naVan Bumper

It’s probably obvious by now what car I’m hoping to find, and it is indeed a S14 240sx. The funny thing is, I was originally looking for a 97-98 “Kouki” 240sx because I liked its stock appearance, and I wouldn’t have to deal with bodywork. Plus, I thought the front end on the late model S14’s looked far better than the 95-96 “Zenkis.” As I delved deeper into S14s over time, my taste in the matter took a sudden change.

I initially discarded the desire to buy a Zenki because, like most other people, I found them to be ugly. It’s true though, completely stock and USDM, their front ends are rather plain and hideous… However, it doesn’t take a whole lot to make them stunning, in my opinion. They’re an acquired taste. Once I came across pictures of this bumper, the deal was sealed. I knew there could be no alternative.

Although I’m going to have to get this bumper painted, I decided it was worth the trouble. Simply because this is the sexiest bumper in the world. Hyperbole aside, the NaVan bumper is actually an OEM product and made out of  TPO or Polypropylene (I’m not a fan of aftermarket fiberglass aero). I don’t know the full story/history of Navan, but it was a special package offered by Nissan in Japan, and only for Zenkis.

Here is the bumper. Pricey and I had to buy it from a vendor in Malaysia, but this particular one was the cleanest I could source. Most others had chunks missing from the bottom lip. One feature of this bumper that I’m not sold on is the center opening, which has the large vents (“+”). I’m planning on having those removed to keep it cleaner.

Today, I added fiberglass to the upper corners and around the fender mounting holes. During my searching, I found an example of someone who ran over a cat or something with this bumper, and it split in that area. So I felt compelled to add a little reinforcement there.