Lexus IS F Sport Bumper Conversion
Thinking about upgrading the look of your Lexus IS? Check out these member tips to transform your non-F Sport!
Since the dawn of hot rodding, enthusiasts have sought to upgrade the appearance of their rides. So as manufacturers began to differentiate the styling on their performance variants, it spawned the natural next step. And that is the fabled bumper swap. Now, swapping front bumpers on cars like the Lexus IS, in theory, should be simple. But oftentimes, the job turns out to be too complicated to be worthwhile.
But is that the case with the Lexus IS F Sport and its fancy front bumper? For owners who didn’t want to (or couldn’t at the time) opt for this upgraded package, is there hope? For the answer to this question, we turned to the Club Lexus forums. It’s there that we came across a thread started by member tdawson2, who was wondering the exact same thing.
“I’ve seen a few threads talking about this subject with nothing conclusive. I’m looking at this conversion kit on eBay. Does anyone have experience with it? To build the same kit with OEM parts would cost a small fortune, since everything from the actual bumper to the cover needs to be purchased. And shipping is awful through those car part sites.
A few issues off the bat:
1. It has holes for headlight sprayers which my car doesn’t have. So I’ll need to figure out what to do there.
2. It doesn’t have holes for the parking assist sensors. I found the sensor retainer part I need so I’ll just have to make the holes.
Parking assist sensor retainer part number: 8934833110.
Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, as several members point out, just because this kit touts itself as a simple solution doesn’t mean that it really is.
“It looks like it will come unpainted,” says Ciggy. “If you do the custom work and fill in the headlight sprayer holes before you do the prep and paint it will come out clean. Not sure about fitment on an aftermarket bumper though.”
“I was planning on doing the conversion too,” adds Miintt.“But I decided to hold off for a while considering how much it would cost to go OEM. I thought about buying that bumper too, but couldn’t find anyone with first hand experience to tell me about the quality/fit. BTW, you’ll need to change your front fender lining as well for the bumper to fit.”
And OEM is obviously a better way to go sometimes. Ordering body parts like the Lexus IS front bumper conversion from an aftermarket manufacturer often leads to fitment issues that require a ton of bodywork. So the initial expense of OEM might actually be worth it, as nathantse points out.
“Getting the paint work to match the rest of the car would cost a small fortune as well. Have you tried talking to your dealer to see if they would order you the F Sport bumper? I imagine it would cost no more than $1,000, but this way you can for sure get OEM and the right paint color. I mean that eBay part is already $500, and paint work would depend. IMO, spend the few extra $$ and get it right.”
But it turns out that at least one member has installed the eBay Lexus IS F Sport bumper. And cosmos0351 highly recommends it.
“I did this mod. Probably the best mod you can do to your non-F Sport Lexus. I got it from the same eBay seller. It’s a perfect fit and very high quality. A paint shop will prime, sand, and paint match the bumper for about $300-450. Install takes about 3 hours if you are taking your time. You will lose your fog lights, but who cares, I’ve never fancied fog lights. As for the headlamp washer holes, just get the heads and Jerry rig them over the holes. I personally think the washer heads look really good. Paint match them to your car or paint the chrome black pearl to make them pop.”
And upon request, also chimes in with some special installation tips for the OP.
“I would highly suggest getting the bumper kit with the TRD lip splitters. Your paint shop will paint them for no extra charge. Just tell them it’s a stock piece to the bumper. The install is pretty straight forward. Assembling the center grill is a bit of a puzzle, but it’s pretty easy.
Tips:
1. Use blankets to protect the fresh paint on your new bumper.
2. When installing, start from the center bolts out. Keep all bolts loose until your bumper is lined up perfectly.
3. Assemble the center grill prior to installing the bumper.
4. When assembling the center grill, be sure to use the screws provided.”
And that’s exactly what the OP decided to do. We’d say it turned out pretty darn nice, too.
“I visited my sister this weekend. My brother in law (who is an automotive painter, what luck!) donated his Saturday to getting the bumper painted and installed. I’ll try and find the motivation to post part numbers later, but I’ll list below the parts and considerations for this specific kit.
-
The F Sport bumper itself is bolt on.
-
Holes need to be made for the side proximity sensors (5/8″ hole). There’s a guide stenciled on the inside of the bumper so there’s no guessing where to make the hole.
-
Parts:
- Mounting hardware for side proximity sensors and grill sensors.
- Bumper shock absorber (I didn’t realize this and just took it off). You can probably trim it down if you have a saw since it’s just compressed foam.
- Headlight sprayer covers (If those holes are in yours). We used some clips to secure them from the back side and cut a gasket to sit between the paint and the cover. Looks good, and we’ll see how it holds up. You could also fill the holes if you have time for that.
- Fender liner clip? There’s a part that attaches the fender liner to the bumper that is different for the F-Sport bumper. These come with the kit I bought.
- Kit comes with the 3 grill pieces
- Bottom side vents (where fog lights would go). They come with this kit. My car had fog lights, but I left them off since I had no way to mount them.
Mine and my brother in law’s impressions with the quality of the bumper were positive. It didn’t require much prep other than the sensor holes and some mold seams that were easily shaved down with a razor blade. Installing it took some effort, but once on everything lined up well.”
Another mystery solved by an intrepid Club Lexus member! If you’re looking for solutions and tips like these, head over to the forums. There’s a pretty good chance you’ll find the answer to any Lexus related question you might have!
