Installing R32 bumper & grill on GTI

[Damn]

Howdy all.

My missus has a MKV GTI with factory Xenon lights. Unfortunately the front bumper & grill needs to be replaced and I was considering chucking an R32 front on it, given she hates the GTI grill & red strip.

I was talking to the parts guy at VW who told me (you'll love this) that the conversion would cost around $7,000 because you need to change things like:

- headlights (Apparently the GTI Xenon's different to the R32 Xenons??)
- Engine ECU (appartenty the ECU will know we've changed the bumper )
- Engine loom (the loom somehow lives in the bumper and if we don't change it we we would be splicing cables)

I suggested this was bulsh and promptly was told that I didn't know what I was on about.

I have done some searching and seen quite a few people who have put R32 front on their non-GTI Golf's, but I couldn't find a post that listed parts and part numbers.

I would think that I would need:
-- R32 front bar
-- R32 center & lower grills
-- R32 front radiator support
-- Associated brackets

Given that we are already going to need to purchase the above parts (to fix the very minor damage to the front of the car) I was thinking that it would be a low cost move to the R32 front.

Has anybody with this experience here that could assist in confirming what is required, and can you confirm if I would need a retune after the bumper swap

[team_v]

Might want to see how much the parts are on ecstuning/oemplus etc.

Also check out vortex as i believe there are a few done on there.

[Big Yellow]

lights are the same, headlight washers in the same place, dont need to change ecu's.

should be a straight bolt on, the only differences could be the wheel liner where it bolts into the bumper, and/or the undertray.

you could get away without running the undertray or the wheel liner, but you'd definately need the bumper and centre grill.

[anthony_VWJET]

lights are the same, headlight washers in the same place, dont need to change ecu's.

should be a straight bolt on, the only differences could be the wheel liner where it bolts into the bumper, and/or the undertray.

you could get away without running the undertray or the wheel liner, but you'd definately need the bumper and centre grill.

DO IT!

Im pretty sure on ECS or possibly it was another site, theres an R32 front bumper conversion kit. I was looking into previously as I want to convert my Jetta front. If I recall correctly the asking price for the kit was around 4g or maybe 5. If its an insurance claim, why not get a genuine kit from VW?

Keep us posted on how you go!

[Damn]

DO IT!

If its an insurance claim, why not get a genuine kit from VW?

This is an insurance claim, so I do want genuine VW parts. However if the VW parts guy starts talking smack about us needing to change the ECU and loom, it shows they have no clue. The panel shop is happy to do it but said I must ensure that I give them a parts list that will mean it will all bolt on without body mods.

Hence me trying to find somebody who has done it who can say exactly what I need. I know I need the bumper and grill, but what else?

Thanks for the input so far

[Big Yellow]

bumper and grill thats it!

u dont need any other radiator support frames or anything, its all the same underneath

[Damn]

bumper and grill thats it!

u dont need any other radiator support frames or anything, its all the same underneath

Cool, and I just ditch the GTI foglights in the process? Sounds too easy

[Big Yellow]

Cool, and I just ditch the GTI foglights in the process? Sounds too easy

correcto!

you could modify the lower side grills to fit them if u really wanted them.

[Damn]

Are parts listings available online? I need to provide the panel beater with the details if possible. Eg: the bumper is one piece, however the washer jets would be separate, the washer jet covers, the lower grill inserts, etc.

[Big Yellow]

Are parts listings available online? I need to provide the panel beater with the details if possible. Eg: the bumper is one piece, however the washer jets would be separate, the washer jet covers, the lower grill inserts, etc.

have a look on tmtuning.com

they have a conversion kit using genuine parts, should list the part numbers.

[robby_jai]

VW bloke telling you porkies. I've actually ripped off heaps and heaps of R32 front bumpers to install S6 DRL for the R32. I know how it all works. And there are no wiring harness/looms that are associated with the chasis. As a matter of fact you only require technically 3 major pieces

1. The R32 Front Bar ($900 AUD Unpainted)
2. The R32 Front Chrome Grill ($350 AUD)
3. The R32 Lower front grills. (bottom left and right) (cant remember how much they cost)

(I am sure the cost from spare parts is right from memory i did recollect asking them when some clown scratched my front R32 Bumper)

you will need all the associated bolts and screws etc. thats it. Assuming that the bolt holes for the GTI and R32 is the same its a straight swap.

I could do this myself its that straight forward. I would expect a body shop could do it.

Having said that I HOPE to god you color code the black side and rear skirts otherwise it would look stupid

and finally ... ive seen many golfs driving around with the r32 front bar and quite frankly it looks stupid. cos they still have the non colored side skirts and rear bumpers. it just looks try hard

not a huge fan

[Damn]

Thanks for all the info. I've been searching around all morning, and I think I prefer the GTI front with a badgeless grill:


The issue then becomes the notch in the hood. I saw one car that left it there, but his bonnet was matt black so perhaps that made it less noticable. I note that TM Tuning sell a front hood spoiler that fills it:


Has anybody else here done this setup?

[Oli]

Hi mate
Just like few other blokes told you I will do same
me and my mate did on his car...easy..
Get the vin number from any R32 car but if you have xenon then get from the R32 with xenons cause the washers... and oposite.
Some prices.
front bar around $400
main grille around $300
2 on the side plus center $150
4 piece bar mold incl.washer covers around 70
all up 1K plus painting +-300 and fitting 100-150 (or fitting do it yourself in max. 2hrs inlc. cleanup)
GTI and R32 -Rad. support same- no need to change it
if yu want go ahead I will get you the part numbers..they are somewhere here...
Cheers
Oli

[Damn]

if yu want go ahead I will get you the part numbers..they are somewhere here...

Thanks Oli. If we decide to go with the R32 front I might take you up on your offer, don't want to waste your time in case we go with the badgeless GTI grill instead..

[prae]

Sorry to trouble you Oli, but can you post the part numbers up for the R32 front end if you come across them?