Rear Valence Installation

[Zero 260]

I just purchased the '02 rear valence to put on my '00. It came with one support bar and that's it. Any advise on where to get some instructions on how to put this thing on so I can do-it-myself.. please help.
Also, it looks like I have to take off the bumper to get to some of the screws.. do I?

 

[ATERPAK]

I just did this on my 91 and you do have to take off the entire rear bumper cap to remove the old and install the new valence. Not too difficult just time consuming and a pain when trying to mate the new with the old while off the car.

There are four 12 mm nuts which hold the main bumper located around the muffler. Those have to come out. There are also two 12 mm acorn style nuts inside the trunk under the tail light housing which also have to come out. They are located inside the trunk liner around the lock. The liner screws on top near the lights (4 I think) have to be removed and then just bend down the liner to get access to those bolts.

Now on each side of the valence near the wheels and behind is a bracket which holds four bolts. Two go into the valance and two go into the support brackets. Loosen all of them. Finally near the back of the bumper inside the fender are two 10 mm nuts which hold on the bumper cap to the fenders. Those have to come out as well. All these 10 mm nuts and bolts are accessible but you will need a light to see the back two.

I also recommend you take the license plate off at this point since it will be easier than when the bumper is off the car.

From there (get a buddy to help you on this) you should be able to remove the entire bumper assembly and place it on a soft surface so you don't scratch the bumper. The hardest part while doing this is disconnecting the license plate light connector from the bumper assembly.

Once it's on a soft surface you will see numerous screws (phillips) which hold the bumper and valance together. Take all those out that are necessary for the valance. Reassemble the new valance in reverse order (also with the help of a friend). Please note how the valance slides into the bumper and then gets attached using those phillip screws. It's tough to get all those pieces to mate perfectly all along the bottom of the bumper. Put all the screws on, tightened and esepecially the aluminum brackets on the ends and install the bumper in reverse order.

Get the bumper on (don't forget that wiring connector for the license plate) and put the bolts on but don't tightened anything yet. Have a friend line up the sides of the bumper to the fender and then tightend those two nuts on for both sides. Then do the 12 mm bumper bolts (4 on bottom 2 on top) and then the side brackets near the wheel wells. From there everything else should be obvious.

Oh and that support bar will need a nylon nut and a special type of screw which might be different than the old one. I'm not sure on this since I lost my old original screw for the center support bracket. NOTE: You will also see a hole in the valence near the bottom by the wheel well area where the old one doesn't have one. If you look at an 02 the bracket for this area has three (not two) support brackets for this unlike the old valance. I made up a third bracket piece by using some thin steel (aluminum should work) 3/8" wide stock and bent it in the right places and angles to add that extra support it really needs. I then bolted it together using a flat pan bolt and nyloc nut on the valance side, and used the old 10mm bolt, which is plenty long enough, for the other bracket piece. This should be obvious to you once you look at the area.

Good luck.

 

[NSX 3.0]

My screws holding the valence on were a bitch had to use my impact screw driver and loosen them up by hand. The only help I needed was getting the new valence on after being painted and I still put a scratch in it here is what it looks like off..Good luck.

 

[D'Ecosse]

I've removed it myself but a helper is definitely an advantage.
Have a blanket or something on the floor and sit with your legs/thighs under the bumper after your remove all the nuts/bolts; then cradle it from underneath with your fore-arms and legs & withdraw it off the studs onto your thighs. Then you just have to figure how to get it off your legs onto the blanket!

Here's the section from the manual (clickable link to full-size legible pic- if you have automatic re-sizing to fit enabled in your browser, expand to full-size)

 

[Procar Specials]

I got the european spec of this rear valence yesterday.
It is different to the US part, because we have a bigger licence plate area and there is a small plastic frame.

Honda Part no is: 71511-SLO-GOOZZ
My dealer pruchase price was 627,63 Euro + 16 % tax 100,42 = 728,05 Euro
(~ 920 USD)

I'm disappointed about the mesh fitment at the inside of the bumper.
The upper side isnt fixed, I have to work on that before painting.

2 questions:

The exhaust dont have to be removed ?

There is also a black section around the mesh (which isnt paint in car color)
Did you paint that black like the OEM B pillars or rear windshield garnish, NH 88 black gloss 60, if I remember right.

 

[ATERPAK]

I got the european spec of this rear valence yesterday.
It is different to the US part, because we have a bigger licence plate area and there is a small plastic frame.

Honda Part no is: 71511-SLO-GOOZZ
My dealer pruchase price was 627,63 Euro + 16 % tax 100,42 = 728,05 Euro
(~ 920 USD)

I'm disappointed about the mesh fitment at the inside of the bumper.
The upper side isnt fixed, I have to work on that before painting.

2 questions:

The exhaust dont have to be removed ?

There is also a black section around the mesh (which isnt paint in car color)
Did you paint that black like the OEM B pillars or rear windshield garnish, NH 88 black gloss 60, if I remember right.

The exhaust shouldn't have to be removed to get at the bumper. Paint all the mesh and section around it black using the OEM B pillar color but with a satin sheen instead of gloss.

Good Luck.

 

[Procar Specials]

Any Honda color code for that black ?
Is NH 88 right ?

Maybe someone knows this.
Thanks