2002 to 2003 Front Bumper Swap - Done!
 

My 2002 Boxster base rolled off in a parking lot and lightly hit a tree, slightly damaging the front bumper cover on the driver side. While arranging for the repairs, I considered upgrading to a GT3 bumper but decided against it due to significant cost differential. However, once I realized 2002 and 2003 bumper covers and grilles were priced exactlly the same, I asked the body shop to order and install the 03 bumper. I figured the extra cost would be limited to buying an extra 03 grille for the passenger side. So, they orderd:

03-04 Bumper Cover 986 505 311 05 G2X $879.82
03-04 Grille, Left 986 505 553 03 01C $31.64
03-04 Grille, Right 986 505 554 03 01C $31.64

The shocking surprize came when we realized that the body-colored horizontal louvers weren't integral to the bumper cover and had to be ordered seperately:

03-04 Grille Lamina, UL 986 505 531 00 G2X $72.59 :eek:
03-04 Grille Lamina, UR 986 505 532 00 G2X $72.59
03-04 Grille Lamina, LL 986 505 533 00 G2X $72.59
03-04 Grille Lamina, LR 986 505 534 00 G2X $72.59

Over $300 for four small pieces of plastic that weren't even painted! :eek:

It's done, and I think it looks better. However, I might have been better off doing the GT3 upgrade after all.

I hope this will be helpful to others considering the same swap (I am resisting the urge to call this an upgrade not wanting to start a debate over whether or not this constitues an improvement to the old look of the car).

Regards


PS, the new bumper doesn't fit flush with the front hood line and forms a little bit of a lip. Can someone with an 03-04 Boxster confirm whether or not this is the correct fit?

wow I was considering doing this but didnt realize the cost!

Do you have pics if the 4 pieces that costed the $73 each?

There are screws at the top of the bumper that you can loosen and then pull back or move forward the bumper to adjust the fit. There is about an inch or so of free play. To get to those screws, you have to take the plastic trim cover off first which is held by 3 plastic screws. You'll see it once you open the trunklid.

I considered doing the same, but realized the front grills would no longer match the side grills, adding additional expense. In addition, my front bumper cover is perfect, minus a few scratches under the nose from steep drives (unavoidable on a lowered car).

Please post some pics when you can.

You don't want the edge of the front bumper to be flush with the front edge of the hood.
The hood needs to be 1/8" to 1/4" below the bumper's trailing edge.
If you have them flush you could get a very loud and annoying whistle at speed.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Here are some photos. Also, this turned out to be a much bigger expense that originally anticipated, so I will post the old bumper cover in the classified section in hope of recouping some money. Let me know if interested. I am in SoCal.

Looks like it's mounted correctly, according to Pedro.

It is also a nice update...not nearly as stand-out as the GT3 front, which begs for additional body mods to flow correctly.

This is perfect, I don't think the GT3 bumper will be fitting to what you have on the car at its current state.

Where did you order the horizontal louvers? Did you call suncoast or sunset for a quote? They might have better prices on them.

I let the body shop order from whichever porsche dealership they have an account with. They got 25% off (I got a copy of the invoice) but charged me list, which I am OK with since they billed as much of it to my insurance as they reasonably could. Plus, it's a top notch body shop, the kind where everyone handles your car with white gloves. And, they give a lifetime warranty with their work.

in your list you paid for 6 grilles?

The left & right grilles (also called retainers) are black unpainted parts that help support the body-colored louvers (called Lamina) in place. Think of it this way: grilles are the framework and louvers are the deco trim pieces.