Beta Bumpers - The truth is out there !

[The_Matrix_Master]

Now being on my third spyder I wish to convert the front grill,headlight pods and front and rear bumpers to to that of the series 2 Beta.
(Mesh Grill and Wrap around bumpers).One of my previous spyders to the one I have at present had this conversion and although not for the purists I believe makes for a much better looking car in that this would have been the update the spyder should have recieved following the series 2 salon,coupe and HPE updates.
I am finding it difficult to find these parts in anything like reasonable quality through the normal chanels of E-Bay,Breakers yards etc.
Does anyone know of a reasonably priced source of these parts ? or perhaps a member has spares ?
To further complicate I was told to souce the bumpers of a series 2 coupe or HPE and I came close to buying a set recently only to be told that the parts were off a HPE and the rear bumper is longer (Wrap round bits around the sides) on the HPE than that of the coupe.This sounds reasonable to me but contradicts what I was told earlier.
Can anyone actually confirm if this is true?Are the HPE bumpers are longer than the coupe ?
Cheers
 

[hutch6610]

I can confirm that the later bumpers are indeed longer on an HPE compared to the Coupe - they are distinguishable by the rubber "rubbing" strip being made up of three pieces as opposed to one piece of the Coupe if you havent a tape measure.
The rear of an HPE is longer so requires more bumper to cover it.

B-U-T don't think the coupe bumpers are going to fit onto your Spyder - they wont, as the car has a wider "rump" that's why coupes and spyder bumpers are different and advertised as such, they just look the same.

To get them to fit you will have to cut them to accommodate the wider bodywork of your car - hope you know that.

Listen .... it's your car you can do what you like but personally i think the cars look wrong with this sort of modification "Tacky" if you like ...... sorry anybody who has done this (i know you like this mod) but it just does not look right - my opinion and everybody is entitled to an opinion.

Good luck in your search - sorry to be rude.

[The_Matrix_Master]

Thanks for the info it clears up the Coupe V's HPE length question.
But now I appear to be faced with the Series 2 coupe bumpers not fitting the car in any case.
As mentioned earlier my previous Spyder had the later bumpers fitted and there were no signs of cutting of the bumper, so I just assumed it was a straight swap.
So I think I will need to sneak up on a series 2 and whop the tape measure out, as I certainly am not going down the route of altering the bumpers to fit.
Thanks for the info
Much appreciated

[hutch6610]

I thinks its something like an inch and a quarter wider or something - when i was stuck for a Spider rear bumper i cut a standard item and spliced/welded in a packing piece, but the contour of the bumper was still wrong.

The bumpers you had and want fitted to the spider have been cut along the top edge of the "wrap around part" either with a Jigsaw or an air saw so that no discolouration of the bumper took place - a plasma disc can be used with care i suppose.

The cut edge does not show easily up against the bodywork.

At least the grill/headlight/bezel mod is well within your grasp - just waggle the metal brackets for the grill off from the donor car with grips so that the spot welding snaps off (no chisel required) and aligning then on your car is easy as their are reference holes on the front panel already.

Then pop rivet or bolt them on.

Good luck.

[thecolonel]

Pop over to LMC there's a chap disposing of Ser 2 Coupe parts, I think there were bumpers.

Geoff

[rossocorsa]

you need to get your series clear the injection and vx cars are actually series 2 FL2 series two cars started at the first 2 litre models the ones with oblong headlights!!!
the revisions on coupés go series 1, series2, series2 FL, series2 FL2 confusing isn't it? Series one has the original type engines 1.6/1.8 and flat bonnet,series 2 had the revised twin cam sizes 1585 and 1995 with the 1995 only having the raised style bonnet, on the coupé the bodywork changed at series2 FL to the more squared off roof sides and FL2 denotes the 'injection' style cars if you have a look at the beta section on lancisti.net there's a sticky section that includes a more detailed explanation

[The_Matrix_Master]

Pop over to LMC there's a chap disposing of Ser 2 Coupe parts, I think there were bumpers.

Geoff

Geoff many thanks contact sent

[The_Matrix_Master]

you need to get your series clear the injection and vx cars are actually series 2 FL2 series two cars started at the first 2 litre models the ones with oblong headlights!!!
the revisions on coupés go series 1, series2, series2 FL, series2 FL2 confusing isn't it? Series one has the original type engines 1.6/1.8 and flat bonnet,series 2 had the revised twin cam sizes 1585 and 1995 with the 1995 only having the raised style bonnet, on the coupé the bodywork changed at series2 FL to the more squared off roof sides and FL2 denotes the 'injection' style cars if you have a look at the beta section on lancisti.net there's a sticky section that includes a more detailed explanation

Even more confused now as to what bumpers I am looking for.Are you saying that there would be possibly 3 different series 2 bumpers are they all the same.

[rossocorsa]

there are two bumper types the early ones then the ones on the s2 FL2 cars that's all! it's just that most people get their Beta series confused that's all I was pointing out