Bumper opinions
 

Please post your opinions about these bumpers.

It's polyurethane.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627049939.jpg

This one is fiberglass.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627051150.jpg

Stick with Poly over Fiber! Just my take

ick.....

But to each his own. It's your car after all, only your opinion should matter

To my eye they both look like a women that has had a bad collagen job on her lips.
But its your car go with what you like best.:)

I like em, but the paint matching sucks donkey balls. I'm not a huge fan of our oem bumper. But as was said, its your car so your opinion is the one that counts.

Have to agree with A8ked, it looks like someone who just didn't know when to say enough is enough. These cars deserve better than that, please don't do it.

They both look like a catfish swimming along the bottom of a pond looking for garbage.

No. Please, just no.

Find a 996.1 front cover or a 986.1 aerokit bumper cover.

But no - both of those are hugely out of proportion for a 986.

Not a fan of them

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

I like them both. I'd go with the polyurethane because fiberglass can be a ******************** to fit.

What he said that would be my choice!

Thank you for the opinions they are interesting and surprising.

I'm a big fan of keeping my 01S as OEM as possible but I've become bored of the mid 90's designed front bumper. I wanted to bring it more into the current world. Both bumpers are copies of a very high end German manufacturer called Techart their poly bumpers are 5K+ and are updates of current OEM bumpers of the day. All the OEM 986/996 bumpers suggested all have the same problem that look like they were designed in the 90's and are similar to original and boring. I'm looking for something that looks more updated like JBAUER and TTGATOR have done but don't like the quality of those but design is good. I recently purchased Aero II rockers, new steering wheel and am waiting on Fabspeed Maxflo exhaust right now so my stock 01S will no longer be stock.

After spending 25+ years in So.Cal. this look is very normal and stock would not even get a look.

That's a good looking catfish

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627084856.jpghttp://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627084911.jpg

Yes it is. It's also not a 986 catfish. :D

It's a completely different look on a larger, more proportioned car with different headlights.

I don't dislike the look on a bigger car that can take the proportions of a larger, more open front grill area. It's to my eye all out of proportion on the smaller, curvier profile of the 986.

I'm not taking a personal swipe at you - honest, so please don't take it that way. it's just to my eye the two front ends don't look right on a 90's era (smaller, curvier) Boxster. I'm sure they would look completely different on a 981 or maybe even a 987.

Reading your other post, I understand what you're wanting to do in upgrading your car to a more modern look. I just don't think the larger, sharper, more angular, open grill look of those front bumper covers fit either the proportion, or the softer, curvier look of the 986.

I'll go out on a ledge here and probably get smacked by a few guys (fair enough), but I see too many cars that folks start adding modern looking lights, 19" wheels, and other tomfoolery to that really distract from the simpler look of the 986. You can't just tack on a bunch of aftermarket crap and think you've made your car look more modern. You've all seen a 60 year old woman dress like she's 20 - it's usually a walking disaster. :barf:

I like the look of the rear diffuser, the side skirts and (depending on which one) an aftermarket rear spoiler. I just don't think these particular front bumper covers are the best looking option for the 986.

But I'm in the middle of building my little Outlaw Boxster that I have no doubt will receive some scorn :eek: from a few folks when I have it complete and "unveiled" this fall. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to "marry" Boxster Red and Metropole Blue together in the interior. The colors work, but it's not as simple as pulling some blue pieces and putting red pieces in their place. There's a lot more to making it blend. Same with those front bumper covers, you can't just tack one of them on a 986 and think you have a modern looking car.

But, like others have said, "it's your car, build it your way. Because in the end, it's your $ and hard work, and you're the only one that has to like it."

Just make sure you post up pictures when you're done with the build. :cheers:

What RedTele said.

Can you imagine what the 993 crowd would say if someone did this sort of thing to one of their classics.

They have you in an econobox quickly


Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

I guess they wouldn't make them for all these years unless a lot of people disagreed with you.

Just cause someone makes something doesnt mean a lot of people (or more then a handful) buy what someone makes.

I do find it ironic though that within a day of you asking what everyone thinks someone posts a car for sale with all these awful body mods done to it.

Guess it must be a CA thing

Sometimes the molds should be thrown away , both of those examples fall into that category .

A lot of people have poor taste too...

Here's some examples of similar mods. Someone spent a buttload of money doing all this. Lots of money spent, but I do kinda question their tastes...

I did notice California plates on the red/white/yellow 996.2, so I guess I can kinda understand where you get your influences from. :dance:

Seriously - I'm not picking on you. You do you.

You're welcome to poke holes in my current project in a couple of months when it's done. I'm sure a few will. I'll take no offense. :cheers:

Put on a big happy smile:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627156191.jpg
http://www.turismo.uk.com/images/hom...vertible/1.jpg
http://www.turismo.uk.com/images/home/avalanche/1.jpg

The other ones do look like bottom feeding fish.

That's fantastic! With the owner and the buyer along with a few on this forum we have your handful. Now I realize in some parts of the country change is difficult. California is the customization capital of the Country and many of those type of cars are normal for their giant population whereas in others I can see they would be shocking. I'm sure I can give you examples of many hideous trucks that may look normal in your area but not in Ca. Fortunately Porsche has chosen to advance in the direction the customizers and not continue with 90's styling.

My brother... you're missing the whole point that several of us are trying to make. You're trying to add 2010+ modern styling to a car that was designed in the early '90s. Tacking on a larger, modern bumper cover to a small car design that's over 25 years old doesn't work. THE. PROPORTIONS. ARE. ALL. WRONG.

Yes - the modern bumper cover looks great - on a modern car. Trying to tack it on where it's out of proportion just doesn't look right.

This is what you're trying to do. Great in theory. In reality not so much.

Yea, completely missing the point.

You asked for opinions...and you got them. You dont have to agree with them or even like them, but you opened the door by asking.

So, you don't really want to hear opinions; just people who have your opinion.

I completely hear your point and you didn't listen to anything i said.

There's a reason most OEM's have a design studio in So.Cal. and not where you live.

I'm done trying.

Define most OEM's.

Being in CA has nothing to do with people wanting a different look on their old car.

I am dying to learn the line between theory and reality. Send her my way.

Why would you question the quality if you've not had one? They're quality is fine.

Jeez it's a 986 is not a 993. Although most of the posts on this thread act like they are. ��

Watched Gator's video.

I have, he got a bad one, they sent him a new one, it fit fine. It's a $600 bumper. Mine fits fine.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627181703.jpg

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Those manta ray examples look hideous to me. Wrong bumper for this car. People go to California because they think the weather is always nice. If you want to get into car design Detroit is where it’s at

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1627181703.jpg

azlvr - if you're wanting to go with the front end that you want, this is the way to do it. I've said here several times before, and a year or so ago I nominated it to the Pelican best build contest - this is the best looking build on the 986 board and it has the exact front cover that you're looking at.

I'm not saying the bumper cover looks bad - it's a very good look - it just has to be in proportion to the rest of the car. JBauer has put countless hours into his car since he first posted about it 4-5 years ago. And he's also posted numerous trial/error pictures of things that he tried that just didn't have the right look. The Z-top adds balance to the rear of the car so the front bumper isn't overpowering the rest of the car and he's changed the look of the headlights so they blend into the flow and the lines of the front cover. Even the larger "987 look" intake vents help add the proper balance to the car drawing your eye towards the rear and a more balanced look.

Watching this car built over the past years has been a lesson in how to do something the right way. Everything he's done here has a very "factory OEM" look to it. All the things that I don't like on a stock 986 - the big front bumper, 19" wheels, the turn signals down low, etc are absolutely perfect looking here. The reason it all looks perfect is because the entire car is in balance, and it took a lot of trial/error for it to look this way.

So again, I'm not dogging you - I promise. I'm just saying this GT2-type cover isn't the right look on a standard looking 986. The car has to look in balance, and JBauer is the only guy I've seen do it right. And he did it most awesomely! :cheers:

And according to Porsche they are both classics :)

Other than only a few being made and it being the last air cooled 911, there is nothing inherently special about a 993. The 986 and 996 saved Porsche. The 993 almost bankrupted them.

Maybe but a 993s are valuable, 986s are pretty much cheap used cars. Modifications on a 986s are a cheap fun way to personalize your car. Most can be easily reversed.

2 others that disagree that gets added to the handful.

https://youtu.be/ZWi1okyDPLo


https://youtu.be/FmvXFB7bsJQ

The bumper that JB went with is one of the best looking ones out there. Different then the one you posted. Similar but still different.

But...who cares, it's your car do whatever you want with it. There are always going to be people that will disagree & always be people who agree. IF what a bunch of people on the Internet think is important to you then ,well, .......

That's what I always planned to do.

I like the looks of the black one, little more money, but cutting the inner bumper would suck.

Agreed! Yours has a good look too.

How has your long term headlight cover experience been?