Has anyone bought this? The site won't let me enlarge the thubnails in the gallery section of their bumper. I really like the no front plate of it. Let me know if you have pics or if there is anyone else out there making the '99 style w/o plate holders pleeeease. Thanks!

 

Here's some pics https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...threadid=66341

 

thanks!

 

That's not the pettit. That's a OEM 99 Spec front bumper, if you read the thread he talks about the process of removing the front plate holder. I've seen it in person and 1year+ later the bumper still looks great.

 

Does anyone sell a cheaper copy other than pettit? Pettit wants 550 for it which is a bit expensive for me. I already have the 99 lip and would like to get a 99 front bumper w/o plate holder. Anyone know of where to get it cheaper?

 

i never thought id say it but i kinda miss the front plate square.......

 

If you can't afford a $550 replica then you shouldn't be worrying about getting a new front clip.

 

you dun need a rebar for the pettit one, aint it?

 

Thanks for bringing this up. I have been trying to remember who made the replica 99 front without the plate holder.
Nobody has any experience with the Pettit front? I will be getting my car repainted soon and want to know if the fitment or quality are good.

 

I'd like some feedback too. I am considering the Pettit front end, but am not sure about the long term durability of the fiberglass.

If I buy the OEM 99 front end I will probably eliminate the plate holder like "Silver93T" did.

 

I know that the plate holder has an integral part of getting air into the engine bay. If removed, this will not happen. I am not sure if the intake plastic pieces are different on the 99+, but the 2002 sales brochure shows the airflow from behind the license plate area into the engine area.

Tim

 

Wait.. so the plate holder is responsible for getting air into the engine bay? Bumma' yo.. I was planning on going with the replica because I thought without the plate holder I would get *more* airflow.. are you sure its not just the intake plastic pieces that increase the "flow"?

Dan

 

i like the front plate holder cuase i live in a two plate state....

 

ok..... does anybody actually own the Pettit '99 replica?

 

another question... Is the only reason they say you have to have the '99+ rebar because of the bumper lights? If so, couldn't someone get away with just cutting the holes larger for the lights in the 93-95 rebar?

 

Theres an inlet that would be behind the plate when mounted, thats directed at the intake. its basically the same idea as the little slit in a GTC nose. Unless you have a '99 intake, or use something like the Gruppe B intake, I don't think it'll really do anything for you.

 

the 99+ intake (or air flow configuration) has been reworked quite a bit from our 93-95 fd's. i believe that they have there air box piped to draw air from in back of the licence plate (and maybe from another source as well). also, in the 99's they have some thing to split the air for the intercooler and the radiator....some air goes up to IC, some is pushed down for rad. i believe they also redesigned the belly pan to be more efficiciant, added the new lower lip for more down force (and something weird which i cant remember with those little scoops on the side of the lip)....oh yeah, they also have air ducts routed to the front brakes, and the hot air from the oil cooler is routed *above* the wheel well and comes out of our air ducts on the side of the car (which im pretty sure dont do anything in the 93-95's). so yeah, they changed a few things. heath

 

Pettit Replica.

Looks pretty nice. I'm not a big fan of fibercrap for front ends though.

Here is the OEM 99 Spec Front End.

A closeup of the the plate area. (Bad angle, too far under the car)

You can see that without a plate it does bring more air in. I plan to run a plate during street driving and removing the front plate during racing.

 

THE PETTIT FRONT IN LOOKS BAD *** FIBERGLASS ON NOT. THE FIT LOOKS GOOD TO ME. ALL MY OTHER CARS HAVE HAD FIBERGLASS FRONT ENDS ON THEM. AS LONG AS YOU TREAT THEM RIGHT THEY SHOULD BE FINE.

 

I dunno, w/out the plate holder it looks like the damn car is smiling at you. I always bust Ihor's ***** b/c when we're tearing up **** on the highway and he's behind me, I look in the rearview and see his "Happy Face FD"

 

Nope. The 93-95's have air ducts to the front brakes with the R1 lip as well. And yes, the vents on the fenders are for the oil cooler(s) and are functional on 93-95s as well.

 

I think I am liking the authentic with the plate more. Seen it so much the Pettit looks like it is missing somehing now when I see it. (OK, it is, but you know what I am saying )

 

Looks good to me.

 

I think I like the no plate better.

This one is sweet!

 

rynberg: it is my understanding that on the 99+ front end in japan there is a tube of some sort in back of the inlet in the lip for brake cooling...also the brake shields are redesigned to line up with the ducting to cool the brakes much better (and they have the bigger brakes....damnit i want to go to japan . hey rynberg, do you have a R1 or something cause i dont have any ducting going to the fender hole from the oil cooler....i just have 4 thin slits in the wheel liner. (i have a 94 touring...i wonder if its different...does anyone know?).


the_glass_man: yeah i think it would bring more air in to the engine compartment mounted on our cars..... but in japan the stock air box is designed to suck air from that opening (aparantly the space behind the licence plate creates an area of low pressure). i dont know...they have air routed all different ways for specific things. i agree that the plate holder definately looks better! but the car just kinda smiles with the 99 front end...i kinda like it! im definately going 99spec!! you can see where they got alot of the cues for the rx-8 bumper from...look at them side by side, its a trip...they just exagerated the openings for the 8 and made the front "beefier" the 99 front end is "cute" haha zoom-zoom... but i love it! its definately not imasculating like the GTC bumper, but the FD's like a hot girl and id like to keep it that way.