DIY custom bumper and splitter project

Gerry2many

Gerry2many

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Hi guys, saw a few videos on youtube of people customizing their bumpers and splitters and looks pretty do-able so thinking about modifying my existing bumpers and making a splitter/front spoiler from 5mm abs plastic, the bumpers will be cut and sanded down, will use small pieces of metal to contour new shapes in the recess areas and spray over the metal frames with foam which i can cut/sand to customize the shape and make it look super aggressive, the foam will then be covered with fibreglass then primed and sanded to make it smooth before being painted. Let me know if any of you have attempted this or something similar and your results.

The splitter I will make a template from cardboard, will take my front bumper off and place the cardboard underneath and draw the shape required, I will then transfer the shape to the 5mm abs plastic and get it professionally cut and rounded off then using a heat gun I can bend the edges, I will then cover it in car wrap vinyl in either gloss black or carbon style wrap.

If all goes well I will then modify the rear spoiler adding fins or something similar.

I'm well aware that its a time consuming job but I'm more than willing to give it a good shot as I've got alot of time on my hands at the moment, I was contemplating getting a new bumper anyway so if it doesn't work out then ill go down the aftermarket bumper route.

Let me know what you guys think, suggestions welcome.

Thanks
 
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You might want to look at making splitter from alumalite sheet as an option. It may reduce the prep work and weight.
Cheers
 
Prawn has already done a splitter on an A3... might be worth reading his thread

<tuffty/>
 
Been trying to find prawns original post about the splitter but no joy, any chance you could link it tuffty?
 
I just typed splitter in the search box and Prawn in the posted by member box and got results.. There are a few pages granted but I'm sure you'll find the right one...

<tuffty/>
 
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Having a sheet of aluminium acting as blade is probably not a legal addition to your bumper. They're meant to be pedestrian friendly, not sure what the MOT check would cover on sharp edges, might get away with it..
 
Im sticking with plastic, cant bend wood and personally think wood is too heavy, aluminium might be an idea but just think plastic will be easier to work with and paint/wrap
 
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waiting for a nice day to start this project, don't want to drag a bumper up to my house (live in a flat) my garage is full of junk and got a leak so its damp infested :(

also got a MOT due next week for the car so making sure its roadworthy as possible which is a pain when i want to get this bumper/splitter project started
 
basically I'm modifying the bumper to allow the newer big grill to fit and altering where the side pipes protrude to tidy it up a little
 
Upload 2017 2 28 3 35 39
 
Oh dear....

<tuffty/>
 
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Why not just but the bumper that way someone on here done the same to a hulk green a3 if I remember rightly. You could also do the rear arches like this for a meaner stance

IMG 1294

But seriously why not just buy a kit there is a load of them out there and less hassle. Have a look here even just if it's for ideas. They are not that expensive
http://www.greggson.co.uk/495-custom-car-parts-for-audi-a3
 
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Gerry2many said:
basically I'm modifying the bumper to allow the newer big grill to fit and altering where the side pipes protrude to tidy it up a little
Click to expand...

thats not gonna tidy it up, thats gonna make it look like puked up soup that you want to consume again.
 
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no to the arches but seriously guys, how can that style of bumper not do the car justice as the moment my front bumper is terrible if you see it up close, the previous owner massacred it with a hacksaw and the pipes I want hidden somehow, it has look better trust me on this one lol
 
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Picking up on your comment about bending, do you actually mean a splitter? Or more of a lower valance extension/ visual lower lip?
 
yeah I might have used the wrong term, the idea is to make a 3-4 inch bumper lip which will be bolted straight on, no frames or anything, its probably not going to add downforce but more to add the aggressive look I'm after
 
the bending part will only be to add vertical fins at either side, will leave about 2-3 inches excess near each end to bend upwards and create the fins so I can make it all out of 1 piece
 
Just fit a replacement bumper and a Leon splitter , much easier I think and looks more oem.
 
It's not everyones taste but it's mainly the older generation (sorry guys) who tend to give me negative feedback, I'm assuming this is the sort of style you're aiming at from the picture you posted?

23ubqjb.jpg


1zh2qtk.jpg


You do realize this bumper comes as a straight fitment and made in ABS plastic. It cost me £320 for the bumper and £100 to be sprayed. There's a website called Xenonz who sell it a tad cheaper.

I have just purchased my fog lights also which were about £60 with postage.

I love it personally, but as I said it isn't everyones cup of tea.

@Tj 0785 - I think you're referring to my car about the hulk green?
 
[QUOTE="CSS3,

I love it personally, but as I said it isn't everyones cup of tea.

@Tj 0785 - I think you're referring to my car about the hulk green?[/QUOTE]

Yeah that's. The one. At lot of time and love has gone into that car. One of my 1st post on this forum was about putting a similar bumper on it but I'm glad I didn't maybe cause I'm getting on a bit haha (31) . But as you say there's loads of bolt on available and sell your original bumper for some money back
 
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yeah that's exactly the look I'm going for, glad someone can see my vision, it doesn't look bad if anything it modernises the car, nice car, how much did u pay for the respray in hulk green?
 
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having problems getting the larger grill so I can start this custom bumper, seems to be none in any car breakers near me.

want to do this on as little budget as possible and if it goes wrong ill definitely just go and buy the bumper online and get it painted. Think if I can find one in a breakers it should only be about £30-40 max then cost of materials to reshape my current bumper will be about another £30-50
 
audi upgrades
2nd hand the grills go for £80 n up on eBay so you'd be lucky to get one for £40 plus another £100 plus for the fog light grills
 
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CSS3 said:
It's not everyones taste but it's mainly the older generation (sorry guys) who tend to give me negative feedback, I'm assuming this is the sort of style you're aiming at from the picture you posted?

23ubqjb.jpg


1zh2qtk.jpg


You do realize this bumper comes as a straight fitment and made in ABS plastic. It cost me £320 for the bumper and £100 to be sprayed. There's a website called Xenonz who sell it a tad cheaper.

I have just purchased my fog lights also which were about £60 with postage.

I love it personally, but as I said it isn't everyones cup of tea.

@Tj 0785 - I think you're referring to my car about the hulk green?
Click to expand...
I am young and that looks like a 50 car pile up
 
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seen brand new grills on eBay starting at £50-60 obviously made in China or whatever but no matter what grill I get its getting tiger sealed straight into the recess as its gonna be a custom bumper with no clips or fixings
 
there was only 1 single grill conversion (carmelo from spain) i've seen that looked oem on an 8l, here on the site a few years ago, all the others looks way too max powerish. and that applies to the mk1 TT single grill conversions also.

it appears that he used original b7 rs4 bumpers and adapted it to the 8l, there should be more pics of this car somewhere on the site

81270754
 
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only problem im gonna have is those fmic pipes sticking out, its a universal fmic so the pipes protrude through the bumper, think there's a way to fix it?

Would prefer that they were hidden, bought the car with the fmic already installed or i would've got it done properly in the first place, know some people like the fmic showing but not really to my taste.
 
CSS3 said:
It's not everyones taste but it's mainly the older generation (sorry guys) who tend to give me negative feedback, I'm assuming this is the sort of style you're aiming at from the picture you posted?

23ubqjb.jpg


1zh2qtk.jpg


You do realize this bumper comes as a straight fitment and made in ABS plastic. It cost me £320 for the bumper and £100 to be sprayed.

@Tj 0785 - I think you're referring to my car about the hulk green?
Click to expand...

Just paid £80 for my new wing to be sprayed and its just original colour, seen that the hulk green a3 got his whole bumper sprayed for £100 so thinking I got bumped a bit? And I got to fit it myself, he said £120 if I want them to fit it..
 
What fmic have got fitted you can fit universal ones without pipes on show depending on the size
 
Gerry2many said:
yeah that's exactly the look I'm going for, glad someone can see my vision, it doesn't look bad if anything it modernises the car, nice car, how much did u pay for the respray in hulk green?
Click to expand...

My car is standard colour mate. I see other posts people slating my car however at least I'm brave enough to be different from all the rest.

I have just done a KO4 Turbo conversion, new clutch and flywheel, timing kit, water pump, gearbox has also been changed, fmic, tip, maf, injectors, fuel pump, fpr, list goes on :) (bare in mind this is the first car I've ever taken apart, so I consider I've done very well).

Hoping to book into unicorn motor developments for a stage 1 in around 3 - 4 weeks. Door sills are booked in for some welding on 28th and also have a custom 3" turbo back pipe being made to fit and also a custom back box on the 30th.

So far so good :)

2hehteb.jpg
 
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sorry guys for no feed back for a while, unfortunately I'm about to put the car up for sale, bought another 1.8t in black with half the mileage and its a 2002 so has a ko3s already installed so going to be doing the mods to the new car instead. Think I won't be doing the custom bumper but ill make a splitter and see how it goes, if anyone's interested I'll sell the car to a fellow audi enthusiast for a decent price, im looking for £1200-1400 but would settle for £1000 if its someone on here, pm me for full details
 
not a big fan of green but your car looks good mate, think im converted haha, not seen any audis that colour standard must be pretty rare

and yeah you've done well mate, the red one was my first audi & turbo car but its by far the most obsessed I've been with a car for doing mods, there's something about these cars that's got us hooked
 
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