Turo

iTrader: (23)

I got into an accident a few weeks ago and I need a new front bumper cover. Obviously I would love to get OEM replacement parts, but I honestly cannot afford it right now (on my own trying to finish grad school, not in the best financial situation). I know that people here usually recommend staying away from ebay body panels, but the price of some of the non-oem body panels sure are appealing. My question, anyone have first hand experience using these? What are the pluses/minuses of going this route? Any pictures would be GREAT!

Here are some of the ones I have been looking at:
LINK 1
LINK 2

NOTE: I do not expect the panels to line up as easily as OEM, or to be the same quality. I am just looking to stay cheap for now while I'm still in school, as I have other things that take financial priority, but my car currently has no front bumper cover and it kills me to see it like this!

Ice Knight

iTrader: (9)

Hey, same boat withme, but I did not know I was gonna get a non-oem part, I ordered a drives fender to repair the damage after my accident and felt Igot a good deal on ebay, finnally I get the part and it's not even the same material and has none of the metal brckets riveted to it, just a pieceof injection molded plastic, but considering I nd to keepto a budget on my repirs i'm ok with 1 aftermarket fender, I will resuse my old brackets and it should all be good, th only thing I hate is this piece is molded and ha tons of flash an seams on it I have been sanding on and cuttin off, but nthe end assuming it mounts up ok it should be fine, I would avoid a bumper cover if i's the same quality as my fender i'm working on, a fender is not as big a deal....

DopeFedZ

iTrader: (34)

Save yourself the time and trouble and just buy OEM ones. I purchased a front bumper cover and fenders and they fit like total crap. The holes for the bolts weren't even in the right spots.

EarlSS

Buy oem!!! I got a front bumper off ebay and the guy told me it was a new oem bumper but when i got it it was not. Plus some of the holes for the bolts where ripped. I ended up just goin to the dealer and odering one.

vetman1

iTrader: (4)

Don't do it, stay away for sure.

transambandit

iTrader: (6)

I got a fender off ebay and it was brand new, worked great. THe only part that was missing was the bolt that goes up by the windshield. Otherwise it fit great.

fast377

iTrader: (52)

Non oem body parts never fit...anything. Even good name brand reproductions have fitment issues. Usually with a little time they can be modified to fit perfect, but it's a pain. If you can't afford oem stuff, just go to a junk yard and get them off a wrecked car.

Camaroholic

iTrader: (1)

After seeing a non-OEM LT1 nose, I decided that I had to go OEM. The nose was professionally fit, painted, and looked OK from 20 feet, but when you examined closely, the headlight area just didn't look right - it was "pinched" looking.

The OEM nose that I ordered came with a very rough primer on it, but some time with 600 grit sandpaper has fixed that. It also has some molding flaws, but I'll get those sanded out as well. It's requiring work that I didn't expect.

The OEM rear bumper that I bought looks ready to scuff and paint, right out of the box. It was what I was expecting in an OEM part.

I ordered both from Scoggin-Dickey.

sercastiK

iTrader: (11)

^co-sign. ***** junk. believe me it'll make your rig look like salvage Larry, I build salvage and won't use that **** at ALL. there are places that re-pop OE covers, they did mine for my 98 z28 that was ripped, came back repressed in primer 135-140..

Turo

iTrader: (23)

Thanks for all the info guys, I think I'll just save up and go OEM then, because I dont want it to look half-assed.