how exactly are the EU/US bumper brackets different? | FerrariChat

how exactly are the EU/US bumper brackets different?

Discussion in '308/328' started by detroiter, Dec 15, 2015.

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  1. detroiter

    detroiter Karting

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    #1 detroiter, Dec 15, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Several posts here say the EU front bumpers are not plug and play on US cars because the brackets are different. Anyone care to elaborate?
    My US bumper is rusting from the inside out, and the EU ones are so much cheaper. Can I just buy EU brackets in order to make it mount up?

    Are the mounting points of the tubes on the car frame different between EU and US or just the flange/bolt pattern where the tubes mount to the bumper itself?

    Plan would be to swap to EU bumper, brackets and grille all at the same time.
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  2. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
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    It is fair to say that EVERYTHING is different because the US cars have their front and rear frames welded totally differently than the Euro cars. In addition the US cars received collapsable bumper shocks where the Euro cars got steel tube adapters. In essence the bumpers on the Euro cars are nothing more than black stripes on the front and back while on the US cars they were designed to handle a 5 mph impact.

    That said it is possible to make Euro bumpers fit on a US spec cars and there are a number of threads showing the custom brackets people have made to make the conversion. Also if you check the thread on the electric 308, there is information on brackets that you can buy to make the conversion.
     
  3. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

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    Superformance has bumpers that convert USA Spec to European Spec bumpers. They must be new to their catalog as no one seems to have mentioned them before (either exalting or complaining):

    Body Panels for Ferrari 308, 208, 288 GTO & F40 - Superformance

    Convert from USA Spec to European Spec:
    Part number 30804220 is Front Bumper (Fibreglass Moulding) for QV
    Part number 30804180 is Rear Bumper (Fibreglass Moulding) for QV

    They have similar conversion bumpers for all the other 308s too, as well as brackets.

    I am interested in hearing feedback about these bumpers.
     
  4. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

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    Has anyone tried these out?
     
  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    This is an accurate post...with so many owners mounting Euro bumpers, it should not be hard tto find take offs...

    The "shock mounting" and the additional weight of our inner iron core, make the mounting totally, totally different. I can pnly assume they are making the fiberglass versions to mount properly on the shock, as the studs are entirely different in both quantity and spacing.

    To adjust protrusion, many have collapsed the US shock or replaced it with a fabricated tube, to mimic the Euro mounting location (inner to the car)
     
  6. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 BigTex, Jan 20, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  7. 308 milano

    308 milano F1 Veteran

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    Heartbreaking to know that all this damage could have been avoided if the owner would have just had the more substantial 5 mph US spec. Bumpers... (Rolls eyes)
     
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  8. smg2

    smg2 F1 World Champ
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    Lies, damn lies. :D

    They do not 'bolt' up in any sense of the word.
     
  9. wda24729

    wda24729 Formula 3

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    Agree, they are only produced to bolt to the euro mounts. Im sure if someone came up with a suitable bumper, there will be a decent demand.
     
  10. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

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    What is the difference in rigidity and strength of the USA vs. Euro spec bumpers?

    Do the US-spec simply have the pistons to meet the US DOT mandate to survive a 5 mph impact without damage to the car? Or are the bumpers themselves substantially more robust than their Euro counterparts in higher speed collisions?

    I don't like how much my US-spec bumpers stick out, but, frankly I like safety.
     
  11. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

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    Yeah, obviously more than 5 mph.

    The interesting thing about the photo though is how the bumper does not appear to have transferred much of the collision forces to the frame; it's all absorbed by the body (looks like the driver hit a nice big tree).

    If you're going to cause a total write-off, you may as well use the frame to absorb some of the shock too.

    Scary also how the hood didn't fold and is starting the guillotine maneuver.
     
  12. 308Hutch

    308Hutch Formula Junior

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  13. Brian Harper

    Brian Harper F1 Rookie
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    100 lbs.? Holy crap, that's a lot!
     
  14. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #14 BigTex, Jan 22, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    There's a set of take offs, for the OP to make a proper repair.

    I never mean to raise ire with my jokes, but crushing your legs is no laughing matter, ask A.J. Foyt!

    A Euro bumper is simply a light fiberglass molded part, it LOOKS a lot like a bumper...
    :D :D :D

    The US version, as the OP suggest from his "rubber splitting" issue, is built from a solid iron bar, dropped into the same mold but encased in a solid rubber outer covering. It can be damaged by impact certainly, and in my mind should also avoid the urge to paint it.

    That said, there are Rubber Repair Kits that do a passable job if you want to avoid total replacement.

    I have seen one or two in my lifetime that exhibit the splitting issue as the rubber corrodes and expands, we all know that Ferrari did jack squat in those days on priming, so reall ythe answer to a split one is to source a take off.

    So much revision to take out the heavy shocks, totally different stud mounting, and so forth.

    I save the weight, by dating skinny chicks!!!

    Here, an apology photo, to make up for the first one!
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  15. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    The actual, factual answer:

    Euro version = 2 studs, as shown in the diagram
    North American version = 4 studs, in a square pattern
     
  16. MarketGuy

    MarketGuy Karting

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    That's one hell of a REAR bumper you have in that photo, my man... :)
     
  17. Hannibal308

    Hannibal308 F1 Veteran

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    Apparently only requires one stud to mount it...
     
  18. Labman

    Labman F1 Rookie
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  19. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

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    #19 Brian A, Jan 23, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2016
    When all is said and done, that is probably what I'll do. A couple of my friends have their US-spec bumpers pushed in and it looks pretty good.

    Pushing in the bumpers doesn’t do anything about the 100 lbs. but, the weight appears to buy a legitimate extra margin of safety. In analyzing BigTex’s photo, it strikes me that the bumper shocks must be about the 5 mph incidents while the bumpers themselves are about higher speed impacts. That was one nasty collision where having a "real" bumper may have helped.

    Is there any document which shows the strengthening Ferrari did to bring the 308 to US Federal standards? The homologation documents (that I could find) don’t say anything about US-spec.
     
  20. ragtop1

    ragtop1 F1 Veteran
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    Hey Bubba, that's a 328. What's the speed crash rating on those bumpers?

    Let's see some more rear bumper shots . :D
     
  21. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    #21 GordonC, Jan 24, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    It's not just the bumper or the mounts that are different - the frame itself is different between Euro and US cars, to accommodate the different bumpers and bumper test requirements.

    In 997's recent thread http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/308-328-sponsored-yellow-compass-group/511363-my-308qv-my-way.html , he posted a picture of the rear structure of his 85 QV when the muffler was removed - I found a similar picture of my Euro 84 QV. Both pictures reposted below.

    On the US version, there is a much larger rectangular frame tube angling up from the sway bar mounting square tube back to the main tube with the bumper mount; and the bumper mounts to a large built up box section frame member. On the Euro version, the angled frame tube is a smaller square section, and the horizontal tube above it is the same smaller square section instead of the built up box section on the US car.
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  22. 308Hutch

    308Hutch Formula Junior

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    Since it has been a year from our bumper swap on the 78 GTS I have to clear some cob webs. The bolt spacing is off on the front of the 5 mph impact shock in the US car. And the angle was off too for the EU bumper we used. So we made these brackets (and its an extra set) that worked perfect for mounting the front bumper. Looks. Great, light weight, no protection :). Shocks pulled and it bolts straight onto the shock front mount holes. Easy.

    I cant touch the quality of Bubba's rear bumper but would venture to say its ok the rip the frame out.

    [​IMG][​IMG]


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