kev

Hey Fellas,

I have my rear bumper cover removed due to an OTE. Since I was in there I also removed the rear crash bar. However a large heat shield is riveted to the bar. Any thoughts on running the car without this heat shield. Will my new bumper be okay?

Second question...the rear center reflector is mounted with three brackets that are riveted to the top of the bumper cover. Anyone have any experience remounting the reflector without the brackets? I'd like to avoid the trouble of re-riveting and aligning the brackets on my new bumper.

Thanks as always.

mindovermotors

HEY KEVIN,
MY THOUGHTS ON RUNNING THE CAR WITHOUT THE HEAT SHIELD DEPENDS ON YOUR CURRENT EXHAUST CONFIGURATION. IF YOU STILL HAVE MOST OF THE FACTORY EXHAUST SUCH AS CAT. CONVERTERS, MUFFLERS ETC... THEN YOUR REAR PLASTIC BUMPER WOULD NOT LAST LONG DUE TO THE HEAT GENERATED OUT OF THESE PARTS. IF YOU HAVE HEADERS AND STRAIGHT PIPES YOU COULD RUN THE CAR WITHOUT THE HEAT SHIELD. WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE TRY TO RUN THE REAR REFLECTORS ON BOTH FIBERGLASS AND STOCK BUMPERS WITHOUT THE BRACKETS, AND ALTHOUGH THEY SEEM TO HOLD WELL IN THE SHOP, UNDER RACING OR DRIVING CONDITIONS THEY WILL FALL OUT. IT IS NOT TO DIFFICULT TO USE THE STOCK BRACKETS AND THEY DON'T WEIGH TO MUCH.
HOPEFULLY I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS
TIM WIENER

JC in NY

If you are considering running the car without the rear bumper reinforcement I would reconsider. That piece does an incredible job to protect the body. A small impact that would bend the bumper support tubes will absolutely crush the whole back of the car if you remove the aluminum bumper reinforcement bar.

kev

Tim,

Thanks so much for the reply, very helpful.

I'm currently running the cats with Fabspeed muffler bypass straight pipes. As you've pointed out the mufflers and cats are in very close proximity of the bumper. Looking at the crash bar, the large heat shield is fastened by four bolts to the crash bar. I'm going to try to mount the shield at the two points that were holding the crash bar. Will require drilling of the shield, but it should work. Otherwise, it looks like I'll be in the market for some cat bypass pipes.

Also going to Dremel of the rivets holding the brackets onto the old bumper and reuse them on my new euro bumper. I hadn't noticed before, but the euro bumper already has the pre-drilled rivet holes for the brackets, so this should be no sweat.

Welcome to Rennlist Tim!

kev

JC,

Since I don't drive my car on the street except to and from the track, dropping the rear crash bar is a compromise I'm willing to make. I don't imagine that the RSCS or Cup Cars have a crash bar (but perhaps other structural improvements?) I did plan on leaving the front bar intact due to safety concerns like the fuel tank and less mass between driver and front versus rear.

mindovermotors

KEVIN,
THE CUP CARS DO COME WITH A REAR CRASH BAR AND THE TOW HOOK IS THE SAME AS THE STREET CAR BUT LEFT IN PLACE FOR TOWING CARS AT THE TRACK , THEY ALSO HAVE THE HEAT SHIELDS IN PLACE BECAUSE THEY COME FROM THE FACTORY WITH CAT CONVERTERS.
TIM WIENER

JC in NY

On the contrary, they did have them. However some teams removed the bars to save some weight and when they hit something the resulting damage was ten times what it would have been with the bar in place. You will really regret removing that bar if someone taps you or something...

Flying Finn

Kevin,

Since you have good acces, would you mind telling how those bumperette brakets are attached to the chrash bar?

Is it so that if i "knock" the rivets (that hold them on the chrash bar) on bottom of the each bracket, they'll come loose or?
I'm removing them while bumper cover is in place so I'm not sure how to do it (I don't want to just dremel the piece in half.

Thanks!

kev

FF,

They are secured by two rivets on the bottom side of each bracket. These are large rivets but it appears they can be drilled out.

Flying Finn

Thanks Kevin,

That's how I though, just wanted to be sure before I start doing this.

mike cap

Petu,

Save yourself a lot of aggravation and cursing and Dremel them off. Five minutes total and they'll both be on the ground. Use a carbide wheel on the Dremel tool and cut a line thru the (soft) aluminum on the underside.

Lay on your back and look up at the bracket - you'll see how the brackets attach and where to make the cut. The whole bracket will fall off in your hand. This is how I did it with the bumper cover in place.

Flying Finn

Thanks Mike,

I'll see how much I want to curse.. (Probably forst curse a lot, and then take tha dremel out & cut the...).

BTW, where did you have the holes filled & painted? Just some regular paint shop or do you need some "special" place for this, how much was it (did you do fronts also)?
I know it's plastic & can't be that hard (and pricey) but just want to know a little before I start asking.

Thanks.

mike cap

Petu,

My "regular" (I'm a regular there, not because of me - it's my wife and TWO daughters who drive) body shop did it. To them it was just a straightforward patch of bumper cover holes. They were very concious of the special nature of the car and took extra masking precautions, etc.

I did front and rear. All work was done on the car - bumper covers did not come off. Both FR and RR came out fantastic. This is the least expensive and most stunning cosmetic improvement to the FR and RR of a 993.

Price? Well, actually never got a bill from the guys. Probably since I'm such a "good" customer. My guess is it would have been about a $500 bill from them, or less. Then add it your new signal lights.

Flying Finn

Thanks again!

I already have Euro signal lights, just masked the holes with red tape (matches actually my car's color pretty well), just couldn't stand those front bumperettes, I don't understand why I still have the rears...