Shortened rear bumper with alum support

[atc250r]

Quote:
Simply put, that looks better than rear jdm bumpers. SICK.



Wait, is that a USDM bumper re-cut at the wheel well? That really is a great alternative to JDM bumpers.

John

 

Weight savings of totally REMOVING the bumper bar is 50 pounds so I don't think this will save quite that much. Mine is totally gone with just the foam support to hold it up. I may redo it to try and save a few more pounds but I'm not sure it will be much more.

 

[curtis]

I dropped 48 pounds with the tie dow brackets and the removal of foam and the replacement of the bumper. The foam by its self weight in at 7 pounds. The top picture shows the scale. Part of the weight was also the dirt debrib and rust scale that fell out.

 

Nice work bro, I'm in the process of doing this with the front bumper. It's almost done but not quite. The rear will be next. To think I was the only one with this idea! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Do you have anymore pics of that rear support off the car? Might save me and some others some time? You said you had to beat the sheet metal in on the sides? Is that correct? What did you use to cut the bumper cover because my dremel just isn't doing a very good job. It's a good thing I had a junk spare front cover. Looks as good as I thought it would! Excellent work bro!

 

[curtis]

I posted all the photos I have. As for cutting I used a Jig saw but before I started I covered the both of the saw with about 10 layers of blue painters tape to keep the metal off the paint. I also used a vibator sander on a few spots and a hand file on a few others the jig saw does the best on urethane covers because it cuts and doesn't create the heat from friction that a rotary file or cut of wheel does. As for the beating the bottonm corners have a lip that sticks out. I started by hammering it flat with the body then went up a little higher on the point that sticks out and started hammering it in. This was something I didn't expect but sh*t happens. The bumper cover accually is a slight bit smaller just as is raps around the back so this had to be done. The biggest problem in cutting this was the trimming of the corners just below the lights due to the radius in the corner and due to the fact that the cover got smaller so I took off a blade width at a time.

I started by cutting the top then put it on then sarted trimming the corner radi's then beat in the corners and so on and so forth. when all of that was done I drilled the bottom two mounting holes in the cover and last cut the wheel wels. Before you guys start this project coat the heck out of the 10 mm bolts with WD-40 on the underside and where ever else because I had to drill out and retap a few.

 

Ah yes the foam. Maybe I could drop a few more pounds if I get rid of it.

50 pounds metal
7 pounds foam
18 pounds ureathane/plastic bumper cover

 

[curtis]

autobahntom just offered me some mudflaps but would take some work so I come up with a solution for the problem of gettting dirt and debris in the space that is left from cutting off the lip. I'm going to run a strip of wide masjking tape down the edge of the body next to the wheel well then reinstall everything and fill the crack with 3M windsheild urethane. After it cures I can slice it with a razor and call the project complete.

As for the red marker lights they won't fit anymore so I'm taking some of the scraps from the cover I had left over and cutting out some rectangles to fill the holes with and maybe find some small red led markers or just install the covers and not the lights. If you do the project you'll understand because the lights now have no place to resess into. When everything is finallized I'll post somemore pictures.

 

[cheekychimp]

Curtis,
Were Tom's mudflaps OEM ones? PM me before you do anything.

Paul.

 

[curtis]

Well sorry for pulling up old history but there's new members now and people are talking about sending there car to see Jenny Craig so here's the after effects of a year.....Zero problems, installed cheap little leds in the lights. I've been lazy and haven't filled in around where I cut around the wheels probably 5 pounds of dirt in there. I'm doing the same for our Hong Kong connection, so I'll paint, patch panel the dents in the corners and seal with urethane later this month. Thats it.
Pictures.. enjoy

PS zoom in on my tag everyone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

 

Pics of the gap from cutting between bumper and chassis please!

 

[curtis]

I guess your wanting the photos of the wheel well ????? To see the gap if so I'll post some tomorrow.

 

[JNR]

Wow, how did I miss this thread, lol...

Damn nice work and thanks for sharing. I had similar ideas of pulling the USDM bumper inward and glad to see it can be done and look good /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

*adds another thing to the list, ha ha*

 

[lunchbox]

That looks really wierd. Not sure if I like it.

Very very clean and well executed though.

 

Quote:
PS zoom in on my tag everyone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif







Did anyone zoom in @ the tag /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

 

[1941Galant]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

 

Calling out Blacksheep /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worthy.gif

 

Quote:






How did you do those headlights?

 

[curtis]

Man I build stuff. I look at stuff and think and think until my mind starts to explode then stuff like this happens. I try to make things as clean as possible and am totally anal during the process. My biggest thing when done if it looks out of place or not professional it goes away. Nothing better to be modified and people not know.


Just like the signal lights which are now headlights. I was out in the shop one day and had one of the lens and started looking and then a few weeks later I stayed over at school and milled out the edge pieces and went back over and sanded and run a file for about and hour and they fit. I did a wrire up about these a few years ago and also built Paul's and Hill's headlights and Paul's JDM fogs. Which I like better than any I've done.
There's other weird stuff on the car that no one has never noticed from all the pictures I've posted. I have an extra VR4 windshild wiper spoiler on the passenger side. Junkyard score. The wing on the decklid has been shifted back about and inch or so. And have a wind deflector under the nose. I was mowing at the airport one day and it was laying next to the road. Didn't have any clue what it cam off of but it was install the first day I had it. Keeps me from draging on curbs because I here it first. Also good for bumping laser beams at the track. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[blacksheep]

Funny, Curtis. Real funny!

 

[curtis]

Sorry brother had to do it after the rice killer incident earlier. I know paybacks a bitch.