changing bumpers on a '98 A3 1.8T Sport...

[Pete69zx]

Hi all.

Im wanting to change both my front & rear bumpers.
Front one as the previous owner said he hit a dog & it has some damage from this.
Rear one as the car has a twin tailpipe Miltek system fitted & it fouls the rear bottom black part of the bumper.
The rear bumper has had a small piece cut out of it , reshaped & then glued back in & it looks absolute *****!!
Also, the backbox bangs on the bottom black part of the bumper (even after its been attempted to be reshaped!)

What i would like to know is...

Can i fit some S3 style bumpers to the car?
What are my options?
Do i need to go for genuine parts or are aftermarket styling house stuff available?

Im not even fully familair with what an S3 setup even looks like (sorry, newbie to Audi's, lol)

Does the S3 have larger flarred front & possibly rear arches, therefore making this much more of a harder/expensive task?

Thoughts, opinions, pictures & prices much appreciated.

Cheers, Pete.

P.S... my car doesnt have front fog lights. Is it cheap & easy enough to add these to a new front bumper setup?

 

[DPM]

The S3 front wings and rear quaters are wider but i beleive with a little work both front and rear bumpers would fit. I do know that you need to get S3 inner arches plastic trims aswell and if you want an exhaust out the back you do need it slightly re-routed. The fog lights are an expensive option and cost a few pennies at a dealership.

We do offer alternatives if you didn't want to go down the S3 route.

http://www.dpmautostyling.co.uk/cat...=product_info&cPath=65_71_108&products_id=538

http://www.dpmautostyling.co.uk/cat...=product_info&cPath=65_71_160&products_id=539

Not to everyones taste but just thought i'd show what else is out there. Hope this helps mate.

 

[Tallpaul]

From my experience of aftermarket bumpers, i'd steer clear. It's not impossible to fit them and make them look like they were meant to be there but it's easier to **** it up and make them look stuck on.

I'd go for OE parts every time. From pictures i've seen, the S3 bumpers can be fitted to the A3 but you'll need new mounting brackets and wheel arch liner extensions front and rear, plus foglights. The rear bumper comes with a cutout for the twin exhaust but the A3 rear valence doesn't, so that'll need to be cut to match - i wouldn't fancy hacking bodywork but it should be possible. I'd say you could easily spend £2000 on that lot with fitting and spraying.

Personnaly I'd replace the parts like for like. I think the black lower section of the rear bumper is a seperate part - if it is, just buy a new one and get the milltek re-fitted; if it's mounted properly it shouldn't touch the bumper at all. Front bumpers come up on eBay, try and pick up a straight one that i perhaps only chipped or scratched and get it smoothed and sprayed. You'll save a fortune.