import.Larger wheel and lowering might look a lot better. How about this one? Not so bulky looking yet it covers more airspace below the original rear and with a slightly larger wheel.

[Guest TommyH]

i like this just fine! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[DeeBee]

I do agree, that other touchup was just an alternative. The standard looks nice and trim with balance. I'm not in favor of cladding styles so common on the imports these days. There is something to be said about slim.

[Guest TommyH]

so nobody noticed the anntena? its not there!!

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Whoa, my hitch isn't there either

[manikmekanik]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Whoa, my hitch isn't there either </div></div>

spyhunter cut-and-pasted it on his car, for the day, so he could pick up a parts car.

I'm sure he'll replace it when he's done, Phil!

[Guest TommyH]

i didnt think there was a hitch to begine with! do they just bolt right up? or do i have to be modded? do u like the missing anntenna?! i think i might do that,but i would have to find a diferent kind. i thought it would be cool to take one of those remote mount antenas that have the motor separated from the shart ting, and mount ti on the trunk lid almost at the edge by the glass. but it sticks down to far. o-well

[Guest spyhunter2k]

I agree that at first, the new rear looks a bit bulkier, but I really think that it is due to the simple fact that we are not used to seeing it with the fullness that it should have if it would have been designed with proportions similar to other sport coupes.

Observe...

See how far down the rear goes on Corvette C5s (red) before it curves towards the rear tire. I also pulled a pic of an Aston Martin Vanquish. It's not quite as low in the rear, and I may end up lowering the rear a bit less, as with this car. Either way, I'm pretty sure that the sides of the rear will come down some, even if only a few inches.

Really, though. Look at the pic of my proposed modified rear bumper several days later, after the initial unfamiliarity passes. After a while, it will seem that this is more correct, and the original one will look abnormally high. At least, that is what has happened with me. I do welcome the honest feedback, though. I have a thick skin.

[Guest spyhunter2k]

I might as well post this while I'm getting feedback (thanks again to F-14 as I used his car pic as a base):

Here are the changes I was playing around with here:

1) Front bumper smoothing (achieved except for the lower spoiler/flare-out)

2) Rear bumper smoothing (achieved except for the lowered sides)

3) Slightly lowered side-skirts (planning stages)

4) Removal/smoothing of body side moulding (achieved)

5) Raise trunk by 2-3" (still deciding-would appreciate any thoughts).

[Guest F14CRAZY]

I think I'm the only one that doesn't like hubcaps <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Took me a few seconds to figure out that it was a Reatta. Not a bad thing at all though spyhunter, just quite a bit different than what I'm used to. I lost my hard drive so I don't have the original high res versino of that pic.

How do you think the trunk would look if it had a molded spoiler, like the Lumina and Monte Carlo did in the 90s?

Very innovative work though

[Guest F14CRAZY]

Oh yeah, and it just HAS to have round fog lamps <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Guest MauiWowee]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">5) Raise trunk by 2-3" (still deciding-would appreciate any thoughts). </div></div>

Could you be more clear on that? Or are you referring to a raised lip as mentioned by Phil? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Guest spyhunter2k]

Maui, look closely at the trunk area of the last pic. The whole trunk has been raised straight up, giving the car a higher profile in the rear to match the rear profile of many other sports cars. the lower flare-out of the front bumper matches closely the Reatta GSX prototype. I may alter the look of the lower front spoiler area though if/when I add it to my working front bumper.

F14, I'll have to look at those other cars you mentioned to see how that would look. Sorry about the hubcaps--it was just so easy to airbrush some in for the sample pic. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> ...

[jonlabree]

Anyone have any further info on the blue car? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Rawja]

For Manik:

I think it looks cool, the front end is reminicent of the Buick Wildcat and Pontiac Banshee concepts from the eighties.