MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Modifications & Technical Area => Cosmetic/Interior Modifications => Topic started by: Norbreck21a on December 19, 2010, 10:42:01 pm

Title: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: Norbreck21a on December 19, 2010, 10:42:01 pm
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
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on December 19, 2010, 11:18:27 pm
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  :happy2:

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,22828.0.html
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: Norbreck21a on December 20, 2010, 08:50:17 am
Cheers Lee,

Thats exactly the sort of information I was after  :happy2:

Andrew
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on December 20, 2010, 05:58:48 pm
No problem Andrew  :happy2:

Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on December 21, 2010, 11:15:44 am
Hey Apollo i just got this bumper on my GTTDI and wondering if my headlight washers will still work? ( i have the winter pack)
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on December 21, 2010, 06:07:34 pm
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  :signLOL:

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  :happy2:
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on December 21, 2010, 08:55:01 pm
Thanks its a shame if they dont work with them.. Would that be the same if i bought the original gti front?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 03, 2011, 12:37:05 am
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?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on January 04, 2011, 02:32:07 am
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
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 04, 2011, 10:37:13 am
Did you find any other splitters to fit?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: MattPoss on January 04, 2011, 01:38:22 pm
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 (http://vagen.vg//catalog/index.php?cPath=30_113_117)

Matt
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 04, 2011, 01:40:47 pm
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!!
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on January 04, 2011, 02:57:07 pm
Yeah xparts and vagen are pretty much the same.
the only problem i found was the splitter was permanantly attached...
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 04, 2011, 02:58:18 pm
what does the splitter look like?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on January 04, 2011, 03:04:52 pm
what does the splitter look like?

The splitter looks like the standard GTI one but with the extra centre section added.
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 04, 2011, 03:06:10 pm
ok, that sounds ok, is it like the one in my ebay thread further up the thread?  If so I will be super chuffed as it will save me £100
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on January 04, 2011, 03:12:37 pm
ok, that sounds ok, is it like the one in my ebay thread further up the thread?  If so I will be super chuffed as it will save me £100

I fitted the X parts bumper at first but then swapped to the original GTI/GT bumper and splitter was'nt mad about the fit around the lights but its still a good copy!

Just hade to trim it a bit to fit, only cost me £40 and now I can use a different splitter if I want  :happy2:
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on January 05, 2011, 12:04:06 am
Do they look the same apollo?
Did u still use the grills from the xparts?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on January 05, 2011, 11:05:03 pm
Do they look the same apollo?
Did u still use the grills from the xparts?

Xparts is ok but the splitter as said is not detachable.

No, I have OEM GT Sport main grille and lowers.
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 28, 2011, 11:00:23 pm
I fitted the xparts bumper and am very happy with the results, good quality but needed a little trimming
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on January 29, 2011, 12:28:57 pm
Where did u have to trim it?
im doing mine next week..
Any pics?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 29, 2011, 04:09:53 pm
The grills need a little tidying around the edges and where the bumper meets the wing the inside of mine needed a little trim to make it fit flush.  Only minor issues but overall I think it looks very good. The bottom of the bumper or splitter is textured so will need to be smoothed if you want a good finish.

Here's mine, not the best picture as the sun hasn't come out all day!!

(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.static.flickr.com%2F5093%2F5397818455_86f67703cc_z.jpg&hash=61cdeb94461c5c5e1b70ff2782e36d0a98fe7052)
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on January 29, 2011, 04:53:55 pm
How did you attatch the number plate holder from xparts to the grill?
Btw you need to post a pic once the sportlines are fitted, im thinking of getting them on my gt too
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on January 29, 2011, 05:14:19 pm
I haven't. Thinking of putting the number plate as low as possible. I didn't get any bolts for the holder from xparts so I thought f*** it, I'll leave it on the dash for now.

Sportslines getting fitted next Sat, keep an eye on my ride page.
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on January 29, 2011, 06:34:54 pm
Looking good Daboy  :happy2:

When I fitted the OEM GTI front bumper I had to cut less of it than the I did the X-parts  :rolleye:

@Ruffrydaz 

Check out my bulid thread, I fitted sportlines last week. Already thinking I want it lower though........

Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: big al on January 29, 2011, 07:27:15 pm
I didn't get any bolts for the holder from xparts so I thought f*** it, I'll leave it on the dash for now.

Just be warned that you can get pulled for having  it on your dash.
I would recommend going for the number plate mod that topcat showed a while back which I have copied by putting magnets on the back?
Gives a nice clean look when you want it.
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 05, 2011, 06:34:05 pm
I Need urgent help.
Im trying to fit the xparts as we speak. its not fitting where it meets the wing properly
which bit did u cut exactly
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on March 05, 2011, 06:38:21 pm
Without seeing what you mean its hard to tell, but it could be inside of the bumper is slightly too big, other than I can't help
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 05, 2011, 06:49:13 pm
so did you only cut where the bumper meets the wing?
was the the bumper you cut or the plastic on the wing
Basically its not flush and sticking out
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on March 05, 2011, 07:09:01 pm
I really just had to trim a tiny bit, make sure you have got it fitted right, don't cut any original bits, if you are not sure get a bodyshop to do it
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 05, 2011, 07:45:45 pm
Trim a tiny bit from the bumper where it meet the wing?
did u trim any of the foam insert?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 05, 2011, 11:29:48 pm
ok i think i know why i didnt clip it in the wing properly
just one more Question
At the bottom of the car there is a rubber kind of splitter thing which the screws go through. Does the bumper go above that or under that?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on March 05, 2011, 11:31:31 pm
I just took that off
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 05, 2011, 11:53:39 pm
oh right. is that supposed to come on after the bumper is on?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: daboy3000 on March 05, 2011, 11:55:32 pm
I left it off, not it fits with that bumper.
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 05, 2011, 11:58:52 pm
I thought so. it was catching. i guess ill save it just incase i switch back which i doubt lol
Are you sure it doesnt work with it?
Gonna fit it tomorrow thanks alot for that mate
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: ruffrydaz on March 06, 2011, 11:47:45 pm
Fit it finally. It was the bottom catching mate.
Did you have problems with the bumper above the headlights where you screw it in and the grill at the top?
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: Jetl3on on March 22, 2011, 09:31:35 pm
Sorry for the resurrection, but reading this thread with interest as I just bought my first Golf and cant help but admire the look of the GT Sport, does anyone know where I can find a pair of GT Sport fog light grills with the chrome moulding above the fog light, along the top? A bit like the Jetta grille, im not sure they ever made the GT Fog Grille with the chrome bit?

thanks

Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on March 22, 2011, 09:36:01 pm
They are Jetta only. They will only fit in a Jetta bumper aswell.

Jetta bumper will fit standard Golf with the same mods as the OEM GTI/GT bumper.
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: Jetl3on on March 22, 2011, 10:33:25 pm
Cheers Apollo, as I have already bought the GTI bumper there is no turning back now, a set of Gt Sport Grilles will be subjected to some chrome wrapping or plastic chrome plating just above the fog light to get it like this picture, but they have used the jetta bumper i think.

(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi65.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh208%2Fjetl3on%2FMk5_Jetta_Grill_Kit.jpg&hash=917b432b37f1e6ecdf1d2ed5867bc3f53357aa17)
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: apollo13 on March 22, 2011, 10:34:43 pm
Yes mate they have used the whole Jetta front end  :happy2:
Title: Re: After Market GTI / GT Sport bumper conversion.
Post by: Jetl3on on March 23, 2011, 11:29:13 am
I dont suppose you know where I can get the chrome plating done?