Need suggestions: Cutting bumper for dual exhaust - Page 2

Accumulator · 05-15-08, 03:52

victory- Cool, glad it worked out so well. Sounds like you're on your way

victory · 05-16-08, 04:27

Not bad for $75

Just a little bit of surface rust. Gonna sand the end of the muffler and hit it with flat black high temp paint before i install it. Then i drive over to the exhaust shop, get those fugly GTP tips chopped off and those sweet tips i posted above put on. Fascias should be in early next week. Will probably take all day to paint them.

The tips arrived today and they are really nice looking. The dual 3" openings really fill out the openings in the bumper. They're gonna look sick

drew.haynes · 05-16-08, 04:58

Were you saying these regals run the same motor as a GTP? I used to know this guy with a GTP that ran high 11s. Not bad for a GTP! Then he wrecked it. Then he had a high mile LS1 camaro that ran mid 10s. Then he wrecked it. Haha.

victory · 05-16-08, 05:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew.haynes

Were you saying these regals run the same motor as a GTP? I used to know this guy with a GTP that ran high 11s. Not bad for a GTP! Then he wrecked it. Then he had a high mile LS1 camaro that ran mid 10s. Then he wrecked it. Haha.

Actually, it is more correct to say that the GTP's have the same motor as the Buick , as the 3800 is actually a buick engine and forced induction models were appearing in Buick's (think grand national) long before it showed up in Pontiac's. But yeah, since 1997, under the sheet metal, the GTP and the Regal GS are the same exact car with the same drivetrain. It's one hell of a sleeper. Not as many Regal guys are in the 11's, but they are out there (just not as many Buick modders out there). Personally, I'll be happy with 13's. One of the guys around me has a full intercooler setup with a 3.0 pulley. He's should be deep in the 12's with only a few thousand put into the car.

Stanger'66 · 05-16-08, 07:00

Don't leave out the love for the SSEI! Bonneville owner here but mine is an L36. I believe the fastest SSEI is 11s which isn't bad for such a large car.

victory · 05-16-08, 07:11

I think Ed Morad has an 11 or 10 second SSEI. He's also the best source of used 3800 parts anywhere.

victory · 05-17-08, 08:51

Can't wait to get those fugly GTP tips off

Now, to answer the inevitable question: Is this just for looks or do you expect some sort of a performance upgrade out of this?

Well, granted it was 15-20 degrees cooler when i was seeing 11-12psi on a stock pulley, i just ran the car and saw a peak of 8.5psi dead on 70 degrees. I'd say they definitely flow better. No more boost stacking for me! Now it's time to drop 3/10" off this pulley. Say hello to 13's

victory · 05-20-08, 11:49

Hotness

Tips are in. Stock resonator (choke point) swapped for a magnaflow unit.

victory · 05-20-08, 03:01

Safety first

2 coats of primer then light sand

first base coat. This is where i am now. 1 or 2 more to go, then clear

Joseph K · 05-20-08, 04:10

Are the inserts/bumper plastic or metal? Should have used an adhesion promoter if those inserts were plastic, but they should be fine...

As far as cutting, if you are good with a jigsaw, it would make easy work of that with a metal cutting blade on it. If I can follor a line perfectly with mine, you could... lol. The inserts should cover up and rough edges though, so I wouldn't worry about making the cut TOO pretty, just make sure it's right.

Joseph K · 05-20-08, 04:12

Looks nice, man. I bet it sounds a lot better, too

victory · 05-20-08, 04:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph K

Are the inserts/bumper plastic or metal? Should have used an adhesion promoter if those inserts were plastic, but they should be fine...

As far as cutting, if you are good with a jigsaw, it would make easy work of that with a metal cutting blade on it. If I can follor a line perfectly with mine, you could... lol. The inserts should cover up and rough edges though, so I wouldn't worry about making the cut TOO pretty, just make sure it's right.

I scuffed the surface with 320 grit wiped with prep-sol and primed. Since it's not a really flexible plastic, i should be fine not having been able to find plastic bumper specific paint.

If you read back, you'll see the work we did with tin snips. Ended up being a very nice cut. It's probably what I'd recommend now for cutting this type of plastic bumper cover. The lip on the inserts is big enough that i could have cut it out with a hatchet

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph K

Looks nice, man. I bet it sounds a lot better, too

It's pretty quiet actually, but it does have a bit of a grumble to it now. Just enough to raise an eyebrow if you were very attentive, but not enough to make anyone think twice. I tried to take some video on my camera, but it's not even worth posting because the little microphone on the camera can't pick up the bass, so it sounds tinny and generally crappy in the video.

anyway...3 coats. Will be ready for clearcoat after drying for a couple hours.