After 2 years of using my Drifter style front bumper, I have been questioned enough about it, and I have enough experience using it to write a review. I never knew what to expect at the time, but there are a ton of side effects to deal with when using an aftermarket bumper. Specifically, the Drifter also adds benefits. Benefits that, in my opinion, make it worth using. The following is an email I sent to another Tuners member, when he asked me for pics and said he was thinking of an aftermarket bumper. Here was my response!
My bumper has also survived this without any problems. I buried the needle after that pic was taken.
Here's the photobucket link:
Pictures by Topper348 - Photobucket
I can tell you a few things about my experience with using a bumper like mine:
1) Go with the DURAFLEX kind, not Fiberglass like mine. I spent about a month working on this bumper to make it fit correctly, fix imperfections (from the fiberglass molding process), and sanding sanding sanding. The duraflex kind are made from pretty much the same material that the factory bumpers are made from, a poly-plastic-like material, and they FIT right out of the box. I could have spent a little more on the bumper but saved a months worth of work.
2) Get the DURAFLEX because it flexes like a factory bumper. My fiberglass bumper will NOT flex, so I have to be real careful not to hit something and shatter it.
3) These kind of bumpers sit lower. Not just mine, but alot of others as well. Be careful if your car is already dropped because you might have scraping issues. My car is a 92 AWD with Eibach Proline Springs on AGX struts. It already had a 1.5" drop when I put the bumper on. Its not too terrible to drive, but the front bumper scrapes on any harsh inclines. I have to take a lot of driveways and speed bumps at an angle to keep the scraping down. Having said that, there have been VERY few driveways I couldn't get up because of the bumper...maybe like 2 driveways in 2 years.
Additionally, if you have to have your car towed on a flat bed, you might have some issues. I've had to have my car towed twice with this bumper. The first driver couldn't get the car on without using wooden planks to roll the car up on. The second time the driver was able to roll the car on the bed, but had to get his son to stand on the chain, so that it wouldn't damage the bumper.
Lastly, have you ever reached right under your front bumper to do something (Without jacking it up)? I can't do that with this bumper. In fact, many jacks will not fit under the front end anymore (unless its a nice low profile jack) so I have to jack it up from the sides. Lifts are not an issue unless you want to drive it up on a platform lift (see the tow-truck issues).
Now that I've said the negative stuff....
1) The bumper looks sweet and turns heads. Many people ask me if its another kind of car. Most people really like the look. I am very pleased with the appearance of this particular bumper and I feel like its one of the very best you can get to make it look aggressive.
2) The bumper has plenty of room for a FMIC, external Oil Coolers, etc. My Slowboy Race FMIC fits great and the bumper channels air directly into it. Even before I installed my Fluidyne radiator, the needle on the coolant gauge moved noticeably further toward the "cool" side when I started using this bumper....in 95+ degree Georgia/Alabama weather. Later, I converted the oil filter housing to a '90 style and used the stock '90 air to air cooler, which was mounted directly in the vent on the driver's side, which again channels the air directly through the oil cooler. Again I noticed a drop in temps.
Lastly, If you have an Automatic with an external trans cooler, it will fit perfectly in the stock SMIC location which will take advantage of the passenger side's air duct.
I know its a long review, but there were alot of things I didn't know or expect about using this bumper. I initially wanted to use it because I wanted the clearance for my FMIC and external oil cooler, which wouldn't have fit very easily with the stock bumper. Weighing the pros and cons....If I had to do it all over, I would get the Duraflex kind. I feel like this bumper functions better than a stock bumper as far as channeling air into the FMIC and oil coolers, and I'm a functionality kind of guy. Good luck with your choice!
-Seth
So...Your Thinking About That Aftermarket Bumper?
