After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.

[Norbreck21a]

Guys, I know I might be a little late to the party on this, but Im now seriously considering the above conversion for my 2005 GT TDI in early 2011. See here

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400115496327&category=72206&_trksid=p5197.c0.m619#ht_4477wt_929

I've got my eye on a conversion set on eBay by a company called "X-Parts" who are advertising a complete bumper and grill set for about the £165 mark plus carriage.

Couple of questions though. Firstly, has anyone used one of these bumpers and know what the quality is like? Secondly, will my existing old style GT fog lights fit, or will I also need to buy new GTI lights, and if so, are the plug in electrical connections the same? Lastly, I don't want the car to look like a GTI clone as that's nmot what it is, just want to freshen up the front. With that in mind, can the centre and lower grills be changed for the GT Sport stlye ones instead (if I can find a set on the bay)?

Cheers

Andrew

[apollo13]

Andrew don't do it.

I had one and the fit and quality were ok but not OEM. The grilles supplied were not all that either.

I used an OEM bumper and just cut it about a bit to get it to fit. Was'nt difficult to D.I.Y but any body shop would make easy work of it and the fit is guaranteed. You can change the main carrier like Darren did but its not essential but it is the 'proper' way (makes access to towing eye easier).

I was going for the facelift GT look anyway so the grilles were useless to me. So if thats what you want to do then its a false economy as youll have to buy the OEM GT grilles anyway and you'll get a secondhand OE GTI bumper for much less than £165!!!! I picked mine up on the bay with the splitter for £40, whatever you get its got to be sprayed up anyway? The OE grilles will fit the x-parts bumper no problem.

The existing fogs will fit with the x-parts grilles but not with the OE GT or GTI ones. I had to get new fogs and the connectors were the same as I had originally but I have heard some people had problems, so I think its VW changing mid run so its suck it and see on that one.

Someone only asked the other day, have a read through this  

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,22828.0.html

[Norbreck21a]

Cheers Lee,

Thats exactly the sort of information I was after 

Andrew

[apollo13]

No problem Andrew 

[ruffrydaz]

Hey Apollo i just got this bumper on my GTTDI and wondering if my headlight washers will still work? ( i have the winter pack)

[apollo13]

Hey Apollo i just got this bumper on my GTTDI and wondering if my headlight washers will still work? ( i have the winter pack)

I don't think they will as the standard golf's washer jets are in a different position to the facelift GT and GTI.

I'm not 100% sure though but about 99.9% sure  

You maybe able to do a work around though...... best person to ask is Darren AKA mortygttdi he'll know for sure if you could get them to work  

[ruffrydaz]

Thanks its a shame if they dont work with them.. Would that be the same if i bought the original gti front?

[daboy3000]

I've ordered that bumper from those guys too, seemed half the price than other companies and not made out of fibre glass.

I prefure the gti grills so hopefully it will fit nicely, just need to order up the front spliter, was looking at this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220701921830&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

do you think it will fit ok?

[ruffrydaz]

With the xparts im afraid the spitter is moulded on.
I was looking to add that same splitter but the xparts one is moulded on. Looks spot on though great quality

[daboy3000]

Did you find any other splitters to fit?

[MattPoss]

What about a one from vagen, lot of folk on uk-mkivs.net have used these ones..........

http://vagen.vg//catalog/index.php?cPath=30_113_117

Matt

[daboy3000]

Those prices are silly, they charge £105 for a rear valance, even VW only charge £50. Looks like the same front bumper that I ordered but for twice the price too!!

[ruffrydaz]

Yeah xparts and vagen are pretty much the same.
the only problem i found was the splitter was permanantly attached...

[daboy3000]

what does the splitter look like?

[apollo13]

what does the splitter look like?

The splitter looks like the standard GTI one but with the extra centre section added.