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Need to have my Golf bumper replaced can I upgrade it?

Z

Zach0918

Ready to race!
I need to replace my 2.5L Golf's bumper after a minor accident. I was just going go all original but then I bumped across a thread where someone converted it to the ED35 bumper (I'd consider even just doing a standard GTI bumper). Unfortunately other then pictures of the finished product the OP did not detail the process, I know he went to a body shop. I was planning on going through my insurance.

My first questions are:

Would it be possible to work with a body shop have them perform the conversion?

Would I be able to do it with insurance if I pay the difference between the standard repair costs?
 
davserbic

davserbic

Ready to race!
Yes and no. Same thing happened to me.

If you take the check and go to your own shop / whomever — you should be able to buy a bumper kit and have them do the install. Mounts right up the same points.

The insurance company will likely not opt in on buying front alternative parts, Geico did not do that for me. Likelihood is that its a different amount of parts with different prices actually add up much higher than the original Golf bumper.

I was told since they can't keep track of the front end being changed, they'd by policy go by part numbers from my original Golf bumper. So in future instances, if parts needed to be ordered, they'd be the wrong ones each time and therefore, NO.

Kinda sucked and thought it was a bit petty.
 
Z

Zach0918

Ready to race!
davserbic said:
Yes and no. Same thing happened to me.

If you take the check and go to your own shop / whomever — you should be able to buy a bumper kit and have them do the install. Mounts right up the same points.

The insurance company will likely not opt in on buying front alternative parts, Geico did not do that for me. Likelihood is that its a different amount of parts with different prices actually add up much higher than the original Golf bumper.

I was told since they can't keep track of the front end being changed, they'd by policy go by part numbers from my original Golf bumper. So in future instances, if parts needed to be ordered, they'd be the wrong ones each time and therefore, NO.

Kinda sucked and thought it was a bit petty.
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Thanks for the information, really good to know. Did you end up swapping it? How much did it cost you out of pocket?
 
davserbic

davserbic

Ready to race!
Zach0918 said:
Thanks for the information, really good to know. Did you end up swapping it? How much did it cost you out of pocket?
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I ended up going with replacement OEM parts at the time. A new front bumper, drivers side bracket, amber side marker and driver's side grille. Four parts + labor to paint and install were around $800-$850 from the Geico preferred shop. All which was covered by Geico.

Later down the road, did the conversion myself. Cost $400 for bumper + grilles + DRLs. Cost me $200 for a local to paint it and I installed it myself.

If I just took the check and went on with my own way, I would have pocketed myself around $200 bucks. I wish I did it on my own the first time — I didn't know much about the car at the time and chickened out and let the shop take care of everything.

.. Little did I know haha.
 
sterkrazzy

sterkrazzy

Autocross Champion
davserbic said:
Later down the road, did the conversion myself. Cost $400 for bumper + grilles + DRLs. Cost me $200 for a local to paint it and I installed it myself.
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Is that the Golf R bumper from ebay that people keep posting?
 
Z

Zach0918

Ready to race!
Did your golf have fogs to start? Was setting them up difficult?

Also could you link me to the conversion kit you used?
 
davserbic

davserbic

Ready to race!
Zach0918 said:
Did your golf have fogs to start? Was setting them up difficult?

Also could you link me to the conversion kit you used?
Click to expand...



No, my Golf did not come with fogs originally. I put them in myself. You need the fogs, grilles, bulbs, trigger wire and a euroswitch to get them to work!

Wasn't too bad, a lot of fun in my opinion.

Link is in the post above!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Z

Zach0918

Ready to race!
The Golf R conversion kit looks awesome, I did some searching but couldn't find anyone that did it with the 2.5L Golf. Has anyone heard of anyone doing this?
 
davserbic

davserbic

Ready to race!
Zach0918 said:
Used the eBay Golf R conversion Kit. I wanted to see what other parts I would need to do it on the Golf.
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You don't need anything additional to your 2.5L Golf to use the Golf R Conversion Kit. It directly lines up and bolts on to the same parts. Though if your car doesn't come with foglights, you'll still have to route and wire the lights, install the trigger wire, euroswitch and ground for the foglights to work since Im guessing you have no wiring right now for them.

Secondly, this is a Taiwanese conversion kit (and all others I believe) which means the LEDs are NOT CANBUS LEDs so they will throw a light's out warning on the dash. You need to purchase resistors as well if you do not plan on having a warning light on the dash.
 
Z

Zach0918

Ready to race!
davserbic said:
You don't need anything additional to your 2.5L Golf to use the Golf R Conversion Kit. It directly lines up and bolts on to the same parts. Though if your car doesn't come with foglights, you'll still have to route and wire the lights, install the trigger wire, euroswitch and ground for the foglights to work since Im guessing you have no wiring right now for them.

Secondly, this is a Taiwanese conversion kit (and all others I believe) which means the LEDs are NOT CANBUS LEDs so they will throw a light's out warning on the dash. You need to purchase resistors as well if you do not plan on having a warning light on the dash.
Click to expand...

So would it be feasable to ask the body shop to use the conversion kit instead of the OEM bumper, at $400 its probably cheaper then OEM. Has anyone commented on the quality of that specific kit. I don't want something cheap, especially if I am going to shell out the Money to have it painted.
 
sterkrazzy

sterkrazzy

Autocross Champion
Zach0918 said:
So would it be feasable to ask the body shop to use the conversion kit instead of the OEM bumper, at $400 its probably cheaper then OEM. Has anyone commented on the quality of that specific kit. I don't want something cheap, especially if I am going to shell out the Money to have it painted.
Click to expand...

There's been at least a couple people that have done it, if I remember right. They both said fitment was perfect and they're both happy.
 
davserbic

davserbic

Ready to race!
Zach0918 said:
So would it be feasable to ask the body shop to use the conversion kit instead of the OEM bumper, at $400 its probably cheaper then OEM. Has anyone commented on the quality of that specific kit. I don't want something cheap, especially if I am going to shell out the Money to have it painted.
Click to expand...

I mean you kind of get what you pay for... right? Its far from OEM standards — its much flimsier than the OEM bumper. After sitting in the sun for a few hours, prior to being mounted, some parts already began to warp under its own weight.

The OEM upper grille does not fit with the eBay bumper, you need to shave a few tabs to make it fit in the tab-slots. Same with the grilles, they do not line up perfectly nor do ALL of the tabs quite click in, at least not for me.
 
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