If you're staring at a damaged or faded 06 wrx front bumper, you already understand just how much it may kill the entire feel of your car. There is something uniquely painful regarding having a Hawkeye Subaru that looks amazing from your rear sectors but has a front end that looks like it's been through the gravel storm. Whether you simply picked up a project vehicle that needs several love or you've finally decided to fix that parking lot mishap through three years back, getting the front end right is usually the single greatest thing you can do for your car's curb appeal.
The 2006-2007 generation, affectionately known as the Hawkeye, is arguably one particular of the most aggressive-looking Imprezas actually made. But because cars sit fairly low from the factory—and even decrease if you're on coilovers—the 06 wrx front bumper typically takes the brunts of everything the street throws at it. From steep pavements to those concrete parking blocks that seem to jump out at a person, that plastic takes a beating.
Why the Hawkeye bumper is usually so iconic
Subaru really hit their stride using the design in 2006. The three-piece grille setup integrated in to the bumper was a massive reduction from the earlier "Blobeye" and "Bugeye" designs. It offered the car a wider, more modern stance that nevertheless holds up today. When the bumper is clean and the particular lines are directly, the car appears fast even when it's sitting within a driveway.
However, since that design will be so specific, finding a replacement can occasionally think that a chore. You can't just slap a bumper from an 04 or 05 on there and contact it a time; the headlights plus hood lines are usually very different. If you're looking for a fresh 06 wrx front bumper , you're most likely weighing the choices between going with the genuine OEM component or rolling the particular dice on an aftermarket version.
OEM vs. Aftermarket: The eternal struggle
Let's talk about the hippo in the area: the cost. If you go to the Subaru dealership and ask for the brand-new, unpainted 06 wrx front bumper , you're probably going to walk out along with a lighter budget and a bit of sticker shock. A positive is that the fitment is usually guaranteed. Every clip, every screw pit, and every entire body line will line up perfectly.
On the flip side, aftermarket replacement bumpers are course of action more affordable. You can find them all over the internet for a fraction of the price. The capture? Fitment can be a complete gamble. A number of them fit great with a little bit of heat plus persuasion, while others will leave you with gaps big enough to stay a finger via. If you're on a tight budget, an aftermarket bumper is fine, yet you should be prepared in order to spend a little extra period massaging it directly into place.
Another thing to consider is the material. Many OEM bumpers are constructed with a flexible thermoplastic-polymer that can get a slight bump with out shattering. Some less expensive aftermarket options make use of fiberglass or the more rigid plastic that might break the first time you scrape the driveway. If your car is daily driven, stick to the flexible stuff.
The "Pop Clip" nightmare
When you've ever worked on a Subaru, you know exactly what I'm talking regarding. The 06 wrx front bumper is held on with what feels like a thousand plastic pop clips. Chances are, those clips are likely brittle, filled with dirt, and ready to snap the second you look with them.
Whenever you're preparation to remove or even replace your bumper, do yourself a massive favor and buy the bag of universal Subaru-style clips in advance. You're likely to break at least 5 of them, plus absolutely nothing is more frustrating than having your own shiny new bumper ready to move but having in order to leave it dangling because you're missing the clips for the fender liners.
Including a front lip for that completed look
Many enthusiasts agree that an 06 wrx front bumper looks a bit naked without a front lip. The V-Limited style lip is the go-to for a reason—it's subtle, it follows the outlines of the car completely, and it also makes the particular front end appear significantly lower with out actually sacrificing as well much ground measurement.
The beauty of adding a lip is it can also hide some minor scuffs on the very bottom of the bumper. If your bumper is mainly fine but has some "curb rash" along the bottom advantage, a polyurethane lips is really a cheap method to cover that up and update the look simultaneously. Plus, it's more cost-effective to replace the $60 plastic lips than it will be to repaint an entire bumper.
In order to paint or not to paint?
If you do buy a brand-new 06 wrx front bumper , it's heading to arrive in a raw, dark plastic finish. Unless you're going with regard to a very specific "drift missile" aesthetic, you're going to want to get it painted.
Colour matching can be tricky, especially along with iconic Subaru colors like World Rally Blue (WRB) or even Crystal Grey Material. Paint fades more than time due in order to sun exposure, so a brand-new bumper painted exactly in order to the factory colour code could actually appear as well bright compared to your own 18-year-old fenders. If you would like it to look perfect, a great body shop will blend the color into the hood and fenders, but that obviously expenses more.
If you're carrying out a budget build, some individuals have had great success with color-matched spray cans and a lot of patience with obvious coating and buffing. It's not heading to be "show car" quality, but from five ft away, it'll look a whole great deal better than the cracked bumper or a raw black 1.
The STI bumper swap
A common query that pops up is whether the STI bumper is different from the WRX one. For the particular 2006 model yr, they are in fact the same component number for that primary bumper skin. The particular difference comes down to the add-ons. The STI came with those iconic fog light covers and a small additional "winglet" or splitters on the sides.
If you need to give your own WRX that STI look, you don't need a totally new 06 wrx front bumper ; you just require to track down the haze light deletes plus the side splitters. It's an easy way to change the character of the vehicle without doing the full tear-down. Just keep in mind that in case you get rid of your fog lights to put on covers, you'll possess some unused wires harnesses tucked back again there—make sure to zip-tie them out of the way therefore they don't fatigue the road.
Finding an utilized bumper
In case you're lucky, a person might find a good used 06 wrx front bumper in your car's original color upon Facebook Marketplace or at a local pick-n-pull. This is actually the holy grail of repairs. Obtaining a factory-painted bumper means you don't have to get worried about color coordinating or the price of a paint booth.
However, Hawkeye parts are becoming harder to find within good shape. Most of the ones in junkyards are presently there because of front-end collisions, which usually means the particular bumper is toast. If you find one, check the installation tabs carefully. The tabs where the bumper meets the fender are notorious for tearing. In case those are cut, the bumper will never sit flush, and you'll be stuck with that will annoying "saggy bumper" look.
Final thoughts on the refresh
Refreshing your own 06 wrx front bumper is usually one of these projects that feels daunting until you really get under the particular car. Once a person get the headlights cleared out and those pesky pop videos removed, it's quite a straightforward job.
Whether you stay OEM, move aftermarket, or just put in a lip in order to hide some old battle scars, taking care of the front end changes the way you feel about the car each time you walk up to it. These Hawkeyes are legendary for the reason, and they will deserve to appear the part. Don't let a beat-up bumper hold back the particular look of your Subaru—get it inter-changeable, get it painted, plus get back away on the street.