I thought id create this thread to show ppl what I went through to get rid of the IC holes you see in the Evo IX bumper and have them "filled" in with plastic panels then professionally smoothed out by a panel beater.

Why I did it?
* Coz I have not seen this mod ever done on the IX bumper and I want to be the first to create a different look.
* Coz its a "cleaner" look imo

Some of you may love it, some may hate it but it is what it is....

You could say its the equivalent to an "Evo VIII nose chop"..... The "Evo IX IC hole delete" mod

Good and bad opinions welcome...


Heres what im talking about:


The reason why I chose this pic of an Evo IX is coz I will be running a Deck Mechanical lip as well....



Photoshop of the IC holes filled in:



This is a 2nd hand JDM IX bumper that I sourced from Japan and had it ship to Australia.







Taken to my plastic welder. IC hole cut out with compatible plastic panel then plastic welded in place. I also got the small holes above filled in



















Rear shot:





On the back of the JDM bumper are the following letters which the plastic welder needed to know because he had to make sure he had the right plastic that would bond with the bumper.
The letters and symbols were:
>HMPP<




I know its a rough job on the plastic welding but my I have faith in my panel beater to make it look good...

My VII is black in colour but im still deciding whether to keep it black or paint the whole car white. Its in need of a paint job coz I have also got an OEM IX hood and still sourcing:
* JDM IX rear bumper
* Varis front fenders



Stay tuned for more updates.....

 

+1 for uniqueness but why not just buy an VIII front bumper...? They are going to look very similar when you're done, look at the second picture with the photoshopping - compare it to the blue Evo VIII next to it and the only difference is that the side openings are larger on the IX front end.

 

Neat idea!

 

A custom bumper that no one else would ever make is priceless...

I cant wait to see the finished product!

 

I totally disagree. I think the 8 and 9 bumpers look totally different. Look at the sides and the overall shape. There's big differences between the two. I'm (personally) not a fan of the 8 bumper - or I should say that I prefer the 9 bumper more.
I think it's a pretty unique idea but it takes away some of the aggressive look of the 9 bumper IMHO.

 

NEAT! Cant wait to see how it looks when its done! Great Idea.

 

That makes it look somewhat more stealthy and less aggressive...well besides the wheels, lowered look and a few other parts added to it.

 

I like it keep us updated on your progress

 

As I said previously... I'm mainly doing this because I want a different look then what's already out there... I like the VIII front / nose chop / Do Luck lip combo but that setup has been done... I actually have an VIII front with Do Luck lip sitting in storage in another state.

Yes, the IC hole delete will lose some aggression from the front end but I'm sure I'll gain some back with the:
* Deck lip
* black or white paint job
* ride height
* wheel selection
* Custom headlights
That I have planned for the car

 

in for final results..

 

Subscribed! I always hated the "nostrils" of the ix bumper.

Props for not being afraid to be different.

 

It looks good, but I don't think I would want to block off any kind of air flow to the intercooler/engine. It may not make a difference, but I like having as much airflow as possible.

 

Im interested to see how this pans out. GL!

 

I like it. Nicely done.

 

Unique idea, waiting for the finish product...