Non OEM s5 Front Bumper Fitment
 

Anyone have experience with the fitment of a non oem s5 front bumper cover? I haven't been able to find a good used s5 bumper, but I found a new cover, but it isn't an oem cover. I have a buddy who says he paid 500$ for one, but it didn't fit very well, and looked bad. Are there any other differences between an aftermarket bumper and oem, other than the one dosent say mazda on it? I have a link to the bumper I'm speaking of below. BTW I'm not asking about fiberglass aftermarket bodykit bumpers. Just s5 replacements.

Thanks

Front Bumper Cover 89-91 Mazda RX-7 replace FC0150031

You will very, very likely be disappointed. My body shop orders A LOT of aftermarket parts for literally every year make and model you can imagine. Aftermarket bumper covers usually arrive with damage in places, serious warpage, excess plastic from the moulding process, broken tabs... Just generally not made very well.
Fitment is almost always a problem. Sure, you might get it physically attached to the vehicle, but how it *fits* against the fenders, lights, hood, under shields, etc is a completely different ball game. Most any insurance company writes for aftermarket parts.. And we have to order two or three of them before we get authorization (with photo proof of the failed aftermarket attempts) to order an oem part. To add to the misery and delay, insurance companies like progressive often refuse to pay prefit time to figure out whether or not the part is usable.. Which really irritates my technicians..

So in a walnut shell, I would not even bother entertaining the idea of spending that kind of money on something that I can tell won't fit properly just based on the one photo I looked at on the listing.

It really isn't worth it man.. Be patient and find a used oem cover.

hell, for $500 i'd sell my S5 front cover and scrap my idea of a S5 trim swap... :lol:

When I painted our S5 TII I wanted a new bumper cover as our OEM cover that was painted by Mazda back in
1989 had cracking paint, but no other damage. I didn't want to go through the hassle of removing the paint,
so purchased a "reconditioned " cover from ebay $300 and it was perfect. Had the Mazda logo and all that
needed to be done was sand, paint as the fitment was perfect.

Last I checked there was one new cover available for $665.

Reconditioned bumper covers can be a mixed bag. Yes, technically most are oem, but the quality of the 'reconditioning' can vary. Reconditioned is definitely better than straight aftermarket, most of the time..

That being said, I send most of them back. Mixed bag.

They said it was a reconditioned cover that was "lost" in inventory and had been on the shelf for over 20 years, but
when I examined the cover could find no repairs of any kind, inside/out. Who knows.

Trying to find a S5 front cover isn't easy. I really don't like selling any of the parts, so I just keep them until?
I have the OEM bumper off our '89, the '91 TII shell has a perfect cover, not including paint, have another bumper
where the grill was removed for an inter-cooler, and another with a oval hole in the middle that will be fixed in the spring;
plus the reconditioned one that is currently on the car.

Good luck.

depends on how it was stored, it's rather difficult to repair the skin if it has been set in a position where it has been sagging and warped for years on end.

most people don't want to heat and cool a bumper for a day to reshape it after they spent a bunch of money on it.

Thanks guys. I think ill keep looking around locally for a good used one. Ive brought 2 to my painter so far, but with the warps, and sags in them, he wouldnt paint them. Front bumper is the only part I have left to be painted.