No Stinkin' Bumperettes
 

I found a solution for those ugly bumperettes. I saw a similar mod on here where someone cut a hole in their bumper and then placed mesh behind it. I left the bumper cover 100% intact though. This is a layer of black plastic with a perforated metal plate (not mesh) over the top of it. I put some chrome trim around the edges to clean it up a bit (you could also use black trim). The metal plate is clear coated to help keep it from rusting. I don't know... personally I like the look. This is a picture from our PCA tour this last weekend.

Kirk

Wow!
 

Looks great! Would you mind doing a step by step write up.

It was actually pretty simple... I took off the bumperettes and the rear bumper cover. I removed the rear bumper itself and drilled out the metal mounts/supports that hold the bumperettes in place. This then left me with a flat, clean bumper to put the bumper cover back over. I cut out some thin plastic to cover the bumperette openings and I painted the plastic flat black and held it in place with some double-sided tape. Then I cut out a matching cover from perforated metal plate material. I cleaned the plate to a shine and then clear coated the metal to keep it from rusting. I used some $8 chrome trim around the edges to clean it up and to cover my rough cuts. I then screwed the metal plate in place (over the black plastic) with several small screws, making sure to ONLY put holes in the bumper that would be covered by the license plate or old bumperettes. This way the mod is 100% reversible if I ever want to go back to bumperettes for some unknown reason... I finished it off with a chrome license plate cover to match the trim pieces.

One cool trick I learned when making the plate was this - I totally covered the area where the plate would go with wide masking tape. I then used a marker to trace the exact edge of the opening where the plate would fit. I also traced out the openings for the license plate mount and tow hook mount (it's under the license plate). I then very carefully removed the masking tape pattern in one big piece, laid it on the metal plate, and cut out the metal plate using this template. Worked perfectly....

Very sleek, clean look. I like it!!

Are you thinking of making any kits? I think I would be interested if the price was right! Looks great!

wow that looks really good...

That looks great! :D
I might try it, my black bumperettes are getting a bit worn.

Nice, but those taillights make me vomit. Good idea, but it looks like flat military gray. Shine it up, or clear it, or something. Constructive criticism, I had to redo mine the first time too.

I appreciate the criticism, no problem. The taillights are just a temporary thing. I was at Wal-mart and saw they had that spray-on bumper guard paint on clearance. So I bought some just to play around with. I did the de-amber of the taillights for the PCA tour. I think it looks okay, but I need to just replace the lights with something better. The bumper guard paint wipes right off with a paper towel...

One of out local owners, Danny, did this years ago.

Yeah, I love Danny's car, but he doesn't have it anymore does he? If he does, I'd like to see it in person sometime... I'm in Northern Cali too. His car inspired me to get a CF hood. I think he used just a black piece of plastic to cover up the bumperette holes. Another member used black plexiglass which looked awesome on his black car.

I chose to use perforated metal after looking at the Gemballa rear bumper with the exhaust coming out of the middle of the bumper (like with a Carrera GT). That kit uses perforated metal to cover the bumper cover opening.

Here's the car that got me to think about using mesh in the back. The owner of this car highly modified his bumper cover though. The mesh opening is actually cut out, which does look better at the edges.

Here's the black plexiglass cover... same concept, just a different look. Looks awesome on a black car.

Don't the bumperettes actually serve a purpose in a rear end collision?

Looks pretty slick! Might want to do something like that since my bumperettes look faded, even after using Back to Black.

Paint them, it'd look really good on your car with the 550 all red taillights.

Think of the bumperettes as an extension of your bumper. Underneath the plastic/rubber covers is a metal support that attaches directly to your bumper underneath the bumper cover. The idea of the bumperettes is to save your bumper cover in case of a very low speed (like 5 mph) impact. Basically it's for people who don't know how to parallel park. :) I know how to park though, so I didn't see any problem with taking them off. The crash protection bumper for higher speed impacts is still intact 100%. If I get rear ended and my bumper cover gets damaged... well that's the problem of the person who rear ended me. :D

I've seen this bumper sold at 9ff before. http://www.eurocarboutique.com/pg.cfm?pgn=gallery
It's not custom unless you count the center part that is cut out with mesh.

i asked a shop how much they would want to fill in those holes and paint that area, but they said that they not sure about just that area, the bumper might have to be painted completely, but it was just under 400 bux.
i think that it would be a good idea to just fill it in, and mask everything off, and paint the licence plate area with matching color, and not touch the bumper at all.

i don't like the mash at all, but the black one looks awesome, i think that a solid silver piece would look awesome, the mesh and all that chrome just looks outta place and kinda ricy if you ask me.

Looks great!

Can we order European bumper covers for our cars without the bumperetes?

It's funny how Porsche usually shows our cars, from the rear, with the European bumper cover, sans bumperettes.

I understand... I just personally like the chrome and mesh. I've got mesh over my front grills and side air vents too. I was thinking though that you could do this with black painted perforated metal (either flat black or gloss) instead of the silver. Then you'd use black trim around the edge instead of the chrome. It might be cool to use stainless steel too, instead of the clear coated steel.

Sure you can do that. It's probably expensive though, I'm not sure on the cost. Remember Danny's car that Tool Pants posted a picture of below? I believe this is his car in a later iteration. You can see that he went away from the bumperette cover and to the complete Eurpoean bumper.

yeah u can get the euro bumper, or just drill out the bumperettes and fill in the holes trough a body shop.

and no, im not all against mesh, i have it in my side intakes, and on the front bumper, but its black, so its not really noticeable.

but that shiny chrome look kinda isnt flowing, but if youre loving it then awesome, you did a good job btw, i dont mean to put down your work :cheers:

What do you guys mean drill out the bumperette mounts?
How are they mounted? :confused:

the actual rubber/plastic part is held by only one bold on the bottom.
once you remove that you will see what it was attached to, a metal plate of a sort, that is pretty much riveted to the metal rear support. so you can drill that out and it will be outta there, and you will be left with holes in your bumper...

heres what it looks like when you remove one, old pic but shows
http://i19.tinypic.com/4g448dh.jpg

There's an allen bolt on the bottom that holds on the rubber cover. The rubber cover goes over a metal piece that is attached to the bumper (the metal bumper under the bumper cover). That metal piece is riveted to the bumper in three places. You have to drill out these rivets to get the metal pieces off and to get a flat rear bumper. You'd have to do this for a European bumper cover or a bumperette hole cover.

heres what it would look like if you just stick with a colormatched plexi :cheers:
http://i13.tinypic.com/4mclbg3.jpg

Here's what it looks like actually removed from the car, with my assistant. You can see the three mounting holes in the metal bracket that holds the bumperette. I figure that if you want to go back, you can always tap the holes in the bumper and re-mount the bumperettes.

Just a closer view of the perforated metal. I'm going to check and see if they sell this stuff in stainless steel.

hahahha, LOL, good ol Kirk and his assistant..hhaha... I remember her from the 'lower stress bar' thread, and the ernie/kirk bars...

So, what's the story with the assistant Kirk? haha... :cheers:

Oh this skinny little Chinese chick is always hanging around my house, half naked, and fondling my Porsche parts, so it's hard to not accidentally get her in some of my pictures. :D Sorry about that!

hahhahaha. Well Kirk, the only way to truly apologize on these forums, is by apologizing in the form of posting more pictures.

We'll be awaiting your sincere 'apology'... hahha :D


:cheers:

^ Nice Pic!
Thanks, that makes sense. :cheers: