Any SGT CSL Front Bumper Owners Here?

[Jickel180]

So uh, how is the OEM center grille supposed to secure to the front bumper?

With the extra downtime available I've taken up some refresh projects on the car. Over the years and with enough track rubber chunks hitting the car the old OEM front grille became loose on the front bumper. I pulled off the bumper and can't figure out just how the hell it was mounted on the bumper in the first place. There's metal tabs surrounding the opening (pictured) - some bent, some straight, and most don't align with the grille mounting tabs so if anyone knows how the grille is supposed to mount, please let me know. I emailed SGT over the weekend but I doubt I'll hear anything back.

I've been a happy with their trunk and diffuser, but I'm definitely missing my OEM front bumper right now. 😏

[antknee]

I have an SGT bumper (which i bought used). My OEM center grill was cut around the circumference so it is flat, but the tabs are supposed to just slip into where the OEM tabs would snap in. (5 on the top, 4 on the bottom)

Straighten out the tabs, line up w/ the holes in the center grill, and bend back to hold in place. Hopefully your tabs didn't snap and are still long enough to bend back and hold the grill.

[Jickel180]

I have an SGT bumper (which i bought used). My OEM center grill was cut around the circumference so it is flat, but the tabs are supposed to just slip into where the OEM tabs would snap in. (5 on the top, 4 on the bottom)

Straighten out the tabs, line up w/ the holes in the center grill, and bend back to hold in place. Hopefully your tabs didn't snap and are still long enough to bend back and hold the grill.

Appreciate it! The tabs on the bumper definitely do not line up with the tabs on the grille so I thought I was missing something. I'm a little disappointed in such a primitive mounting solution but bending them around the grille and using some adhesive/Right Stuff should keep the tabs adhered for a few years.

[antknee]

Appreciate it! The tabs on the bumper definitely do not line up with the tabs on the grille so I thought I was missing something. I'm a little disappointed in such a primitive mounting solution but bending them around the grille and using some adhesive/Right Stuff should keep the tabs adhered for a few years.

yeah might don't line up either so i wrapped it around any opening that was closest to the tab. Again i don't have that thick border around the center grill since the prior owner dremeled it off so it was easier for me to wrap the tabs anywhere i wanted (see pic below)

Yeah its a primitive solution.....even my wannabe CSL diffuser uses the same mounting method. Metal tabs that just bend back.....but they seem to do the trick.

Untitled by anthony esmilla, on Flickr

[Jickel180]

Heard back from Mike at SGT today actually. He said they usually use self-tapping screws to hold the grille in on the sides and bottom of the grille to the bumper. That way you don't have to necessarily use the metal tabs.

I went ahead and used the metal tabs, and then used bodywork/plastic adhesive to the backside of the grille to keep it from vibrating loose. I'll just paint the silver metal tabs black so they are not visible from the outside of the car. The grille couldn't be perfectly aligned on the backside, but you cannot tell any difference from the front. It'll be a good stop-gap until I go with an OEM bumper again.

[ethan]

Yeah - it wasn't fun.



I also decided to make the SGT CSL bumper accept the kevlar support. Learned my lesson from that and went OE Euro on my second car.

[nextelbuddy]

Yeah - it wasn't fun.



I also decided to make the SGT CSL bumper accept the kevlar support. Learned my lesson from that and went OE Euro on my second car.

would you be able to give more details on this?

i have the status gruppe bumper and currently using the bumper shocks that were modified by cutting top and bottom off so that it would fit inside the built in bumper carrier but the holes dont even line up with the shocks so i have a set screw going through the slider brackets.


i would love love to be able to use the kevlar support to be more secure.

do you have any pictures of your process?

[ethan]

I just attached the center section of the foam piece which fits into the kevlar support to the bumper using 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive. There are probably better/more secure ways of doing it (I'm only using 2 of the 4 snappers to hold the bumper on aside from the trim screws), but I was pretty sick of fighting the thing and it hasn't fallen off yet 👍.

Edit: Downside of SGT CSL + kevlar support is neither version of the washer fluid reservoir fits, so I had to get creative there too.

[nextelbuddy]

I just attached the center section of the foam piece which fits into the kevlar support to the bumper using 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive. There are probably better/more secure ways of doing it (I'm only using 2 of the 4 snappers to hold the bumper on aside from the trim screws), but I was pretty sick of fighting the thing and it hasn't fallen off yet 👍.

Edit: Downside of SGT CSL + kevlar support is neither version of the washer fluid reservoir fits, so I had to get creative there too.

So your didn't have to do any cutting at all of the built in bumper carrier in the status gruppe bumper?

You literally just panel bonded the center foam piece and that was it?

What about alignment if that center for piece? I take it you could install the foam piece into the Kevlar carrier first then apply panel bond to the foam then install the bumper and align it properly while the panel bond is still wet and then let it Cure while the bumper is mounted and aligned?

Thanks a ton for the help

[ethan]

So your didn't have to do any cutting at all of the built in bumper carrier in the status gruppe bumper?

You literally just panel bonded the center foam piece and that was it?

Au contraire. I removed the whole piece on the bumper which receives the bumper shocks and did quite a bit of grinding and cutting to get the fitment I wanted. Also swapped over the plastic slider receiver things from the wings of my OE US bumper IIRC (same epoxy).

The SGT bumper (or whoever the eBay source is - I forget) isn't the most precise piece in the world... more like raw materials. Contrast that with their prepreg diffuser which is actually very good.

Edit: The kevlar bumper carrier itself I left completely stock though - yes. I even kept the small foam bits attached to its topside.

What about alignment if that center for piece? I take it you could install the foam piece into the Kevlar carrier first then apply panel bond to the foam then install the bumper and align it properly while the panel bond is still wet and then let it Cure while the bumper is mounted and aligned?

Exactly my method. Lots of trial and error for fitment before I actually glued it up of course. Also worth noting that my CSL intake tube didn't fit over the CSL hole "barb" - had to sand it down until it was uncomfortably thin.

[Circa Surviven]

So uh, how is the OEM center grille supposed to secure to the front bumper?

With the extra downtime available I've taken up some refresh projects on the car. Over the years and with enough track rubber chunks hitting the car the old OEM front grille became loose on the front bumper. I pulled off the bumper and can't figure out just how the hell it was mounted on the bumper in the first place. There's metal tabs surrounding the opening (pictured) - some bent, some straight, and most don't align with the grille mounting tabs so if anyone knows how the grille is supposed to mount, please let me know. I emailed SGT over the weekend but I doubt I'll hear anything back.

I've been a happy with their trunk and diffuser, but I'm definitely missing my OEM front bumper right now. 😏

How does the CSL air intake grill/mesh mount to the bumper hole? I haven't been able to find a picture of how it stays in place, as the CSL part just looks like a flat screen.

[Jickel180]

How does the CSL air intake grill/mesh mount to the bumper hole? I haven't been able to find a picture of how it stays in place, as the CSL part just looks like a flat screen.

The CSL air intake grille has a lip for bodywork glue/adhesive to attach it to the front bumper. Once it's glued, it should sit flush on the intake hole.

[antknee]

i siliconed mine onto the hole. I threw a bunch of quarters into a ziplock bag, and hung it from the CSL air intake grill with the bumper laid on the floor. Let gravity hold it in place while the silicone dried.

I didn't want to use glue in the event i needed to remove it again.

[nextelbuddy]

Au contraire. I removed the whole piece on the bumper which receives the bumper shocks and did quite a bit of grinding and cutting to get the fitment I wanted. Also swapped over the plastic slider receiver things from the wings of my OE US bumper IIRC (same epoxy).

The SGT bumper (or whoever the eBay source is - I forget) isn't the most precise piece in the world... more like raw materials. Contrast that with their prepreg diffuser which is actually very good.

Edit: The kevlar bumper carrier itself I left completely stock though - yes. I even kept the small foam bits attached to its topside.



Exactly my method. Lots of trial and error for fitment before I actually glued it up of course. Also worth noting that my CSL intake tube didn't fit over the CSL hole "barb" - had to sand it down until it was uncomfortably thin.

I think I'm going to finally attempt my this for my winter project.

In my case I actually have 2 new euro shocks and an aluminum bumper carrier from the 2001 M3.

In your case you retrofitted the kevlar carrier.

While you were in there, did you see any reason why I can't cut out the status gruppe built in carrier to install the aluminum one instead?

Do you happen to remember what adhesive you used to bind the carrier in place?

[ethan]

While you were in there, did you see any reason why I can't cut out the status gruppe built in carrier to install the aluminum one instead?

I can't say for sure having never tried, but I would expect you'd be able to make it fit with enough work, since stock bumper covers designed for either the kevlar or the aluminum bumpers have the same exterior dimensions. It's just a question of how much time and effort you want to spend grinding fiberglass and doing test fits...

If I had a do-over, I'd get an OE euro cover and a used kevlar bumper and send it to paint.

Do you happen to remember what adhesive you used to bind the carrier in place?

I used 3M Panel Bonding adhesive (P/N 08115). It's epoxy-based and plays nice with glass/carbon resins and metal alike. Requires a twin-plunger dispenser - think mine's some aftermarket thing from eBay.