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JDM Spec B Front Bumper test fit

thatericguy

By thatericguy
in Exterior/Aesthetic

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thatericguy Enthusiast

thatericguy

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so as some of you may already know, my long awaited used JDM spec B front and rear bumpers arrived recently for my GT Wagon.

 

i spent the day figuring it all out and i think this will help answer all the questions we've all had on how it would work out. so here is my walkthrough. (See pictures in rar file for more detail)

 

1. remove the bumpers...(i will not go through this since it is explained on the subaru manual), one bit of advice though, the push clips can be PIA, so keep some WD40 around to help ease them out.

 

2. with the bumper off, i first tried to put the spec b bumper with the foam insert on, but as you all guessed, it did not fit. so i tried it without the foam, and that also DID NOT work. what i discovered was that the USDM bumper beam is 4" too long on each side for the JDM bumper. apparently, the JDM bumper curves earlier due to its reduced width, and so hits the bumper beam earlier than the USDM bumper.

 

3. so unfortunately, it looks like you can only either buy the JDM bumper beam to get it to work, or you could modify it to make it fit. I chose the latter.

4. I measured the front of the bumper beam around 4" and then cut diagonally (with hacksaw, 18T blade) to the back corner of the bumper beam. This is a timely process, and goes by MUCH faster with at least one other pair of hands. It took roughly 20 minutes each side, with rest. So basically the beam becomes a trapezoid shape rather than rectangle. After doing this, the JDM bumper DOES fit.

 

5. However, this is not without outstanding issues that I will need to figure out.

a) The bottom of the bumper usually attaches to the plastic underbody protection, but the spec B bumper does not fit the USDM underbody, and so again, you need to source the spec B underbody it to properly fit. Otherwise there will be gaps and the push clips will not all be properly bound. I will probably custom add additional brackets in order to try and get as secure fit.

b) The other concern is the fog lamp assemblies, I did not have enough time to figure out how to get those in place, and had to get the USDM bumper back on. I noticed on this thread that the JDM A needed a spec B fog light assembly, but If possible I will try and retrofit it.

c) The USDM grille does not fit properly with the JDM bumper, it appears that the JDM grille is a bit longer (up/down wise), and leaves a gap on the JDM bumper. So I will need to get one of those before continuing.

 

So, in the end I discovered a few new things, it will be a little more effort than I had thought it would be, but I will finally get the look I've always wanted for this wagon. So with that said, I understand it may be in poor form to ask of this (but I had a few people pm me about it and it got me thinking), and I apologize upfront if you take offense...but being the guinea pig here (again my choice entirely), but I'd really appreciate any help you guys could give me with this project. Once I figure more of it out, I will post updates, and explain to you all the cheapest, yet secure way to achieve this modification. Anyhow, I guess just pm me if you think you could help out..

 

Cliff Notes: JDM bumper does not fit on USDM bumper beam even without foam. Modification of USDM beam or JDM beam is REQUIRED. Other issues are USDM grille does not fit, fog lights possibly not fitting properly and underbody plastic difference.

 

Here is the link for the rar file of pictures (similar to zip).

 

 

http://www.erion.net/eric/specbon.jpg

 

http://www.erion.net/eric/front_orig.jpg

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SC GT Mentor

SC GT

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Dude, that looks sweet! You've got big balls.

 

The Spec B grill is definitely different, a bit larger.

 

The fogs are also different. I've attached pics. You can get both the stock grill and the fog lights on Yahoo Auctions Japan. Instead of the stock grill you can get the STi grill through Paul or anyone else that can order JDM STi parts.

specbfog1.jpg.286075a4a0a8a17c227540bb1b30f130.jpg

specbfog2.jpg.a54bab567da0ca019c70b8898f4e85aa.jpg

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Opie Grand Master

Opie

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Dude, that looks sweet! You've got big balls.

 

The Spec B grill is definitely different, a bit larger.

 

The fogs are also different. I've attached pics. You can get both the stock grill and the fog lights on Yahoo Auctions Japan. Instead of the stock grill you can get the STi grill through Paul or anyone else that can order JDM STi parts.

 

So what is different about the fog lights? The ones in your pics look exactly like the ones on both my '05 Legacy's...once you pull the trim cover off.

 

thatericguy - Since that Spec B bumper doesn't match your car (paint) you can send it to me! :D

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firedawgs Mentor

firedawgs

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That bumper is sweet. I am in the market for a bumper since mine is wrecked. But I don't see all that modification and extra price worth it. I wish there was a aftermarket bumper that would fit on our USDM bumper beam.

 

But, two thumbs up to you for the reveiw and write up.

 

You should write a reveiw up in the reveiw section too.

Updated my vBGarage:
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thatericguy Enthusiast

thatericguy

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rumor is that its for insurance reasons. bumper beams do relatively nothing for safety of the occupants within the car. it is more about ratings and damage that is done during low mph tests that the insurance industry does. if you take a look at audis, acuras and vehicles with flatter front ends, they tend to have higher repair rates for low speed impacts..
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thatericguy Enthusiast

thatericguy

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thatericguy - Since that Spec B bumper doesn't match your car (paint) you can send it to me! :D

 

 

sorry to disappoint, but it won't be ABP too much longer...:D

 

and yes, without the beam, it will definitely fit. it would probably fit even better since when i put it on, i noticed i had to pull the bumper a bit on each side to get it taught.

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awd-turismo Explorer

awd-turismo

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Thanks for jumping in with both feet on this. I wasn't quite ready to take the plunge, myself. I'm drowning in other projects right, now.

 

(All right, I can't think of any more watery anecdotes.)

 

It's nice to see that we can save a couple hundred dollars by not buying the bumper.

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thatericguy Enthusiast

thatericguy

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Does anyone know if the spec B grille is larger than the JDM 'A' GT version? I can't find a picture difference?

 

anyone know what this grille is? and if possible a part number?

http://img47.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/users/4/5/2/9/yochidori-img600x450-1079276870bp5fb.jpg

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thatericguy Enthusiast

thatericguy

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actually that skidplate piece appears to fit on top of the piece i mention. the reason why i say this is because if you take a look at the bumper, you will see the small plastic pieces of it that jut toward the engine which are used to bolt down the bottom of the bumper. On our USDM models, these plastic pieces jut out and are clipped into that front plastic underbody i was mentioning.

 

if only they removed that skidplate, then i am sure thats the piece we'd need.

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thatericguy Enthusiast

thatericguy

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im currently out of town so i cant continue...but im waiting on some additional parts i need anyhow. i dont think rear bumper will be too different tho...at worst..the beam mod again. i'll let you guys know when i can get more time to work on it.
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