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Well, the 'Euro' bumpers are really just that, bumpers that came off European model cars. Hence, they're in Europe or more importantly, not here in the US.
The cost of the bumpers themselves are not that much. It's the transportation cost that will get you. You can easily buy a Euro bumper set for less than US$200 (front and rear) .... but now you have to get it to your door. Be it to New Hampshire, Kentucky or California, we're outta luck. It's going to cost $$$.
OK, so both my brother (75Evo), brutha (AlfaRacer75) and I have brought in these bumpers for our personal use. Lemme tell ya, the freight cost was more than the cost of the bumper! It's not the weight (they're only about 15lbs each) but it's the awkward size and dimensions.
Shippers go by "volumetric weight" for items larger than a 3-foot cube rather than just weight in lbs or kgs. This adds up quickly for items such as bumpers, hoods/bonnets, doors, etc.
OK, assuming you're obsessed enough to be like one of the three aforementioned 75 nuts above, and you've got the bumpers here, now you have to attach it to your car.
It's NOT a bolt on job.
In a nutshell, the US bumpers have different mounting points. Each of us had to MAKE a special mount to mate the Euro bumper to the US-chassis mounting point. If you're handy with a welder (I am) you can do it in an afternoon. If you're not, you either have to take the bumpers to a body shop, or a nice friend who does body work on the side. So, add that to your cost. Friend = $, body shop = $$$$.
Is it over? Well, no. The Euro bumpers have no blinkers in them! They have no side markers either! So now you have to wire up some sort of blinker so people facing your car from the front will know you intend to turn. For my car, I replaced the bulb in the corner light with a two-filament bulb and wired the blinker circuit to the brighter of the two terminals on the bulb.
I still haven't figured out how to re-install side markers on the bumper because I miss them. However, that has taken a back seat to other tasks at hand.
Finally, you have to paint them to match your car. Once those bumpers arrive to your door, the best case is they're the wrong color but in good shape. The worst case is the have rusty mounting bolts and are all scuffed up (like mine).
Was it worth the trouble? Well, I wasn't going for aesthetics but rather weight reduction so it was a functional upgrade for me. Does it look better? I'm still debating. I like the Euro bumpers, but those missing side markers bother me.
To each his/her own, I guess. If you're short on cash, buy some S-cams with the same money instead.
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