S2 glass fiber bumper

[Petter_j]

I see that there is a seller form Latvia seiling S2 front bumper replicas made of glass fiber on ebay. Has anyone here tried to buy one? If so, any pro or cons?

[Kaspars]

Hi!

I could only recommend them for sports (rally, cross, destruction derby, etc.), where the look and build quality doesn`t mater.
And they are not 1:1 fit like the oem parts. I know clients who had taken their cars to sellers workshop, because they coldn`t fit the parts using traditional techniques. As a result there was some cutting, welding and hammering done to car body and other parts to fit their products "properly".

You can look by your self to other "excentric design" parts they sell for our cars: http://www.tunings.lv/main.php?lang_id=1&menu=34
Pics are small, but you will get an idea how good is build quality.

I know a guy who is selling one of those used for around 6 GBP (5 LVL), if your interested:

[_ShurikeN]

Have such one, not fitted yet. Putting off the job, hoping to source an OEM used one.

The geomerty of my one is reasonable, but anyway it needs surface preparation and brackets manufacturing. So, the efforts for proper fitting is very high.

[Ryss]

I would rather go for a RS2 replica bumper as they look so much better. Only down side is the Porsche lights are expensive.

I make fiberglass replica RS2 bumpers here is South Africa and, even if I say so myself,
they look very good, on an S2 or Cabriolet.

Can not ship to USA or EU as shipping costs will, I think, kill the deal.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...4487553&type=3

[Petter_j]

I would rather go for a RS2 replica bumper as they look so much better. Only down side is the Porsche lights are expensive.

I make fiberglass replica RS2 bumpers here is South Africa and, even if I say so myself,
they look very good, on an S2 or Cabriolet.

Can not ship to USA or EU as shipping costs will, I think, kill the deal.

You`re RS2 bumpers looks good, I give you that. But since my goal is to restore a Competition to original look, I have to use a S2 bumper, or maybe a standard coupe boumper as a makeshift arangement while I'm waiting for a S2 to turn up.

Have such one, not fitted yet. Putting off the job, hoping to source an OEM used one.

The geomerty of my one is reasonable, but anyway it needs surface preparation and brackets manufacturing. So, the efforts for proper fitting is very high.

Hi!

I could only recommend them for sports (rally, cross, destruction derby, etc.), where the look and build quality doesn`t mater.
And they are not 1:1 fit like the oem parts. I know clients who had taken their cars to sellers workshop, because they coldn`t fit the parts using traditional techniques. As a result there was some cutting, welding and hammering done to car body and other parts to fit their products "properly".

You can look by your self to other "excentric design" parts they sell for our cars: http://www.tunings.lv/main.php?lang_id=1&menu=34
Pics are small, but you will get an idea how good is build quality.

I know a guy who is selling one of those used for around 6 GBP (5 LVL), if your interested:

Thanks for the info, that helped me alot in deciding not to go that route. Eigther a Original S2 or Coupe bumper then i guess.

Why can't anyone make a S2 bumper replica in ABS as they do whit the RS2, I'm sure that there would bee a market for it.
I asked Audi here in Norway for a quote on a new one, almost £ 1000

[Kaspars]

No problem!

How much would you be willing to pay for perfect copy?

[Petter_j]

No problem!

How much would you be willing to pay for perfect copy?

Hard to say realy, but for a copy in abs (plastic) I would say around £ 300

[andy10v]

You are a man of many talents Ryss.

[_ShurikeN]

How much would you be willing to pay for perfect copy?

I suspect, at ours good copies of S2 front bumper in ABS could be highly demanded for about 250euro.

[Error404]

£300 for a perfect copy in ABS is an absolute bargain! I would buy one

[Kaspars]

The biggest problem is demand vs initial manufacturing costs. If I need to invest 10 000 GBP to make first bumper, then I need to think how much and more importantly - how fast I can sell my product to, at least, get back my investment.



At this moment, I don`t see more demand then 10 - 20 pcs in first month and second 20 in a year with very optimistic profit - 100 GBP from each. You can do the math..
And for me, to make OEM quality Audi R8 bumper would cost the same.
I`ve been thinking more about plastic Porsche/RS2 mirrors.

Returning to subject I would prefer hi quality glass/carbon fiber bumper, because it would be lighter and look/fit the same as OEM one.

[Thecrispynoodle]

I tried a fibreglass bumper for UrS6, had lots of trouble getting an acceptable fit, even had to cut part of the rear of the bumper off and even relocate the oil cooler. Finish was poor, would have needed a LOT of finishing prior to painting, so much so that it was cheaper to buy a new OEM bumper from dealer. I eventually cut my losses (in this case about £200) and gave up on it. Let the buyer beware...

[_ShurikeN]

it was cheaper to buy a new OEM bumper from dealer.

That is what I meant actually. No matter whether you have it painted by a professional, or you spend your own priceless time. Of course it depends on common prices at your location.

[Kaspars]

It all comes down to manufacturing process again and costs, obviously.
glass and carbon fiber part manufacturing is not so fast and cheap as people might think. On the contrary, the process is rather time and work consuming. It is critical to precisely follow technology - drying times between layers, temperature, resin layer thickness, air bubble prevention, fiber clothes and resin type and quality maters a lot, final product thickness and drying time, before removing from mold, etc, etc.. It all maters! A lot!
And, of course, the mold quality is very important, I have seen so many curved molds, to begin with..

It`s very possible to make clean, strong and close to ideal shape parts from fiber material, as a mater of fact, Audi makes many parts from glass fiber, that comes on our cars from factory.

[Ironman80]

The final product obtained from a mold made from the original level details will be ideal to repeat geometry. But usually the product is offered online stores are very poor quality, thin and curved. But the price is much lower than they are individually manufactured products.