View Poll Results: which front end ~
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Poll ~ 93-95 or 99 spec front end?
01-15-15, 12:43 PM
#102
Old thread is old....
I am starting to come full circle. When this thread was created I would have voted 99+ all the way. Now I am starting to prefer the 93 bumper but with the 99 lip. To me that looks the best and whenever I go 'retro' that's what I am going with.
Lol at the Hitler mustache.... Anyway when the OEM 99 bumper first came out I thought it was hideous with the plate holder. Now remember at the time there wasn't any plateless bumpers and yet our eyes told us that it was off. That is the reason why the plateless bumpers were created in the first place. The demand of people not agreeing with the aesthetics of the original.
Eventually, the OEM plate bumper grew on me to the point that I couldn't/can't decide which looks better. So when it came time to purchase mine I rationalized that there was something there in regards to my initial first impression. I ended up going with the plateless due to my my initial reaction of 'it just doesn't look right' and therefore ignoring what I grew on me.
Anyway some eye candy:
Which looks better? I'm still leaning with the plateless but w/plate looks damn good too.
I am starting to come full circle. When this thread was created I would have voted 99+ all the way. Now I am starting to prefer the 93 bumper but with the 99 lip. To me that looks the best and whenever I go 'retro' that's what I am going with.
Lol at the Hitler mustache.... Anyway when the OEM 99 bumper first came out I thought it was hideous with the plate holder. Now remember at the time there wasn't any plateless bumpers and yet our eyes told us that it was off. That is the reason why the plateless bumpers were created in the first place. The demand of people not agreeing with the aesthetics of the original.
Eventually, the OEM plate bumper grew on me to the point that I couldn't/can't decide which looks better. So when it came time to purchase mine I rationalized that there was something there in regards to my initial first impression. I ended up going with the plateless due to my my initial reaction of 'it just doesn't look right' and therefore ignoring what I grew on me.
Anyway some eye candy:
Which looks better? I'm still leaning with the plateless but w/plate looks damn good too.
01-15-15, 10:19 PM
#105
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I like plateless bumpers. I also like a lot of the aftermarket bumpers as well. I think the 99 design is more performance oriented and lets more air for better cooling. If you can get a 93 bumper to work cooling wise, and I had it on the car, I would use the 93. I do think both look good.
01-16-15, 04:10 AM
#106
Senior Member
I'm about to get my car painted and I have a plateless 99 replica bumper that I had assumed I would use. But now I think I'll stick with the old nose.
Aesthetically, for a while I considered the 99 to look "better" and fresher, but now I think the early front end with smaller more ovoid openings may be more in keeping with the overall character of the design, sculpted with no hard edges/lines/corners. The 99+ gives the car a more "friendly", extroverted and engaging look, which I do like. The early nose is a little less overt and obvious, with maybe even the slightest hint of malevolence...
Functionally, the 99+ nose has larger openings for more airflow, but the earlier nose gives less drag and lift at the front of the car, to the extent that they had to make the 99+ splitter larger to keep the same front end lift as the earlier nose with the smaller splitter. Since I have no overheating issues at the track or on the street in traffic in 95F temps with the A/C on, I don't think I need the larger opening.
Thinking I'll stick with the early nose and the 99+ splitter that was on the car when I got it.
Regarding the obvious afterthought of the 99+ license plate brick, it just ruins the nose. A square brick grafted onto the nose of an otherwise swoopy and sculpted car is totally jarring and out of place. I guarantee that if the factory nose had been clean and someone grafted on an identical brick to mount a front license plate, NO one would think the brick nose looked better.
Aesthetically, for a while I considered the 99 to look "better" and fresher, but now I think the early front end with smaller more ovoid openings may be more in keeping with the overall character of the design, sculpted with no hard edges/lines/corners. The 99+ gives the car a more "friendly", extroverted and engaging look, which I do like. The early nose is a little less overt and obvious, with maybe even the slightest hint of malevolence...
Functionally, the 99+ nose has larger openings for more airflow, but the earlier nose gives less drag and lift at the front of the car, to the extent that they had to make the 99+ splitter larger to keep the same front end lift as the earlier nose with the smaller splitter. Since I have no overheating issues at the track or on the street in traffic in 95F temps with the A/C on, I don't think I need the larger opening.
Thinking I'll stick with the early nose and the 99+ splitter that was on the car when I got it.
Regarding the obvious afterthought of the 99+ license plate brick, it just ruins the nose. A square brick grafted onto the nose of an otherwise swoopy and sculpted car is totally jarring and out of place. I guarantee that if the factory nose had been clean and someone grafted on an identical brick to mount a front license plate, NO one would think the brick nose looked better.
01-18-15, 02:05 PM
#107
Rotary Freak
I've been on the fence about this for a while. I agree that the '93-'95 front bumper integrates more harmoniously with the curvy body lines. The '99+ looks more modern and racy, in my eyes, and I would definitely pair it with the newer rear signal lights if I were going that way.
Voting with my bucks and hands, I think I'll keep my '93 body parts and just add the R1 front spoiler and the '99+ adjustable rear spoiler for increased downforce.
Voting with my bucks and hands, I think I'll keep my '93 body parts and just add the R1 front spoiler and the '99+ adjustable rear spoiler for increased downforce.
01-20-15, 11:07 AM
#110
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I re-read through this...
Some good points and some frustration...
I voted for the '93, I don't dislike the '99 w/o plate, I am very bothered by the one with the plate.
As I am an architect and a designer, I can see the points ptrhahn made over and over. While your taste is personal and you might like the plated '99 for whatever personal reason, objectively, the design is simply out of sorts and plainly ugly, from a design standpoint. Many have highlighted why, no need to repeat, every single point was pretty much bang on.
I am going to add that the '99 lights do not go with the design of the car, create a copule of sharp ends, are not at all aligned with the lines coming from the flip ups and the hood and therefore are in my opinion the major reason why it is not as nice a bumper as the 93.
I do agree that the plateless '99 has a large space from the edge of the hood to the front opening and I do see why people have such a problem with that, to end up preferring the one with plate horrible box. I believe that even with the emblem that area is a bit too vast, with no ridges, lines, opening, which is the reason why I do not prefer the '99 to the '93.
Noted that the '99 solves several heat dissipation related issues, if you don't have those, I believe 93 is the way to go. The '93 is perfectly integrated in the design of the car and I prefer its grunt to the loopy smile of the '99.
Regarding the lip, I do not like the 99 one simply because it tends to stick out the sides of the car and that also disrupts the overall design. I do not like it on the 93 lip either, for the very same reason.
I don't think I'll change my '93, but if I did, I'd like to go with the PFS, which looks like a '93 but has a bit more height and bigger openings.
Jason94R2: isn't the lip in the silver RX7 not a '99? I'm just curious, but it does look different.
Some good points and some frustration...
I voted for the '93, I don't dislike the '99 w/o plate, I am very bothered by the one with the plate.
As I am an architect and a designer, I can see the points ptrhahn made over and over. While your taste is personal and you might like the plated '99 for whatever personal reason, objectively, the design is simply out of sorts and plainly ugly, from a design standpoint. Many have highlighted why, no need to repeat, every single point was pretty much bang on.
I am going to add that the '99 lights do not go with the design of the car, create a copule of sharp ends, are not at all aligned with the lines coming from the flip ups and the hood and therefore are in my opinion the major reason why it is not as nice a bumper as the 93.
I do agree that the plateless '99 has a large space from the edge of the hood to the front opening and I do see why people have such a problem with that, to end up preferring the one with plate horrible box. I believe that even with the emblem that area is a bit too vast, with no ridges, lines, opening, which is the reason why I do not prefer the '99 to the '93.
Noted that the '99 solves several heat dissipation related issues, if you don't have those, I believe 93 is the way to go. The '93 is perfectly integrated in the design of the car and I prefer its grunt to the loopy smile of the '99.
Regarding the lip, I do not like the 99 one simply because it tends to stick out the sides of the car and that also disrupts the overall design. I do not like it on the 93 lip either, for the very same reason.
I don't think I'll change my '93, but if I did, I'd like to go with the PFS, which looks like a '93 but has a bit more height and bigger openings.
Jason94R2: isn't the lip in the silver RX7 not a '99? I'm just curious, but it does look different.
01-21-15, 03:04 PM
#112
I really like the fact that it seems like more and more people are beginning to see the original bumper as looking better than the 99-spec bumper. And, apparently, for all the right reasons. Years ago it was the reverse as many people switched over to the 99 style and I think that happened largely because of wanting to have the newest Rx7 look available in Japan, but not here.
I am among these!
I realise now that my desire for 99 spec, starting about a decade ago, was to adapt a 12 year old car to a more current era. However, now that 2002 is long gone, the 99 spec look does not, in my opinion, "advance" the FD's look to the same degree anymore.
What I mean is, back in 2006 having a '99 spec bumper put you on the same level as most new cars of that era.
Now, the same 'upgrade' keeps you looking at cars from that era (the previous decade).
whereas the '93 look retains its OEM/classic/retro feel, that the '99 spec just hasn't (and maybe won't ever) earn in the US.
I still like the 99 spec look, but I've realised that my justification for the several thousand dollars to convert was based principally on me looking like I was driving something built recently.
01-21-15, 03:46 PM
#113
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I am among these!
I realise now that my desire for 99 spec, starting about a decade ago, was to adapt a 12 year old car to a more current era. However, now that 2002 is long gone, the 99 spec look does not, in my opinion, "advance" the FD's look to the same degree anymore.
What I mean is, back in 2006 having a '99 spec bumper put you on the same level as most new cars of that era.
Now, the same 'upgrade' keeps you looking at cars from that era (the previous decade).
whereas the '93 look retains its OEM/classic/retro feel, that the '99 spec just hasn't (and maybe won't ever) earn in the US.
I still like the 99 spec look, but I've realised that my justification for the several thousand dollars to convert was based principally on me looking like I was driving something built recently.
I realise now that my desire for 99 spec, starting about a decade ago, was to adapt a 12 year old car to a more current era. However, now that 2002 is long gone, the 99 spec look does not, in my opinion, "advance" the FD's look to the same degree anymore.
What I mean is, back in 2006 having a '99 spec bumper put you on the same level as most new cars of that era.
Now, the same 'upgrade' keeps you looking at cars from that era (the previous decade).
whereas the '93 look retains its OEM/classic/retro feel, that the '99 spec just hasn't (and maybe won't ever) earn in the US.
I still like the 99 spec look, but I've realised that my justification for the several thousand dollars to convert was based principally on me looking like I was driving something built recently.
01-21-15, 03:49 PM
#114
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Well, Gordon, you just burst my bubble, lol... Although I'm not at the point of getting one, I was toying with the idea, maybe once everything else I want to do is done. I am ignorant in regards to this, but... Is the reason that PFS no longer makes stuff of this sort?
01-21-15, 05:36 PM
#116
i like the 99 with or without plate... on my personal car .. i bough the plateless because of availability.. the oem one is 3-4 month backordered from japan awhile back.
IMG_0671 by tbkonwso1, on Flickr
dont mind the wheel gap , i raised the car up for the video i was shooting driving through mud and mountain road lol
my oil and coolant temp dropped 5% with the change of the front bumper btw!
IMG_0671 by tbkonwso1, on Flickrdont mind the wheel gap , i raised the car up for the video i was shooting driving through mud and mountain road lol
my oil and coolant temp dropped 5% with the change of the front bumper btw!
01-21-15, 06:38 PM
#117
i like the 99 with or without plate... on my personal car .. i bough the plateless because of availability.. the oem one is 3-4 month backordered from japan awhile back.
IMG_0671 by tbkonwso1, on Flickr
dont mind the wheel gap , i raised the car up for the video i was shooting driving through mud and mountain road lol
my oil and coolant temp dropped 5% with the change of the front bumper btw!
IMG_0671 by tbkonwso1, on Flickrdont mind the wheel gap , i raised the car up for the video i was shooting driving through mud and mountain road lol
my oil and coolant temp dropped 5% with the change of the front bumper btw!
01-22-15, 07:37 AM
#119
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That means I'll have to stick with the 93 stocker...
