People with 97-99 Bumpers who cut the black strip on the mouth.. Process?

[RedTurboEclipse]

hey guys.. im in the process of doing my 97-99 conversion.. and i do have an FMIC.. ive made up my mind on cutting the black strip above the mouth of the front bumper.. now i was wondering for those of you guys who have done this.. if it was an easy process.. and how exactly you guys did yours..

i think this would make a great write up for the FAQ/Write up section as well

 

[KRAZYKOREAN]

Its really easy man...use a dremel..and go slow..on a high speed...and wear a mask of some sort..cuz that shizznit smeels really bad...but its very very easy..and use the thick cut off heavyduty wheels..

 

[Slappster]

Any kind of saw is fine, powered even easier. Shit you could just use a knife and go at it with the pos.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

thanks guys.. just wanted to make sure..

 

[Defiant]

Just be real conservative with the cutoff wheel- once those little bastards start to wander, it's impossible to get them back on-line. Leave yourself at _least_ 1/16" trim and cleanup margin.

 

[BC_DSMer]

But does the bumper re-bar stay in or does it have to be taken out?

 

[97GS-TSpyder]

it stays

 

[halik]

the bumper support has to go!!!

I dont know what you've been smoking, but the support goes as low as the stripe - ie if you chop of the stripe, its not gonna look too different since the support is there. looks like this

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

halik.. thanks.. great reference pic..

 

[aves911]

It's not a big deal, you just have to cut a notch in the plastic bumper as well. Took me 15 minutes. Just fit the bumper cover over the bumper once you've cut that strip out and then trace where the bumper needs to be cut and go to town.

 

[BC_DSMer]

Doesn't that really effect the structural integrity of the bumper system. I'm just worried that insurance might not cover my car incase my car gets into a front end collision due to so much hacking of the front bumper (I've already hacked the side of the re-bar because of the FMIC).

 

[aves911]

The black plastic thing is only a 5mph bumper so in case you slowly roll into something you dont end up with a cracked bumpercover it also give the bumper cover some rigidity to it. If you got into a front end collision and hit a pole going 25, the plastic piece wouldn't do jack.


(I left mine on, cut up because it helps support the bumper cover and gives extra protection to my $1000 investment.)