I am getting some body work done on the S this month and I am debating putting in a front OE lip. I like the looks of it but all of the ones I've seen installed which have some mileage on them are ripped apart from daily driving - chips, scratches, ext. So I am wondering, is a front lip worth the trouble of maintenance?

 

Your front bumper is already taking crap, adding a lip can't be much worse.

 

Just watch where you drive and don't pull too close on curbs etc. Definitely a must as far as appearance goes imo.

 

Honestly, I think the lip adds so much to the aesthetic to the front that it outweighs the cons of rock chips it takes haha. Mine has a good bit of small chips but you cant tell unless you REALLY take a look. Get it!

 

I have a urethane oe Ebay front lip and it has lasted much better than my OEM Honda one. Fits very well too. You'd never know it was a replica

 

I'd say go for a replica. You won't worry about scraping it or getting chips as muxh as you would with an OEM or other authentic lip.

 

Isn't urethane more likely to crack? Any benefits of an OE lip over replica?

 

Ye know all about curbs.

 

OE comes painted and fits the best. However if your car is already getting some bodywork done they can probably paint a rep lip easily and make it fit well. Urethane is much more flexible and much less likely to crack than the OEM ABS however due to the amount it can flex the paint can flake off more easily. The OEM ABS is by no means weak and can take quite a lot of punishment before totally failing.

So its up to you. The OEM will fit and fit well and it comes painted so you just put it on and go. The rep is cheaper but needs to be painted and they can have spotty fitment. With the reps it is very important to pick one from a seller that puts it in a full size box and does not fold it up into a smaller box. Make sure to read the description for this because some sellers do it and it makes it fit like crap.

 

You have to remember too it's really difficult to get the paint to stick to those rep lips because the surface is so slick. After spending the necessary money on labor to prep it, it's going to cost almost as much as an OEM one.

That being said, I would wager most don't have their replica lips properly painted and save money. It gets beat up anyways, so that's something to consider.