Id like to convert my 90 formy to a 91-92 front bumper style.....could anyone tell me what parts i will all need I keep doin searches but only come up with camaro ground effect questions...any help would be great....thanks everyone..

Eric

 

also if anyone knows the differences between fog light and non foglight cars...thanks

 

I am doing this with my 87 right now. The inner bumper has to be changed and the wiring for the park lights has to be modified. The headlight assemblies are different too. The rest bolts on. I haven't finished the air dam yet, but it is different. I hope you have a parts car. The individual parts are expensive. My parts car is a Formula, so I can't answer the foglight question.

 

I swapped a 84 nose onto my 90 Formula and had to change the black frames around the headlights, the actual bumper (which i happened to get off a 4 cyl car so it was aluminum) bumper cover and that was it.

 

In addition to the bumper cover, you have to change the impact bar and impact absorber (honeycomb) or it won't bolt up. Actually, your old impact bar will probably work with the 91-92 absorber bolted to it. The bezels of the headlights will hit the front edge of the newer bumper cover, so you gotta get 91-92 headlights. The turn signals will be lower in the new bumper, so plan on extending the wiring and buying the correct turn signals and brackets to mount them (unless the bumper you buy has them). Also you need the metal support that attaches the front edge of the bumper cover to the metal panel that the hood latch bolts to.

Differences from foglight and non-foglight bumper covers: The foglight style was only used on cars with ground effects, so they have a different shape at the bottom (they kind of "ramp up" to start the ground effects. Also, I believe the cutouts in the bumper are bigger in the foglight style because both a turn signal and foglight are mounted in the space. A non-foglight bumper cover only has a turn signal and a black "grille" trim piece.

I have attached a pic of my newest Formula (non fog-light, non ground-effects) nose. It's the 3rd one I've bought for my car so far... I'm actually going to use this one. It's brand new but the guy had a bodyshop paint the edges & then he realized he needed the style with the ground effects.

 

wow...thankyou very much im grateful that somebody took the time to explain it to me straight up...i appreciate it...now to go part huntin

 

So uhh, what happened to the other 2? If you dont mind me asking.

 

yeah true....i might be interested in that myself let me know thanks....

 

i need to know if you still were able to use you 87 fenders or did you get 91-92?

 

Fenders are the same throughout 82-92, I believe. I think the only difference is holes for gfx and side moldings. I've got a fender from an 85 I'm going to put on my 91. The only difference I can see is that theres a couple holes in the 85 fender that rivets for the chromish side molding goes through. My 91 fender had the side molding attached with 2 sides tape. This isn't a big deal at all though.

 

hey thanks i have a 91 but the fenders a shot and the only ones i can find are 86-90

 

Yes, all Firebird fenders are the same. Like said above, the only differences are holes for GFX and etc. I have a '91 and both of my fenders are from '83-'87 cars. All you gotta do if you already have the gfx is measure the holes and drill. Simple as that.

-Derth

 

Nice. Just the post i was about to search for lol. Talk about timing. I already figured what all needed changed, but this confirms what I need to snag from the salvage yard. :rockon:

 

No problem. This topic comes up about once a month and I thought if I explained it well, the next time I can just link to this post instead of re-explaining it.

The first bumper had been ripped and repaired, so when I found #2, I sold my first one. The 2nd one is currently sitting on the hood of my car. It was previously painted a couple times and I liked the idea of starting with a fresh piece, so I bought bumper cover #3. I will eventually sell #2, along with my spare 91 Formula rear cover. I just wanted to hang onto them for "worst case scenario" reasons. Like if my wife ran her car into the Firebird and destroyed the bumper--- I'd have a spare!

I also have 5 doors for my car, but that's another story for another thread....

 

I know exactly what you mean. I have 3 sets of fenders, an extra hatch, 3 steering wheels, etc. I would kill to have an extra front bumper, especially a formy one, for just in case like that. My gf tore a hole in her door last month on a telephone pole, so I wouldnt put smacking me past her!
If you ever wanna sell it, I'm looking!

 

I'm a bit confused... I cant see any difference in the opening for the formula nose and the one you have...Of course the geffects isn't there, but the openings for lights seems the same to me...

 

Oh so your the one that won that off ebay ? he he glad someone off her got it I was gona get it for a spare. Oh and on the other note on the formula one it has those black things that block the fog lights and on the TA nose it does not have those. Look closer at the one with the GFX (TA nose) and the one without.

 

Yes I do see the difference with the black grille and all. But still, to me the opening for the lights seem to be the same size.

The reason I'm wondering this is because the seller (yes I was the one who bought it) has listed 2 lights for the nose. Help me out here, is these the right for the nose? One of them is foglights.. or so he says..

 

and these.. both are supposed to be used...Is that correct?

 

You can use both of them BUT! you will have to remove those black grill things as you call them know as fog light delete panels I guess. I know someone else has used the formula front end and used the fog lights with the turn signals. they will both fit yes if thats what your asking. First ones are turn signals second are fog lights

 

Strange.. well the guy said these lights came of the bumper pictured, and it still has the black piece... I will just have to buy them and see I guess.

So what's this thing about changing the inner bumper? I thought all that was neded was the cover and the honeycomb. But will I need to locate the steel innen bumper too? And another air dam? What about the headlights, will the 82-90 motors work, or will I have to change those also?

Ah, it all ads up.. that's just how it is I guess...
We should have a complete parts list for this conversion...lol

 

From what I can see it looks like he or some one has modified that front end so you can use the fog lights and the turn signals actualy. Space is to big for a normal stock front formy 91-92 bumper

 

Yeah, that was what I was thinking too... had a look at some other formulas, and it seemed most had alot smaller opening. Perhaps the foglights where an option on the formula?

Either way.. will the 82-90 stel bumper fit with all of this?

 

Your head light bezels are the only thing causing the problem with the bumper I believe, so you can just use all those stock peices, you can still use the steel inner bumper but your going to have to drill the fog light holes and turn signal holes to and umm about air damn you might just want to go with a camaro air damn like 35 bucks brand new from dealer, its a once peice deal works fine

 

if you look closly at this pic you can see he cut part of the black out off

 

If you look at the opening for the turnlights and foglights from the rear, they seem stock, no evidence of cutting as far as I can see...

PS. I posted at the same time as you, so I guess there is evidence of both..lol

I only hope I can get all the parts needed for this swap for this spring. Say, you don't have any of the parts I need to mount this up, anyone?

 

k see the areas I have circled in red thats where he cut, but it was just the fog light delete panel not the cover its self just the panel that blocks the area where the fog lights would go. the dark black area is the delete panel and the light black is the bumper cover its self

 

Nice of GM to make the space needed to mount up the fog lights from the beginning, eh? Looks good enough for me, I didn't know all this about the fog lights and stuff before I won it. I almost bought a g effects version, glad I didn't.

Have you noticed that on the fomula version of this bumper, the openings is more recessed into the bumper, especially towards the center of the nose, than on the T/A version? It makes it look alot meaner imo and that's all good

 

formy front end with Ta fog lights with the delete panels removed

 

Thanks for all the great info 92Transam. About the airdam now.. Is it only the "rubber" parts which is needed, or some plastics too? As you can see on the pic, the nose don't come with the plastic covers underneath. If the ones I have fit, I will of course use them, but I'm not sure they do.

 

its plastic not rubber. I used to use a camaro air damn full time its like 2 feet long and like a half a foot high. I believe Firebird 383
is using one from the look of his front end

 

I'm using the camaro airdam as well. Is this the one you mean?

 

That looks very different from the one on my car now...This guy said he had some more parts to it, what he described as:

" Hello, I do have the The Black Plastic that hangs down. But it is actually
mounted to the Core/Radiator Support. Is this what you mean??"

So yeah, is that what I need? Lol


But then again, the one you have might be different since it's for a ground effects car, Mitch DoGG.....?

 

1 was just reading all the topics and pics because i am in the process of doing it also. did you see that the one upper mounting tab is missing on the rear pic og the cover?

 

No I didnt.... is it very significant to have all of them?

 

thats not a camaro air damn your just missing the side skirts to yours

 

how exactly do the foglights tie into the normal headlight wiring harness? are there connectors in every harness but not used on the Formulas because they didnt come with foglights?

 

not 100% sure alot of cars that don't come with fogs are pre wired for them already.....................