I have a friend who also has a Montego Blue FD. He needs a new front bumper and hood because of an unfortunate incident. He has offered to buy them from me. Both of mine are in very good shape.

Is it worth it to switch to a different front bumper with a larger opening to expose more FMIC but also "ruin" the stock body lines? The same question applies to the hood.

When I purchased the car, the previous owner told me that the IC was a Hybrid IC from Australia. It is quite thick and tall but not terribly wide. Below is a pic of my current bumper and FMIC:



The FMIC extends almost as low as the bottom of the lip and extends upward to probably the middle (outermost point) of the nose.

The Rotary Extreme "F" (which I guess is FEED) I don't care for the sharp angles on the sides and the opening isn't really that much bigger.


The Rotary Extreme C-West replica has a huge opening, but it loses the nice curve of the front.


99 Spec isn't much bigger (real or knock-off with no plate holder).


Wise Sports is huge, but has the same issue as the C-West:


Several questions:

Is it worth the hassle to get more flow to the FMIC (probably 2-3x more)?

Is it worth "messing up" the stock look?

Is there another bumper that I should be considering?

I will probably get the Knightsports hood if I decide to go through with all of this because it has a low-key look with decent size vents.

Thanks for the input!

 

If your air temps are staying reasonable, why ruin the looks of the FD to get more air to the IC?

 

Mazdaspeed GTC? Huge opening, racecar look.

 

How about this one? Modified stock with original smooth&curved lines:

 

What's reasonable?

Yeah, I saw that, but I don't like the racecar look. Thanks though.

 

the least you can do is fix the friggin' holes from you "debadging" attempt... if you're gonna do something do it right.

what about this one? its got stock curve, with a little bigger opening thanks to the integrated chin spoiler. by the way, putting a 99 spec chin spoiler on a 93 front end... how does that not ruin the lines??? again... if you're gonnd do it... do it right... but that's just my opinion

 

Why don't you just tell us your air temps in various conditions? I can almost guarantee that they are fine and your aesthetic sacrifice will be for naught.

 

You are definitely going to get more cooling with a bumper with a larger opening. More air flow = more cooling. On top of that, half of your front mount isn't getting any air. Your FMIC will be much more efficient if you get a bumper with larger opening. You will get more air to your radiator as well.

Chuck

 

can you get the FEED version 1 bumpers??? what type of cost would i be looking at?

 

You know what...shut the hell up. I didn't ask for your condescending, assholish opinions. That picture was taken the weekend that I bought the car. I have yet to this day had them filled in but the next time the car gets any kind of body work done, it will get done. And regarding the 99 spec chin spoiler, I think it looks good as did the previous owner who installed it. Does it match up PERFECTLY? No. I think it adds a needed lowering effect to the front of the car.

 

My intake temps are around 31 C when I start the car in the morning. As long as I stay moving, the temps will stay under 40 C for 10-15 minutes. If I stop for an extended period of time, (at the bank drive-through) the temps will go to 60 C +. After driving the car then parking then driving within 1-2 hours, the temps will rise to around 60 C and gradually come down to maybe mid to high forties. I don't really get a chance to check out my intake temps when I'm boosting going 100 mph + on the bridge.

 

Pianoprodigy,

Here's a bodykit i belive does very well with the FD's bodylines . . . .

I'd like to see someone in the states get this kit. The company is Auto Exe. I personally belive your car is one of the cleanest FD's i've seen on this forum and i wouldn't change it. Good luck with whichever route you go.

 

You are looking at $1250 including shipping from Japan.

Chuck

 

Or you can get something like mine

 

Damn, that's a crazy looking kit ^

 

I would keep the stock one as is unless you're having cooling problems.

 

stock bumper + large fmic is a pretty dumb idea (though often seen) - there are a zillion options though, do some searching (honestly, there are literally hundreds of japanese front bumpers - you'll find something you like)

btw, if the brand name is 'hybrid', though it might have come from australia, it will in fact be a chinese ic - it's a knockoff that has recently entered the oz market (doing quite well due to the much reduced price). I haven't heard many bad reports - but many seem hesitant to buy due to the country of origin.

 

yeah hybrid is EVERYWHERE in Australia at the moment. Its one of the first options when it comes to an intercooler.

I would get a 99spec front, it looks stock and very nice.

 

IMO, the OEM bumpers are the best looking, not to mention the best fitting. Plus, they're not prone to chips and cracking typical of those fiberglass front ends.

 

This is the most interesting post of this whole sorry thread. Pianoprodigy you did in fact ask for his opinion (and anyone else on the forum who decides to waste their life on your thread - like me). Since you dont like it you take it as assholish and condesending (maybe harsh and too true for you to handle but he still took his time to participate)?

A forum name containing the word prodigy makes me think of someone young. And you are living up to it by acting like a 3 year old. Piano players also almost always seem to be socially challenged - again you hit the nail on the head.

So why do I waste my time on your thread? Because your post illustrates all to well some of the negative things about this forum and since I spend a good deal of time participating here so maybe a little effort here or there can effect a change over the long run.

You seem like an intelligent person so take this as advice - not as a personal attack on you (since I dont even know you) and move forward with a different perspective. You asked for an opinion and you got one. Do with it what you will but dont act lke a bratty 6 year old piano prodigy.

Oh and just in case you dont take this as constructive criticism- I wont be participating any longer in this thread either way so dont bother responding directly to me....

Your fellow FD owner and forum participant,

Shawn

Oh and you should get a nose with a bigger opening for your fmic...

 

That is a little blunt. It really depends on the rest of the setup, the type of ic, and what the car is being used for. I know of several people using a fmic with a stock bumper without any temp problems.

Here are a couple items to consider:
-leaving the ac core in front of the radiator reduces the effectiveness of the cooling system.
-the higher the boost the hotter the motor runs
-single turbo cars seem to run cooler than cars with the stock twins.
-lowering the cooling fan speeds makes up for the reduced airflow under all conditions I have encountered, except prolonged driving at high boost on the stock twins.
-the stock bumper opening can be enlarged by cutting away some of the inner edge (which tapers down to a smaller opening), and removing the black plates that sit between the bumper edge and the fog lights on touring models.

 

blunt but accurate - I think the op's posted pic demonstrates it pretty clearly

 

That bumper DEFINATELY DOESN'T keep up with the stock lines of the FD

 

Shawn,

Whether you will look at this post or not, I do not know. Nevertheless, I think it is important to point out just a few things. I don't know how you conclude that this thread is "sorry." I did ask a two-fold question involving both opinion and fact. Pugg57 made an observation about my car which was unrelated to the question at hand. Maybe I jumped all over him unneccessarily, but I don't see how your analysis of my username applies to this thread either. Regardless, I debated for a while on how to respond, and apparently it wasn't taken well. I have no problem receiving criticism, but it was the way in which it was given that I had a problem.

 

That looks like a Dodge Truck front end.