Turbo Front Bumper

Hi Guys I am in the middle of my Turbo Front Bumper conversion on my 2003 Lapis Blue Targa and I am stuck with the following questions which I hope some of you can help me with: 1) The Turbo bumper is shorter on the bottom by about 3 inches. The original bumper has 3 holes underneath in the middle where it bolts to the bottom. On the turbo bumper these are about 3 inches shorter. My mechanic suggested using a short metal strip to link the two but there would still be a gap. Does anyone know what the right solution is? 2) The original aluminium bumper shows through the vents. We will probably paint it black to hide it but can it be cut? 3) I read on the forum that some work needs to be done to direct the airflow to the rads. How is this done? 4) Will there be any airflow issues with the centre vent as it serves no purpose on a normal C2. Thanks in advance. Cheers Sandman

1) You mechanic is correct - Use a short metal strip to tie them together. 2) - Flat black paint - I used a high heat resistant paint. You can get it at a home improvement stores in a spray can. Also get a small foam brush. Spray the paint into a cup and use the brush to touch up. 3) Use silicone to re-direct the air vents. Lastly, my outside temperature gauge doesn't fit into the opening - so it just sits inside the bumper. Other than that - looks good and no difference noted in engine temperature. Wait 30 days for the paint to dry and have a clear bra put on.

SandMan: I jist did this, but I haven't a clue as to answers to your questions. Hopefully my body shop didn't screw it up. For pics, see http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/pana0145_copy1.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/pana0139_copy3.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/pana0146_copy3.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/pana0141_copy3.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/pana0137.jpg Gary

Hey CCL ACAB Thanks a ton. You have answered all my questions. But just to clarify-- How do you use silicon to redirect the air into the rads Thanks Again SANDMAN

I actually had my body shop do it. Somehow they re-attached the louvers with silicone. I didn't look too closely, but everything looks OK and the fit is perfect, so I am really pleased with the look.

Hey CCL ACAB Thanks a ton. You have answered all my questions. But just to clarify-- How do you use silicon to redirect the air into the rads Thanks Again SANDMAN

didn't they cut the bumper? you shouldn't be able to see it through the vents. they are supposed to lop off an inch or two on either side. don't worry about the bottom three. it's more to hook up the factory splash guard if you have it. the other mounting points are more than secure to hold it on. mine is rock solid and was done at the dealer. not sure what you're talking about with redirecting the vents. i used the stock ducts and the turbo openings are at least as wide as the ducts. no change in airflow. i have two turbo ducts for sale if you want them, although my dealer said they wouldn't fit on my 02. get a C4s grill for the center. it covers it up nicely. completely blocks the hole. go over to 6 speed and do a search for more details on the turbo bumper conversion. a bunch of us have done it over there.

Thanks Deputydog We are keeping the original bumper but painting it black. I willl be using a racing silver mesh over the turbo intakes so it wont really be visible. For the center vent we devised an excellent solution- we used the black plastic off the original bumper and cut the sides off. This fits quite easily behind the center vent and the way it is designed it will redirect air straight into the rads. And it wont be visible through the wire mesh. I will post some pictures when done. Thanks again Sandman

Hi again Deputydog What is the web address for 6 speed. Sandman

Wating for your pics J.Seven

Heres what mine looked like after the conversion , I'll post more if you like

Looks great, you can almost tell that�s a C4S. Please post more pics from the side and front and....... every angle J.Seven

Here are the latest from a track day

It really looks fantastic, although I prefer the Carrera 4 S lip. I�m really thinking on making this upgrade more and more. Any ideia of the final cost? Thanks for the great pics. J.Seven

Gary is it my wrong impression, or does your car sits much higher on the suspensio than carbon_00 car??? Here�s the comparo between you car, my car wich is Euro specs and carbon�s car.

J Steven: The pics certainly make my car look like a 4x4, but I think it's an illusion created by my uneven driveway. My blacktop slopes down from back to front, so the front of the car looks very, very high. Also, in the pic that you posted, I was sitting down, which I beleive accentuates the height of the car. From a standing position, the front end looks pretty close to the ground. Basically, my pics suck-- the car and the turbo bumper look a lot better in person. I'm thrilled with the new nose and kskirts-- the car looks 100x more aggressive. Having said that, my 996 has the stock suspension, which I think is way too high. I plan to upgrade to the x74 sometime soon. Gary

6speedonline.com great 996 forum. very good classified section. you'll see lots of people here posting over there as well.

I've noticed that the 02 and newer cars sit a tad higher then 99-01's. I have done a side by side comparison with mine and a friends 02 Cab

I've found several threads about turbo front bumpers, and even this great "how to" thread. Could someone please clarify if there are any additional issues, fitment, extra parts, etc., for the pre '02 cars? thanks!

There is a lot of additional issues, fitment, extra parts, etc. for the pre '02 cars!! The shape of the 1998-2001 cars' headlights are different so the OEM Turbo bumper will NOT fit. Do a search on this site on "facelift" or "face lift" and you will see a bunch of threads by people who replaced the headlights and fenders on their 1998-2001 cars in onder to fit the OEM Turbo bumper.

thanks-I saw a number of "facelift" threads, but they seemed to be geared toward doing the +02 upgrade. I'll dig deeper. While I'm not really up for a full "areo-look, I Love those big nostrils!

If you have a pre-02 (a.k.a. pre-facelift) car then you have to convert your headlights and fenders to be able to fit the OEM Turbo bumper. Now there are several companies (e.g. MAShaw and NR Auto) that sell aftermarket "Turbo-look" bumpers -- essentially a bumper that looks like the OEM Turbo bumper but made to acommodate the older style headlights. Be careful when choosing aftermarket bumpers though. Most of them are made from fiberglass and fiberglass does not hold up against hits as well as the OEM polyurethane bumpers. You may also have some fitment issues with fiberglass bumpers because they are less flexible compared to polyurethane bumpers. I realize it is quite pricey but I have been very happy with my RUF RGT bumper. It is made from polyurethane like the factory bumper and it comes with bigger intakes and custom duct work to aid in brake cooling in addition to providing more downforce. You should check it out at www.rufautocentre.com .

One thing that I've picked up in my thread research is about the fiberglass issue. I'll make sure that I avoid those. Thanks again for the clarification on the OEM, and additional head's up!

I would have thought that the Turbo bumper would fit right up to a 2002+ 996 C2 because the 40th anniv. editions have the turbo bumper on them... ? Or is the anniv edition bumper slightly different from the turbo bumper?