1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

SA to FB interchange question

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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 06:23 PM
  #1  
Yellow '79's Avatar
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ERIC
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SA to FB interchange question

Dose anyone know if it is possible to take off the bumpers from a "79-80 and put them in the place of the bumpers on an 81-85? is it just a simple bolt off and on or is there major mdificatios to be made. any help would be great.
thanks
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Old Jul 15, 2008 | 02:29 PM
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bump
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Old Jul 15, 2008 | 02:42 PM
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bliffle's Avatar
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IIRC, there are minor fitment differences with the fenders.
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Old Jul 15, 2008 | 02:52 PM
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Why bother? They are heavier. Also your front fenders would need to be swapped.
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Old Jul 15, 2008 | 02:55 PM
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Swap the front fenders or modd you FB fenders to get it to look right.
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Old Jul 15, 2008 | 04:17 PM
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Wait i think think the guy worded it wrong.


The 81-85 bumpers on an SA?

Can you do it?
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Old Aug 16, 2008 | 03:22 AM
  #7  
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bump, i would also like to do this to the rear end of my 1980
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Old Aug 16, 2008 | 03:35 AM
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Thanks for the bump fat tony.
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Old Aug 16, 2008 | 10:00 AM
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It *should* be a direct swap for the rears but as stated, the fronts would need fenders swapped. You can bolt the FB bumper with the SA fenders but it never centers right and looks terrible
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Old Aug 16, 2008 | 06:38 PM
  #10  
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awsome think i'll hit that up when i have some dosh, have many people done it? tried searching couldnt find any pics
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Old Aug 17, 2008 | 06:54 AM
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If you want to see what a bad idea this is, just take a look at a thread I started about my car. The previous owner did that to it, and I'm just glad that I was able to get an SA bumper for free so that I can swap it back out. I am thinking of eventually building a new SA bumper out of either carbon fiber or fiberglass so that it won't be as heavy. If you really want to do it right you will need to change the fenders as well as the lip and the grill. They are all a little different shape and will make the difference between looking like a crappy swap or making your car look like an FB. Also, just doing the front bumper is not going to look good either since you'll still have the original bumper on the back so you'd need to do the back bumper too, and then you run into the issue of the license plate mounting being different and if you go from SA to FB you will have two places to mount it and so wherever you mount it you will still have the empty spot in the other place.

Personally, I like the SA look much better than the FB look, but if you have an FB and want SA bumpers you will run into the opposite problem on the back where you would have no place to put your license plate unless you made a custom place for it.

Also, for either swap you will need to have the bumper shocks for the bumper you are putting on. The shocks mount the same to the car, but they are different where they mount to the bumper.

Last edited by grandgarson; Aug 17, 2008 at 06:59 AM.
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