NOFX

I received the following PM this morning and am posting it here so this new member can get help. He says since he's a trial member he cannot post his own thread yet.

I will link this thread to him so he can respond back. I have not done this conversion, only linked to it, and cannot give advice based on firsthand experience.

(EDIT: I cannot message him back, so hopefully he finds this thread. "Yankeeelnegro has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space.")

Please do not PM me for personal help.

NOFX

So it sounds like you purchased 1996-1998 Civic headlights and the 1996-1998 Civic front bumper and installed them on your 2000 Civic. Is that correct? Did you use any other parts?

As mentioned in the many other threads regarding the front end conversions (though reversed from what you want), you need the headlights, front bumper, grille, fenders, and hood to be from the front end you desire.

Based upon knowing that the 1999-2000 Civic front end conversion requires that you change or modify the core support (specifically the top section that goes over the headlights and across where the grille mounts), I would imagine that would be the part you want to change for your car, if it needs to be changed.

For the 1999-2000 front end on the 1996-1998 vehicle there are two small tabs on that top of the core support that need to be cut down so the 1999-2000 bumper can clear and fit properly. I would imagine the 1996-1998 Civic front bumper might fit okay since the later year cars had the smaller tabs than the earlier year cars require.

Where exactly are you having fitment issues? Could you post some pics?

As you might know, you can compare part numbers on a site such as HondaPartsDeals.com. The section you will be interested in is called FRONT BULKHEAD and it's under the listing of BODY / AIR CONDITIONING.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

YOu don't sound like you have the full list of compatible parts. It essentially is the same as the 96-00 swap but reversed. Every part that you would need to do the 00 conversion will be substituted for 96 parts. Not that difficult. Really.

NOFX

So remember, you need the following parts for a front end conversion:
(ALL PARTS FROM THE DESIRED FRONT END)
- Front bumper
- Headlights
- Grille
- Hood
- Fenders
- Replace or modify core support

The info regarding the core support is the fuzzy information, I imagine, so let's try to better understand what might need to be replaced.

(Better quality image and more part numbers (and prices and sale of new parts) on HondaPartsDeals.com)



The applicable parts that would make up the "core support" for these cars are as follows:

10 : FRAME, BULKHEAD (UPPER)
60431-S04-A01ZZ ('98)
60431-S04-A02ZZ ('98) *MATCH*
60431-S04-A02ZZ ('00) *MATCH*

04 : STAY SET, BULKHEAD CENTER
04604-S04-G00ZZ ('98) *MATCH*
04604-S04-G00ZZ ('00) *MATCH*

03 : CROSSMEMBER SET, FR. (LOWER)
04603-S01-A01ZZ ('98) *MATCH*
04603-S01-A01ZZ ('00) *MATCH*

02 : PANEL SET, R. FR. BULKHEAD
04601-S04-A00ZZ ('98)
04601-S01-A01ZZ ('00)

07 : PANEL SET, L. FR. BULKHEAD
04611-S04-A00ZZ ('98)
04611-S01-A01ZZ ('00)

09 : BULKHEAD, FR. (FULL ASSEMBLY)
60400-S01-305ZZ ('98)
60400-S01-A02ZZ ('00)

It appears the only parts on the bulkhead that might be different are parts number 2 and 7, the headlight buckets, and part number 10, the top of the core support that is usually trimmed (or the entire piece replaced) in the opposite early year vehicle with late year front conversion.

Yankeeelnegro

Thank you very much for doing so. I messaged a user who was said to be recently online and asked if he/she could do me the same favor--has yet to reply...so I appreciate it.

I purchased the 1998 hood, bumper, fenders, the lights I spoke of;along with lamps. Everything fit, except for the bumper...there is a fitment issue because the 2000 bumper is wider at the top and the 1998 is more narrow. From my knowledge, there is no mention of a 2000 to 1998 conversion out there, so even though you'd think that it merely was the opposite/reverse operation(like I did)...there may be a bit of a snag in the final outcome. Thus why I'm inquiring if there is anything else that can be done.

As stated in my original e-mail to member "NOFX", my mechanic suggested that we'd have to purchase a "1998 bumper support"...for which I later looked up and apparently the bumper supports for '96-'00 models are the same. He then stated that he might possibly be able to weld/cut that piece in order for the bumper to fit. And as far as radiator/core support...I wouldn't go as far as buying a 1998 one--too much money invested and labor.

I'm not a Honda enthusiast as I eluded to in my original message, let alone a car head. I simply want to enhance the look of my car(in the way I think I can go about that)...

Thanks again for re posting my e-mail NOFX and grumble marc for reading providing some feedback.

Yankeeelnegro

*head lights I spoke of;along with square smoked fog lamps. I failed to mention the 1998 girll...which I also purchased.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

What about the grill?

NOFX

Comic Sans is probably the most hated font on the planet currently. If you don't use a special font or color then people are usually more likely to help. The red kind of hurts to read, tbh.

You say you have the hood, bumper, fenders and lights from the 1998. You also need the grille, at the very least. I've outlined above what else might be needed, but other than that we need pics to show us what's going on or we'll need to wait for someone who has done this fairly uncommon conversion.

Not to mention it'd be more helpful if the person who has done the conversion has done it right and not ghetto rigged it.

I would suggest that you buy the parts secondhand, likely through salvage or from someone parting a car out. 1996-1998 parts should work.

NOFX

I have a 1998 Civic in my garage, if you need measurements of anything. Please show me with pics of your car what you would need measurements of exactly though. I will replicate the photo and measurement.

NOFX

Oh, and Yankeeelnegro, you mentioned you're 27 and that this is basically kids stuff.

I'm 29. I have two swapped Hondas of my own here. One is decently modified and the other is mostly stock exterior-wise.

Yankeeelnegro

I apologize for the font controversy, and I realize that people on the 'net can be funny about it;especially on message boards. Incidentally, I never understood the Capitalization outcry...and I thought I took things too seriously...LOL. Though I must admit, I wasn't aware about the Comic Sans font being the most hated...I love it. Especially since we're in an open-casual forum;not writing essays for college. I guess I'm unique in more ways than one. I now can appreciate why when I'd chat with friends on a messenger they stated that I was "too proper" and chatting wasn't College.

Whatever the case, I'll heed your warning.

I do have the grill--forgot to mention that, but I edited it in the message prior to this one. When first contemplating the conversion I figured that I'd inquire with different junk yards, but the only problem is that the parts are scarce and it would be too much leg work. Plus, I would be driving around with different colors on the parts required until I decided to paint it. So I looked on ebay and they were selling the parts(I figured I'd be better off because the parts were new after market;no dents, scratches, discoloration, etc and also probably cheaper in price). I understand they replicate and can't be precise to the OEM one's, but I assumed that it would work...which they have except for the bumper snag. Which in reality is reasonable because I am after all converting a front end from different years.

With all that said, I already purchased everything and there's no looking back. So I have to make it fit--literally and figuratively. And if I have to "ghetto rig" it as you said(I believe that suggest modification)--then whatever gets the job done without making it a major project.

As for measurements and the diagram you posted, I'm not sure about that stuff. The mechanic is supposed to order a "1998 bumper support" tomorrow, but when I tell him that it's supposedly the same for a 1998, I guess he's going to come up with some ingenuity;whether by welding or moving the bumper support right under the head lights.

P.S. Sorry for the generalization...it really is for younger adults that just want to screw around with their Hondas because of movie franchises such as the "Fast and Furious"...who partly want to market such things so that younger people can do the same to their fairly inexpensive cars and get money out their marketing. And yeah, in your case it may be because it's a hobby or you just love Hondas...that's fine.

P.P.S. As for the reason for my customization of my car(which I sound like a hypocrite)...is because it was a free hand me down from my sister's friend--my sis always has been there for her, so since her husband was buying her a new car, she decided to give it to my sis and since my sis and parents know that I need a car...they offered it to me.(I was practically rendered immobile when my '98 Mazda Millenia was in a garage lot waiting for some type of miracle revival...until a couple of weeks ago when I decided to finally get rid of it). And although it had 160,000 miles on it - I know Honda engines are fabulous(just by changing the oil, filters, etc basic upkeep)...it should last me may be 5 years, until may be I'll have the opportunity to purchase that 2011 Audi A6 which I spoke of - I figured I'd put some money into and just enhance it a little. q: o)

flmzero13

lol not trying to bash on you but its fairly simple as f*ck! honestly its easy unless ur support rad is f*cked den get a new one...............just remove all da fenderes/headlights/hood/grill nd reinstall it with the 96-98 parts

Yankeeelnegro

Thanks for viewing and commenting. It's a 2000 to 1998 conversion--that's almost unheard of. And as the mechanic said, I'm like the only person in the world that would want to "downgrade" his car. I have all the after market parts that are necessary. The only problem I'm having is fitting the bumper;maybe because it's not exactly like the original.

It was said that a mod had to be done to the core/radiator support in order for it to fit, or completely get rid of the old one and replace it with the desired core/radiator support for the year specified...if you wished to convert. And I frankly am not going to go through all that trouble;time/labor, money. If everything is fitting aside from the bumper, than surely there has to be a modification that I can do to get the job done. But again, it's not the same as a '98 to '00 conversion... If someone actually did a 2000 to 1998 conversion, than it would be easier done than said. And I live in N.Y.C.

98civdx

That is incorrect! He cannot simply swap the 96-98 bumper onto it.


The 99 bumper mounts are skinnier the the 96. The bumper mount would have noithing to clip onto.

That is why when you swap to 99-00 front end you have to modify that mount.

flmzero13

Weird cuz mines fitted perfectly no moded needed

Yankeeelnegro

98cidv...do you care to expound on the mounts...which you are correct about? What could I do or do you simply know what you stated, but not a solution?

Yankeeelnegro

Anyway, if anyone can be of actual assistance like NOFX attempted to do, it would be much appreciated. Secondly, I don't know if this matters in the conversion, but I have a 2000 Honda Civic 4 door Lx...I don't think it does, but you never know. In a few hours I'll have taken the car back to the mechanic to rectify the matter(hopefully)...so if anything I'll inform the thread on how it was done--being that I've searched the 'net and there is no mention of a 2000 to 1998 conversion write-up.

But again, if anyone has an inkling on how to get the bumper to fit, it would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU. q: o)

NOFX

Just trying to save you the grief.
A lot of us have been into this since way before The Fast and The Furious.

If you can get some pics I can still replicate them. I can even remove the front bumper on my 1998 Civic if need be.

It's easy to be sure about the '99-'00 front conversion. It's done often. There's not too many people who do the '96-'98 front conversion, and let's try to get the info right instead of just zip tying and wiring everything up to be "good enough", like some people might.

Don't mind the people who flame btw. Just report them using the button under their avatar.

Yankeeelnegro

Ok, good looking out. sister. I'm glad that good ole feminine ways make their presence known on such sites. Dudes are less likely to be understanding, thoughtful, help, etc.

Sorry for the generalizations, but that member which you characterized as someone who "flames", is the epitome of those little kids that I spoke of.

You don't have to go through all that trouble...but thank you. And I'm not sure how pix would help the matter. As far as getting the job done by "zip tying and wiring", I would definitely try to avoid that, but then again, how exactly would I go about getting the job completed in the "proper manner"?

Yankeeelnegro

By the way, how do you post images?...thanks. Until later on today. Have a great day.

NOFX

Glad to help. We're not forced to help anyone, nor are we forced to view a thread.

Use an image hosting site, such as imgur.com

Upload your pic and then post it here in the image tags [ I M G ] URL [ / I M G ]

Photos might show us if anything is damaged or what the differences might be. You might be able to get away with just a simple trim.

It Wasn't Me

I have cleaned the thread of the back-and-forth bickering. Please keep the thread on-topic and civil.

Thanks!

https://honda-tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2860092

NOFX

grumblemarc and 98civdx tried to help too. Like I mentioned before, this isn't a super common swap this way so it's not likely you'll find someone who can answer the questions on how to do it right. If I had a '99-'00 I'd compare the two, but I just can't here.

Not to mention that this topic isn't especially easy to search for. You basically have to search for "civic front conversion" and wade through a whole lot of stuff that isn't applicable to your situation.

Bumper removal on 1999-2000 Civic (pics)
1996-1998 to 1999-2000 conversion (pics)

The tabs in question are the small pieces of metal you see sticking out right on the inside of the headlights. In this pic you'll see they're just above the inner corners of the headlights. They look like little squares, maybe an inch wide or so.



If you can take pics and measurements, I will do the same. I'm about to start a new job so my posts might not be as often very soon.

Removing and installing these front end parts isn't normally difficult and in order to keep it together you can probably slide by using zip ties. We can definitely figure this out though. It's far from helpless.

98civdx

Google a picture a picture of each. 99, and a 98.

Take a look at the peice of the bumper between the headlights, notice how the 99-00 is actually skinnier then the 96-98.

When putting the 99 front end on a 98, it's not a issue. Simply trim the bumper mount on the coresupport, and re drill the hole for the clip in location that works for you.

HOWEVER, now your putting the fat bumper, on the skinny bumper mount.
This is a issue, becuase now the bumper wont have a spot for the clip to go to.


I would be happy to measure the mount on my car if it would help you.

Yankeeelnegro

Instead of going through the trouble of trimming the bottom half and sides of the bumper reinforcement bar(it's solid metal that I'm sure is quite troublesome to cut), I'm just going to take it out and install the bumper like that. I'll have to bite the bullet and be like one of those irresponsible people who wish to put on ugly body kits and in doing so, have to take out the bumper reinforcement. My car isn't for performance, as the streets aren't a race track...so as long as I don't get in a front end accident...I'll be fine.