How To Swap A Toyota 86 Bumper With A Scion FR-S Bumper (or Vice Versa)
The Toyota 86 and the Scion FR-S are pretty much the same car. Yet, there are a few notable changes. For example, the Toyota 86 has a bit more aggressive look. Its bumper is more sharply contoured, and it comes with a widened lower air dam. In other words, the Toyota 86’s front bumper cover is a little pointier than the front bumper on the Scion FR-S.
Toyota discontinued the Scion brand in 2016, but the FR-S was not dead. Toyota renamed it the Toyota 86 the following year. Toyota heavily restyled it, though. So both cars look somewhat different from each other.
Do you own a Toyota 86, but you prefer the look of the Scion FR-S? Or vice versa? The good news is you can swap to the other model’s front bumper! We’ll show you how.
The Toyota 86 And Scion FR-S Bumpers Are Interchangeable
You should be able to swap bumpers between both cars without much trouble. The 86 bumper will fit over the FR-S headlights, and vice versa. Note that we’re talking about the first generation of the 86 model. We haven’t tried swapping bumpers with the second generation 86 model (2021 Toyota 86, to be specific).
Important Tips To Keep In Mind Before The Swap
These bumpers are not direct replacements. There’s some minimal tweaking to be done. There's also some important information to know before swapping to an 86 or FR-S bumper:
Preparing Your Replacement Bumper
Aside from the cosmetic differences in the bumper design, the bumpers come with different amounts of tabs. The FR-S bumper has 4 tabs. The 86 bumper has 5 tabs. If you’re switching to a FS-bumper from an 86 bumper, cut the extra tab on the bumper. Make sure you do it right, and make sure you cut the right tab.
If you're keeping your stock headlights, you will need to switch to headlight brackets or bumper brackets. It depends on which vehicle you have and which bumper you're putting on it:
The Toyota 86 has bumper brackets. If installing an FR-S bumper, switch to headlight brackets.
The Scion FR-S has headlight brackets. If installing an 86 bumper, switch to bumper brackets.
Also, be sure to grab the brackets that go from the bumper corner to the fender. Installing these brackets will prevent your new bumper from sagging.
Once you have all these things ready, the swap should be smooth and painless.
Should You Keep Your Stock Front Lower Bumper Cover?
You can keep your stock front lower bumper cover when swapping to an FR-S bumper or an 86 bumper. If you need a new front lower bumper cover, you can grab one here. It's an OEM front lower bumper cover for 2017-2020 Toyota 86 and 2013-2016 Scion FR-S.
Finding A Front Bumper Cover
Are you looking for an 86 or FR-S front bumper? You can grab one at wholesale pricing on our website! As an authorized dealer of genuine OEM Toyota parts, we carry bumper covers for the 86 and FR-S:
Swapping Bumpers: An Overview
Image Credit: Gears N' Ish
Whether you're switching from an 86 bumper to an FR-S bumper or vice versa, here's an overview of the process:
- Gather together all the tools you’ll need for the project.
- 10mm socket
- 3/8” ratchet
- Phillips screwdriver
- Flat head screwdriver or trim tool
- Remove the 10mm bolts from the top of the bumper cover.
- Remove the two plastic clips from the top of the bumper cover.
- Remove the metal retaining strip that runs across the top of the bumper.
- Remove the plastic clips inside each front wheel well. You’ll gain better access to these clips if you turn the wheels to one side.
- Remove the plastic clips underneath the bumper cover
- Carefully pop out the turn signal lights. It may be clipped in place; in that case, remove the clips first.
- Carefully pull the bumper cover forward. Mind the retaining tabs; be sure not to break them.
- Unplug the fog light wiring
- Remove the bumper from the vehicle
- Install the new bumper in the reverse order of removal. As long as you prepare the new bumper ahead of time (see above), this process should be easy.