So, I decided i wasnt really feeling the base bumper and wanted my car to look a bit more aggressive.

Even though I have a 2012 model, i went with the 2011 sport parts because i like the look better than i like the 2012 sport.


Heres some before/after shots:

Front





Side

 

Alright so heres the process:

First there was the Prep.
Since I live in canada, I had to ship my parts from college hills honda because its WAY cheaper even with shipping.



Exact parts can be found on the forums

Waiting for these parts felt like forever. drove me nuts!

dropping the bumper at the bodyshop to paint:
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aaand picking up ready to go:

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old, meet new:

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added Foglights, lower grill, and 3m Film:

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Now that the bumper is ready, here is the installation:

First, remove the old bumper:
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The instructions for the removal of the bumper can be found at bernardiparts.com look for the base foglight installation instructions

Now, the upper grill with the H emblem and lower air diffuser need to be transferred to the new bumper. doing so is straightforward, just remove some clips and screws.

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At this point you also need to remove the base fender liners. This took me a while because i didnt have the tools to remove my front wheels. I just jacked up the front of the car so i could reach all the clips behind the wheel. The most difficult part here was removing the square clips at the rear bottom of the wheel well. You also need to pay attention to how the front of the fender liner fits with the rest of the car. I just did one side at a time so i knew i was fitting it the right way.

Now that all that is finished, put the new bumper on in the reverse order you removed the old bumper(some of the clip locations on the bottom are slightly different, but in the same general area):

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Note: I previously had the base foglights installed so my wiring harnesses were already in place. They plug perfectly into the sport foglight housings.
Also, the front mudflaps ( if you have them) must be removed to get the fenders out. They can be replaced later ONLY if you do not install side skirts. I recommend getting sides though, because the new bumper hangs much lower and does not match up properly with plain sides.

 

The final step is to add the side skirts. I decided to go with the mugen sides because the installation does not require any drilling or cutting of the metal. Just adhesive and some screws.

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Before:
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After:
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You can compare the ground clearance by looking at the spokes on my rear wheel.(i did not move the car at all in between the pics)

Done!

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Side skirts look good, but that hood plastic needs to go!

 

If I ever decide to get the hood repainted, I might consider leaving it off and putting 3m on it instead. I got 3 hood chips within the first 2 days of owning the car... Edmonton has terrible roads.
I actually think it adds to the appearance though.

 

Good for you doing all that work.

I have to wonder if this conversion doesn't end up
costing more than purchasing a Sport model to being with.

 

Thanks! I wondered that myself in the beginning.

Well with all my mods together so far I'm sure I've paid more than the price of the Stock sport model. If just counting the above mod , that was about 1500 less than the difference in price between the lx and sport in Canada. (plus I'd end up getting the '12 bumper that I dislike). Obviously the exact price depends on where you live too ( shipping, taxes, etc)

Agree that it is a somewhat pricey mod, though it's nice that I was able to change my mind about what I wanted down the road.

 

I love it and you can't beat knowing you did it yourself. Now come do mine !!

 

Since you had a new front bumper put in, get the Hood repainted (stock paint and clearcoat is MISERABLY THIN) and you can then do a different route on rock protection, but I doubt you will need it. Again the factory paint and clear is ultra thin on FITs and if you have it repainted and cleared you may not need a front guard of anytime against rocks/bugs.

 

I dunno, I kinda like the deflector on the OP's ride. Been thinking of putting one on mine. I got the same color 2010 sport.

 

Connor55, What type bug deflector did you buy? Price and source? Thanks, Paul H (2012 white FIT, base)

OOPS, sorry Connor, just saw your answer to my earlier query...thanks for the info!

 

Great job - looks great. What will you do with your old bumper? If you are looking to sell it I'd buy if shipping to BC is not horrendous. I have been intending to do a Sport conversion as well, but I actually like the look of your original bumper a lot.

 

Pics of changes well done Connor.

My hood deflector saved my hood.


Here is the hole but the hood was not damaged. Cheaper to replace the deflector than having a repaint.

 

Ouch. Glad your hood is okay.

Why don't you have wheels yet?

 

looks good...but is it really worth the additional cost to do this?

it just looks like my bone stock 09' TW Sport.

 

1. I already answered this question above.

2. Take a closer look, mugen sides are quite a bit different than stock. Black headlights, wheels etc.

 

Beautiful install Connor, I am also planning to purchase a base fit and convert the bumper, can you link where I can find the bumper? I'm having a hard time locating it on the college hills honda website. Thanks

 

Looking good, so what are you doing with the base fog lights?

 

thanks! there are other base to sport conversion threads on the forum that can easily be found. they will list the all part numbers you need to do the job.
once you get the numbers, you can enter them in to the college hills website to get the price and part.
Let me know if you need any more help!