Nick's "lvndpst" Restoration (and Slight Modification) Thread

[95BlueStallion]

Stumbled on a random car today (online), and it has my gears turning about putting a Cobra body kit on my car. It looks nice and clean in silver. I need exhaust, as mine is rusting through from the inside, and I really only want to buy it once. What do you guys think?

 

[Mustang5L5]

I like it but to be honest, not a whole lot of visual change to be worth it imho

 

[95BlueStallion]

That is kind of what I like about it. Its a subtle change, but makes the car look cleaner. Maybe I will start with a rear Cobra bumper, and a factory replacement front, and see how it looks from there.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Let me start by saying I am no story writer like our pal, @madmike1157 . But I have a story to tell about the past month of my life.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about dumb visual stuff lately. It all spawns from the fact the right front corner of my front bumper is a hack job by guy that owned this car before me. Never really exposed that to you guys, but here it is.

Now that you know about that, let me say I have never particularly liked the front or rear bumpers on the GT's (I bought this GT instead of an LX because of my past, as you know). I have been kicking around cutting and installing a Cervini's Saleen style front valance in conjunction with the GT front bumper extensions. Even though I cant find any pics of people that have done it, I was wanting a different front bumper than the traditional GT. However, now I am leaning toward something a little more over the top that will be a one off hate it / love it look. I have a gentleman about an hour from me with a really awesome parts warehouse for higher end Mustangs (03-04 Cobras, GT500s, Boss', etc). He also has a BAD ass procharged, coyote swapped notch... Anyway, I bought the new (to me) rear axle for my 2011 from him to swap with the one I ruined when I had wrecked it. He says he has an 03-04 Cobra bumper that is too F'ed to sell, but should work for my endeavor. Lets start with this talking point.

That ^ is obviously a hack job. I am thinking about more like grafting the very bottom over the top of (kind of) my GT lower bumper section. Keeping it slightly recessed up under the trim line. Obviously if I pulled that off, the scoops on the front GT fender extensions are gonna look goofy mated up to the new lower front bumper. Here I think I will use Cobra fender extensions to help allow the transition to be smoother.

For the time being, I would leave the GT side kit as is. I HATE the Saleen side skirts and rear bumper. They look thin and flimsy to me, and I hate the rear bumper in between the tail pipes...

That brings us to the rear. I am not a fan of the Cobra rear bumper in front of the GT side scoops. Hard to explain, but I dont like the buldges on the sides behind the smooth GT scoops. I randomly stumbled on this next talking point just today...

A trimmed GT rear bumper to mimic a Saleen. (Dont even talk about the front LX bumper / GT fender extension. Lets pretend that isnt even there, put your hand over the front end and look at the rest)

That ^ I think I can easily mimic, along with a set of Cobra tails, and pull it off. It looks very similar to a Saleen rear from the side, and is just smooth across the back like an LX bumper... The best part about all of this? I would start with the Cobra front bumper hack job, and if it doesnt turn out, I need a new front bumper anyway. If I do like how it turns out, then I would buy some Cobra extensions, and go town on the rear bumper.

And then the car will be so far from stock, that I wont feel bad about the ruining a bone stock car by swapping a 408W in the course of the next 1-2 years... I mean, if you take things slow and do a decent job, hacks can look ok. Had this guy smoothed the sides of the fronnt bumper, I think this looks pretty nice.

WAIT, I found a guy who did it, kinda. Save for the ricer headlights, wonky new edge grill delete area, the fact he made it flush with the front trim of the bumper, (I would attach under and set back an inch, more like the stock bumper), and there is no body kit on the rest of the car, I like it.

I think I am going to give it a go, just for s and giggles. Maybe, just maybe, I can pull something off that surprises the purists. Anyone care to discuss?

 

[RaggedGT]

I like it man,I think if you take your time,it will turn out great,I may be of more help once you start lol.
@90sickfox has some experience with this type of mod-he'd be a good dude to talk to

 

[95BlueStallion]

Man, the more I look, the more I like the '01 front bumper. Might have to try to track one of those down. Problem is, I have a hook up on a cheap 03-04 bumper.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Yep, get Scott. @90sickfox ? Show this man the truth on front bumpers please.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

BTW, i like the smoother LX look on the rear bumper.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

And also, we can fix that front bumper if you're so inclined.

 

[90sickfox]

I'm still in the process of blending my 04 front bumper. The cold weather caught me. When it warms up it'll get finished. Its in my build thread....even the measurements for the cuts to the cobra bumper.

This is another car a friend of mine snuck a pic of.

 

[95BlueStallion]

I'm still in the process of blending my 04 front bumper. The cold weather caught me. When it warms up it'll get finished. Its in my build thread....even the measurements for the cuts to the cobra bumper.

Not sure how I missed that you were doing it. I am sure I saw and forgot, actually. I really want my version to be tucked under the trim of the front bumper, more so than smoothed in with it like the GT styled notch you posted. I want it to look more like the doors, where the trim stands tall still. Guess time will tell if I can pull it off.

 

[95BlueStallion]

And also, we can fix that front bumper if you're so inclined.

You mean you can fix my stock front bumper? To be honest, I considered giving it a go myself after seeing some of your techniques. But then I thought, even if I pull it off and it looks good, I will have spent $ and a lot of my time just to have another stock bumper I dont really like that much. I think they look fine on black cars, because you cannot really see their detail, but on light colored cars I think they just look like no effort was put into making them look sporty.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

That's two of you tonight..
Both You and Dave tagging me because of my "tendencies" to either speak my mind,..or write a book when I update.

So,....keeping in line w/ that,..I'll just say that I like the Cobra lower on a Fox. It gives it kinda the 4 toed Chucky Fuller look that I thought the red car had. In other words,...It makes it look like a little bad ass.

Some people think I am condescending towards other people's views and highly opinionated when I don't like something..
( Where these guys get that from is beyond me...)....Clearly that is an alternative fact,....Because believe me when I say this....Nobody is a bigger "live and let live" kinda guy that I am,....Nobody.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I like the 99/01 bumper better.

The 03/04 Cobra bumper has always reminded me of a chipmunk with swollen cheeks. Those fog lights just bulge too much

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Let me start by saying I am no story writer like our pal, @madmike1157 . But I have a story to tell about the past month of my life.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about dumb visual stuff lately. It all spawns from the fact the right front corner of my front bumper is a hack job by guy that owned this car before me. Never really exposed that to you guys, but here it is.

Now that you know about that, let me say I have never particularly liked the front or rear bumpers on the GT's (I bought this GT instead of an LX because of my past, as you know). I have been kicking around cutting and installing a Cervini's Saleen style front valance in conjunction with the GT front bumper extensions. Even though I cant find any pics of people that have done it, I was wanting a different front bumper than the traditional GT. However, now I am leaning toward something a little more over the top that will be a one off hate it / love it look. I have a gentleman about an hour from me with a really awesome parts warehouse for higher end Mustangs (03-04 Cobras, GT500s, Boss', etc). He also has a BAD ass procharged, coyote swapped notch... Anyway, I bought the new (to me) rear axle for my 2011 from him to swap with the one I ruined when I had wrecked it. He says he has an 03-04 Cobra bumper that is too F'ed to sell, but should work for my endeavor. Lets start with this talking point.

That ^ is obviously a hack job. I am thinking about more like grafting the very bottom over the top of (kind of) my GT lower bumper section. Keeping it slightly recessed up under the trim line. Obviously if I pulled that off, the scoops on the front GT fender extensions are gonna look goofy mated up to the new lower front bumper. Here I think I will use Cobra fender extensions to help allow the transition to be smoother.


For the time being, I would leave the GT side kit as is. I HATE the Saleen side skirts and rear bumper. They look thin and flimsy to me, and I hate the rear bumper in between the tail pipes...

That brings us to the rear. I am not a fan of the Cobra rear bumper in front of the GT side scoops. Hard to explain, but I dont like the buldges on the sides behind the smooth GT scoops. I randomly stumbled on this next talking point just today...

A trimmed GT rear bumper to mimic a Saleen. (Dont even talk about the front LX bumper / GT fender extension. Lets pretend that isnt even there, put your hand over the front end and look at the rest)

That ^ I think I can easily mimic, along with a set of Cobra tails, and pull it off. It looks very similar to a Saleen rear from the side, and is just smooth across the back like an LX bumper... The best part about all of this? I would start with the Cobra front bumper hack job, and if it doesnt turn out, I need a new front bumper anyway. If I do like how it turns out, then I would buy some Cobra extensions, and go town on the rear bumper.

And then the car will be so far from stock, that I wont feel bad about the ruining a bone stock car by swapping a 408W in the course of the next 1-2 years... I mean, if you take things slow and do a decent job, hacks can look ok. Had this guy smoothed the sides of the fronnt bumper, I think this looks pretty nice.

WAIT, I found a guy who did it, kinda. Save for the ricer headlights, wonky new edge grill delete area, the fact he made it flush with the front trim of the bumper, (I would attach under and set back an inch, more like the stock bumper), and there is no body kit on the rest of the car, I like it.

I think I am going to give it a go, just for ****s and giggles. Maybe, just maybe, I can pull something off that surprises the purists. Anyone care to discuss?

The car needs the rest of the GT lower side skirts to carry the lower front. The top example looks way better than the bottom.

 

[90sickfox]

I like the 99- 01 bumper, also. The fog lights bezels seem to follow a reflection of our six piece headlights. I chose the 03- 06 because of the airflow for the intercooler...and an area for brake cooking ducts ( that I can't use because of intercooler piping ).

I don't like GT skirts with the cobra bumper. The 93 cobra side skirts don't entertain me either. Guess I'll have to make something work...

 

[95BlueStallion]

I like the 99/01 bumper better.

The 03/04 Cobra bumper has always reminded me of a chipmunk with swollen cheeks. Those fog lights just bulge too much.

Damn it, you had to go and do that didnt you, lol! Now I will never look at it the same. See, my plan is take where the fog lights, AKA chipmunk cheeks, wrap around the side of the bumper, and mold them into the sides of the existing GT lower bumper. Basically take the lower face off the stock GT bumper, and try to Nicholas Cage the 03-04 lower over its face. If I had any photoshop skills, I would try to illustrate it, but I dont. I am waiting for my source for the bumper to get back to me still. He is a busy guy.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Once you see it...you can't unsee it.

I'm sure it will look great...after all, I still love 03/04 cobras and think the entire front end is the most aggressive SN95 nose made.

 

[90sickfox]

Come on....cut the bumper already

Only thing I wish I would've done different is drilled 3 small holes about an inch up from the corner of the bumper and cut slits to them to relieve the stress of the molded bumper corner bulge. I think it would've helped with epoxying the bumper on. It would've allowed the curved edge to straighten out behind the cobra bumper- giving more contact area to adhere to.

 

[Boosted92LX]